Finally, the Election Commission of India has announced the dates of Lok Sabha elections 2024 and the vexed Manipur question had been answered. Manipur will vote in two phases on April 19 and 26. According to the ECI schedule, elections in whole of Inner Manipur and parts of Outer Manipur would be held in the 1st phase, while the remaining assembly segments of Outer Manipur in the 2nd phase.
Even as unrest in the state continue to drag on for more than 10 months for no foreseeable solution in sight, there was uncertainty on whether elections could be held or not. The conduct of free and fair elections needs a conducive atmosphere. On the other hand, certain sections had already expressed their objections to holding of parliamentary elections till peace and normalcy returns in the state. A market based women organisation had even issued a warning sometime back that anybody found engaged in election campaign would be tonsured.
Except for the political parties, both ruling and Opposition, many CSOs and common folk are having reservations on elections till the conflict is resolved. But then, elections were held even during the Covid 19 pandemic. Indian elections can be postponed only in odd situation of the country such as, danger arises for our nation’s sovereignty and integrity or most critical financial or law and order problems. In 1976 then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed emergency in the country and postponed the elections for a year.
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Elections can be postponed in case of war, cyclonic destruction, drought, public unrest and emergency. Question is, does the Manipur situation present an extraordinary state of affairs where it would be extremely difficult to conduct free and fair elections? In Jammu & Kashmir, ECI has decided to hold parliamentary elections but deferred assembly elections citing conditions not conducive to it.
Well, ECI must have considered all aspects of the Manipur turmoil before arriving at such a decision. Voting for the Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency had been spread across two phases and it is unprecedented. In the past, if there are two phases it is for different polling dates for the two parliamentary constituencies. In this election, voting for the Inner Manipur constituency has been clubbed with those of valley constituencies included in Outer Manipur and the surrounding assembly constituencies.
Assembly segments going for polls in 1st phase are 31 assembly constituencies included in Inner Manipur along with the seven valley constituencies of Wangkhem, Heirok, Wangjing Tentha, Khangabok, Wabgai, Kakching, Hiyanglam and Sugnoo, besides Chandel, Saikul, Kangpokpi, Saitu, Henglep, Churachandpur, Saikot and Singhat included in Outer Manipur constituency. Assembly segments going for polls in the 2nd Phase are Jiribam, Tengnoupal, Phungyar, Ukhrul, Chingai, Karong, Mao, Tadubi, Tamei, Tamenglong and Nungba, Tipaimukh and Thanlon.
As one could see, most of the assembly segments affected by the present violence in Outer Manipur constituency particularly those Kuki-Zo dominated segments in Kangpokpi and Churachandpur district. And the remaining assembly segments of Outer Manipur which are mostly Naga dominated segments besides Pherzwal and Tengnoupal district would vote on the second phase. Well, the Election Commission has taken into account the security aspects in the conduct of the Ist phase as the valley area has been clubbed together with the surrounding assembly segments in Kuki-Zo dominated areas.
Hundreds of companies of central paramilitary forces are already present in these highly sensitive zones which have seen ethnic clashes between opposing groups. Area domination exercises by state and central forces have already begun in the surrounding hills. But, it would require much more security personnel while conducting free and fair elections. Yet, the aspect of civil manpower needed to conduct elections seems to have been ignored.
Who is going to man the polling stations in such a volatile atmosphere of hatred and enmity? It was mostly government employees from the valley who had been manning the polling stations in the hills all along. Now we have to see how ECI deals with it.
