Leader Writer: Ksh Sopen
Politicians of the state have been opting to more profitable and enjoyable political activities by ignoring unpleasant political realities which demanded an exercise of an unethical political action at the cost of their personal integrity and political image. This prolonged political culture in the state has failed to buy the confidence of the people which in turn has created a favourable space to politically uncultured individuals who have enough money to contest assembly and parliamentary elections. Such individuals never join a political party in advance of an election but did ‘development works’ in their respective constituency by posing as self style social workers. However, they have contacts with the leaderships of the various political parties operating in the state. In this way, they got the candidature of a political party while the ink for enrolling their names in the registry as primary membership of a political party was still wet. Such kind of individuals considered politics as best avenue for protecting them with legal immunity in case they are facing an offence. It is reportedly said that the present Manipur politics lacks the role of a politically active opposition parties both in the August house and also outside the House.
In the mean time, the five MLAs of the Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP) have merged with Indian National Congress (INC) on the eve of the Parliamentary election scheduled to be held on April 9 for the Outer Parliamentary seat and on April 17 for the Inner Parliamentary seat respectively. However, the merger of MSCP to Congress party is not a surprise to the people of Manipur as it has been expected long time before and the recent merger is a matter of time. Meanwhile, unsuccessful Congress candidates in the Assembly election of their respective constituencies showed their displeasures on the issue of the merger as it will definitely affect their political future.
One seasoned politician of the state while having a tea at his residence once told that an elected leader visited him for getting a conversation on the practice of assembly during the session. The elected leader expressed his displeasures of being opting to be an elected leader as it has demanded high degree of political and diplomatic skill. The political action of an elected leader is, knowingly or unknowingly, resulted the destiny of the entire populace of the state or a constituency. If a man is not getting drinking water or electricity, it should not be his fault but for the elected leader. Elected leaders should own the responsibility for each and every grievance of the people.
On the other hand, the regional political platform of the state has only become a spring board for the political opportunists. Most of the presidents and MLAs of the regional political parties of the state could not be found as members of the parties due to joining to other political party. The oldest regional political party of Manipur, MPP is now reportedly derecognised by the Election Commission of India.
The present Manipur needs large scale awareness for political awakening movement which could be spearheaded by an apolitical platform and persona which could have the ability to gather enough momentum for the end goal in the interest of the common people of the state as majority of the people of Manipur do not enjoy their democratic rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution coupled with the prolonged lawlessness situation both in the hill and valley. This lawlessness was seen in recent kidnapping an ex MLA though releases after holding him under their custody for some time.
