Pre-poll environment in Manipur is marked by unprecedented violence, as murder, violent clash, gun violence, bomb blasts, ransacking of properties etc. have become routine. Officials and stakeholders concerned are working towards ensuring a free and fair election, but it is impossible to ignore the widespread fear of violence and threats, pointed out Culture and Arts coordinator YCM Thongam Zingi during a discourse on 'People's Watch on Manipur 2022-Election' in Imphal on Sunday.

The one-day discourse was organised by the Youth Collective Manipur (YCM) at the Manipur Press Club in Imphal on Sunday.

Zingi said, "YCM is exploring ways in which people can deepen their engagement in the electoral processes. To this end, YCM is organising awareness campaigns in the form of debate competitions across the state. It is exploring the possibilities of letting the people monitor the election".

The Culture and Arts coordinator said that cVIGIL initiative in India, which is an election monitoring organisation, is not open to the public at large. However, in other democratic countries, the role and contribution of civil society monitoring groups such as We Watch (Thailand); Centre for Monitoring Election Violence and PAFFREL (Sri Lanka); COMFREL (Philippines); Odhikar (Bangladesh); TDEA-FAFEN (Pakistan) etc are well known in their respective grassroots context, he added.

Zingi urged every individual, experts and civil society groups to join them in forming an effective people's election monitoring framework for Manipur. The discussion was attended by many experts working in different fields.