Manipur Assembly Elections: Divergence of Ethnic Interests
17 Feb, 2002 · 703
Bibhu Prasad Routray highlights the interplay of diverging ethnic interests in the run-up to the State Assembly elections
The territorial integrity of Manipur dominates the electioneering for the forthcoming State assembly elections in the State. The ethnic relationship between the Meiteis residing in the valley areas and the Nagas living in the hills has deteriorated after the June 2001 turmoil in the State following the Union government’s decision to extend the area of ceasefire with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) ‘without territorial limits’. The United Naga Council (UNC) in the State made clear that they would like to be part of a Greater Nagaland as demanded by the NSCN-IM; for the Meiteis, this became a question of defending their territory. This divide has its impact on the political set up in the State, including a realignment in the political parties, the electioneering process and, possibly, on the outcome of the polls.
18 June 2001 uprising, the former Congress (I) leader, Nipamacha Singh, deserted his parent party to form the Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP). Other parties, too, suffered from large-scale defections. Nineteen of the twenty seats in the five Naga-dominated Hill districts are reserved for the Scheduled tribes like Nagas, Kukis and Paites. The Congress Party, which had traditionally fared well here, now faces stiff competition from the national and regional parties.
3 February 2002 . On February 5, the house of another Congress candidate, Suresh Singh, was attacked. Another candidate of the Federal Party of Manipur (FPM) was attacked by unidentified militants on the same day.
In November 2001, the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) was formed with the unifying of forces that had spearheaded the struggle in June 2001 for maintaining Manipur’s territorial integrity. In its election manifesto, the DPP, which has fielded 24 candidates, has talked about revolutionising and building a new Manipur. Similarly, the dormant Naga National Party (NNP) has fielded 11 candidates in the Naga majority hill areas, and talked about protecting the interests of the Naga community in Manipur.
In addition, there has been a major realignment of forces within the existing political parties. Sensing the people’s alienation from the mainstream political parties after the
Open articulation of community interests by the individual regional parties blurs a common vision for the state; this has provided space for the insurgents to interfere in the elections. Despite a declaration of non-interference by the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), an insurgent group in the State, large-scale violence targeting candidates now dominates the electioneering process.
The Kanglei Yawol Kunna Lup-Oken (KYKL-O) has threatened particular candidates from contesting the elections. It has launched ‘Operation New Kangleipak’, an anti-corruption campaign targeting the educational sector to ensure good quality education. Since October 2001, it has abducted and punished corrupt bureaucrats and professors, and won the sympathy of student bodies like the Manipur University Students Union (MUSU). Its popularity is now extending to the electioneering process; it has banned and attacked candidates whom it thinks are unsuitable for Manipur.
The NSCN-IM has also joined the fray by attacking the candidates of various political parties. According to the former Chief Minister, Reishang Keishing, two candidates from the party contesting the Chandel and Tengnoupal seats have already been forced to withdraw their nominations by the NSCN-IM. The house of the former State Home Minister M Oken was attacked by unidentified terrorists on
The presence of security forces is said to be inadequate. 68 companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Border Security Force (BSF), the Manipur Rifles and Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) are on election duty against a total demand of 294 companies by the State administration. The last assembly elections in February 2000 had witnessed re-polls in 174 polling booths due to insurgency related violence. The lack of adequate security forces for this year’s emotional electioneering process runs the danger of inviting wide-spread violence.
It is interesting that neither the mainstream nor the regional political parties are hoping for a decisive mandate in their favour. The Congress, the BJP and the Samata Party have started talking about a hung assembly. Against this background, the constitution of next assembly would have a final say on of maintaining Manipur’s territorial integrity.
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