Making CM the fall guy Delhi’s brand of politics
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September 1, September 2, September 6, September 7 and the offensives from the Kuki militants continue unabated and it was against this backdrop that Chief Minister N Biren convened one meeting after the other of the MLAs belonging to the ruling bloc and rounded this up with a memorandum to Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya. Weaponised drones, rocket propelled explosives, intense offensives from the Kuki militants and retaliation from the village defenders or volunteers and clearly Manipur is today in the storm of a war. From Koutruk, Senjam Chirang to Moirang in Bishnupur district to Jiribam and more than obvious that the Kuki militants are well placed, armed to the teeth with sophisticated weapons including weaponised drones to strike out as and when they please and yet Delhi continues to molly coddle the Kuki militants. Obviously with the Centre not giving the go ahead signal to the security forces to act against the Kuki militants, it is the other side, the Meiteis who are at the receiving end and the very fact that Chief Minister N Biren felt it compelled to approach the Governor to take steps to rein in the marauding Kuki militants is more than enough indication that Delhi has closed its doors on the face of the Chief Minister. Let the Chief Minister continue with the official designation as the first among equals in Manipur, but shorn of all the powers and authority, is the stand of Delhi. No wonder the DGP and the Security Advisor slept over the missives from the Chief Minister’s office to be on the alert, citing the build up of militants at Jiribam and this was as early as January this year. The Chief Minister is co-operating is the line maintained by Union Home Minister on the floor of Parliament some time back and this is where one is constrained to question what Amit Shah exactly meant in using the term ‘co-operating ?’ Top this off with the fact that no one exactly knows whether Article 355 has been enforced here or not, but the fact remains that Delhi has shorn off all the powers and authority of the Chief Minister but at the same time without actually proclaiming it publicly. A case of exercising power without responsibility and in the process the finger of accusation being increasingly pointed at the Chief Minister. Let the Chief Minister do all the dirty work by continuing with him, but don’t give him the power and authority to act as the Chief Minister, is the politics that has been adopted by Delhi, the Union Home Ministry in particular. This is something which has not blown over the consciousness of the keen observers here in Manipur and this is where one is constrained to question why the Chief Minister should accept such an arrangement. What is the logic in submitting a memorandum to the Governor, when the points mentioned in the representation are issues which only Delhi can address. Wouldn’t it have made much better sense to send the memorandum directly to Delhi or is it a case of the people who matter refusing to open their doors to anyone from Manipur ?
What is the status of the SoO pact with the Kuki militants ? While Delhi has not officially spelt out its stand, this did not stop the Chief Minister from asserting that though the pact has not been extended, it is still effective. An announcement made on the floor of the Assembly during the Monsoon session and this has only confused the people. As repeatedly said, a driving license or a passport, would be deemed expired, if not renewed before it passes the validity date and this is where one is left wondering whether the Chief Minister was tutored to toe a line scripted by Delhi. It is this politics that has not gone down well with the people at all and it should be clear that from the day violence erupted in all its ugliness on May 3, 2023, the role of Delhi has been best exemplified by the conduct of the Central security forces, particularly the Assam Rifles. When armoured vehicles of the Assam Rifles blocked the gate of a police station some time last year, it was akin to asking the police to remain quiet in their stations while letting the Kuki militants have a free run. When its armoured vehicle is parked right in the middle of the road, blocking the passage of the State police, then this also amounts to telling the cops to stay put and not interfere when Kuki militants go on the rampage. This is where one can see the hands of Delhi written all over in black and white and this is a call which the State Government should have raised a long, long time back. The office of the Chief Minister should not be allowed to be demeaned in such a crude manner.
What is the status of the SoO pact with the Kuki militants ? While Delhi has not officially spelt out its stand, this did not stop the Chief Minister from asserting that though the pact has not been extended, it is still effective. An announcement made on the floor of the Assembly during the Monsoon session and this has only confused the people. As repeatedly said, a driving license or a passport, would be deemed expired, if not renewed before it passes the validity date and this is where one is left wondering whether the Chief Minister was tutored to toe a line scripted by Delhi. It is this politics that has not gone down well with the people at all and it should be clear that from the day violence erupted in all its ugliness on May 3, 2023, the role of Delhi has been best exemplified by the conduct of the Central security forces, particularly the Assam Rifles. When armoured vehicles of the Assam Rifles blocked the gate of a police station some time last year, it was akin to asking the police to remain quiet in their stations while letting the Kuki militants have a free run. When its armoured vehicle is parked right in the middle of the road, blocking the passage of the State police, then this also amounts to telling the cops to stay put and not interfere when Kuki militants go on the rampage. This is where one can see the hands of Delhi written all over in black and white and this is a call which the State Government should have raised a long, long time back. The office of the Chief Minister should not be allowed to be demeaned in such a crude manner.