Just got to know that the Manipur Security Advisor Kuldeip Singh who was given command of Unified Headquarters by Union Home Minister Amit Shah himself sits in the Chief Minister’s Office. He does not function from the Manipur Secretariat situated a stone’s throw away or any other well-fortified security complexes in Imphal. The much-criticized DGP exported from Tripura cadre also sits next door to the CMO.
A slip of paper or face-to-face communication would have done the trick for any exchange of information or intelligence input, instead of UO notes or wireless messages or for clearing any sort of misunderstanding. That is our thinking, as every layman should. Well, the government functions in a different way, like official communiques. In case of police and security agencies, communications are done through official despatches and wireless messages which rarely comes out in the open. But as relations are not so sweet, the offices of Chief Minister and Security Advisor prefers to deal in despatches and messages.
If the Security Advisor functions totally independent of the political leadership in matters of security, he is only acting according to the responsibility vested by the Union Home Minister whatever be his faults and shortcomings. And the blame for any such shortcoming or faulty judgement should be with the Union Home minister and not him as projected by certain civil society organisations to score brownie points.
We often fail to understand that, today it is Kuldeip Singh and tomorrow might bring someone else but the strings are held by UHM and the mandarins in the Home ministry. The state DGP could also be changed anytime. But, discontent and lack of trust would remain the same unless there is a definitive change in Centre’s attitude towards the Manipur crisis and the way it is being handled by the political leadership here. One the other hand, one is perplexed by the way the BJP central leadership is dealing with the situation in the state.
In spite of all its faults and misadventures, the leadership in the person of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah is not yet ready to sacrifice a leader of their choosing who is still ‘co-operative’ to their designs. From all that is happening around, we understand that N Biren Singh as Chief Minister has the full backing of Amit Shah considering his utterances or silence in press conferences.
Everyone knows that the government here has become a real embarrassment to the party as such and its future prospects. Somehow, one feels a sense of irritation and impatience on the part of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he continues to suffer the primary blame for all the faults in Manipur. Even then, there must be an overwhelming reason for Amit Shah backing N Biren Singh.
That ‘reason’ could have been the last straw in N Biren Singh’s grasp for continuance. Any political leader with a sense of self respect would have resigned the moment Unified Headquarters was taken away from him. But, N Biren Singh must also have his own set of reasons for staying in power despite the trimmings in power and authority. Strange are the ways of politicians and those in power.
(The views expressed are personal)
