When an audio clip of a recording of a conversation of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh surfaced, it was quickly dubbed as doctored by the state government and was also informed that an FIR has also been lodged. The said audio clip does not contain anything new beyond what was already in the public domain, except that the purported clip confirms from the horse mouth what was already in the public domain.
There is no reason to doubt to question the clarification of the government till The Wire made a three parts reportage where it was claimed that the recording was placed before the Justice Lamba Commission of Enquiry in which the person recording had submitted an affidavit as to the veracity of the recordings with a request to keep it confidential.
An expert who did a preliminary investigation in the three audio clips incorporated in The Wire reports expressed that in one clip there is a gap while in another there is an indication of suspected alteration. But a detailed forensic examination can determine whether the recordings have been doctored or tampered with.
When the audio clip surfaced on social media, it was difficult to confirm whether it was a leak from the state government side to show that the CM is the saviour of the Meitei at a time when there is rumours of a change in the leadership for lobbying the support of the Meitei or a leak from the security agencies to test the waning support of the Meitei for the CM before any precipitate action is taken against him by the Centre.
While the Manipur government was claiming that the audio clip was doctored, many including the Rajya Sabha member, a brother of the CM and a few other who were seen as close to the CM made comments on social media on the surfacing of the audio clip hinting at turncoats among the Meitei that contradicts the claim of the state government, and unwittingly confirming at least the context of the recording that such event actually took place. The Wire also took up this matter and published a report in this regard.
One is a bit surprised at the timing of the surfacing of the audio clip, which some claim was first posted from a foreign country, though this claim needs verification. The recording, if authentic, must have been done sometime last year not long after the visit of the Union Home Minister in the last week of May and the time lag on its surfacing, point to the fact that it was done deliberately for a purpose.
The audio is where CM was making his usual bravado amongst his close associates who were permitted to carry inside the mobile phones. If the recording is done not by a mobile phone but by a specialised mini or micro recording device, CM has everything to be concerned about as there are moles in his coterie. There is no doubt that there are many who believe that quite a few of the ministers and MLAs are in regular touch with operatives of the various central agencies.
Just after the Wire reports, the Hindu also came out with a report where it was mentioned that the Advisor to the Union Home Ministry had talks with the SoO groups three times relating to the extension of this agreement and there is likely to be some changes in the terms and condition and that some designated camps which are near the central valley areas may be shifted. But one small point which will have a serious impact including law and order was incorporated where it mentioned that the Advisor had agreed to the formation of a Territorial Council among the issues which make it look like a leak.
The Advisor will not have the authority to agree to this and that as he will have to take the approval of the Union Government on anything that was agreed upon. He is basically an interlocutor who hears the SoO groups for placing it before the Government while also relaying the government views. His alleged agreeing, if true, can only mean that the Union Government had agreed to this issue and that is very doubtful as he had a very long experience of the Northeast and that the issue of TC is not as simple as it looks as it can create a huge chasm between the Kuki and the Naga.
One may not be surprised if the leak was true as Central agencies have been working overtime to whittle down the influence of the various insurgent groups from both the Naga and Meitei. The number of groups that had splintered out from NSCN(K) is the pointer. There are even allegations that there are efforts to splinter the NSCN (I-M) and that the looting of the bank in Ukhrul was done by a group which desire to splinter form the main body and that the security agencies were tardy in their response to the looting as the border was not sealed immediately though knowing that the perpetrators will move towards Myanmar in haste.
One can only surmise that the two leaks are testing the water for some fresh initiatives to bring a solution to the nearly 16 month old crisis engulfing the state. The long tension had led to intra conflict within both the communities, which may lead to more bloodshed. That all is not hunky dory within the Kuki-Chin community is seen from the attacks on the commander of the KNF(MC) and efforts to come under a single umbrella has seen great challenges. As the various tribes are bound by a common thread where at least the other can understand the dialect of another, there are huge differences. The effort to unite through the Zo Council literally is unsuccessful.
I still recall the late T Gougin who moved for the nomenclature Zomi as he said that the word Mizo is grammatically incorrect. He said in private that “Hill people” should be the correct term, not “People Hill”! The differences were succinctly brought out by the three MLAs from Churachandpur (Vaiphei), Thanlon (Paite) and Tipaimukh (Hmar) ACs who rejected the nomenclature Kuki-Zo. This writer was also not very sure about the use of the term Zo in describing the common community. One was expecting that in this group the MLA from Singhat will also join but he perhaps refrained as he was elected under the KPA ticket and was supported by the Kuki and joining the three may render his AC open to electing a Paite as in 2000 election and not a Zou.
The community alignment in Churachandpur is extremely complex and changes in the alignment can occur overnight. Paite which was once the biggest community in the erstwhile Churachandpur District had to cede the position to the Kuki after the Naga-Kuki clash; and even then out of the six seats they have managed to win three seats in 2000 election from Churachandpur, Singhat and Thanlon. This time Paite could win only in Thanlon and this put them on the back foot politically. Kuki wins either one or two with Saikot the safe seat for this community with Henglep sharing between Kuki and Vaiphei.
With the developments going on, one is made to think that the two leaks, one in the Wire and the other in the Hindu has been orchestrated by what this writer calls the “master puppeteer” and can be the harbinger of change in the state. It can be deemed as mere reports if these two came at different times but coming almost simultaneously indicate there is a bigger game plan.
The mole who made the recording and had reportedly certified its authenticity and submitted it to the CoE on the condition of confidentiality must have been in an ivory tower as without leaks how will the Wire know about it and why he will be interviewed. If The Wire can know others can also come to know his identity and one is surprised at the risk he is taking as he will be regarded as the turncoat only for his personal benefit.
People had even without knowing his identity referred to him as Khelendro, the Meitei Subedar who caught Tikendrajit, who was an employee of the British Raj and was performing the duty assigned to him and who though Meitei believe as a turncoat was a man performing his assigned duty unlike the person who made the recording and pass it on to those who may use it to their advantage. If it is for the chief minister position, people will never trust him as he will be deemed unfit to hold such high office and in an unfortunate situation he can be hounded out of the state.
Do we see from the two leaks a whiff of a change in the political firmament? Only time can tell.
(The views expressed are personal)
