Politicians have this habit of talking in riddles. They crack their heads on how to confuse the general public day in day out, and more so, how to project their failures as success and hoodwink the people. For more than 14 months, the Manipur BJP leadership including the Chief Minister tried to flag the issue of Manipur imbroglio and somehow catch the attention of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was otherwise busy with his foreign tours and electioneering. Hordes of MLAs had gone to New Delhi several times, egged on by Meira Paibis and CSOs, only to come back dejected as the Prime Minister refused to meet them.
During the recent elections, the Prime Minister came to the neighbouring states for the campaign but somehow sidestepped the Manipur issue or visiting the state. The Prime Minister’s chief lieutenant and henchman Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the state twice. And the people had to be contented with a statement from Amit Shah that he is routinely briefing the PM on Manipur affairs. During the BJP and allied MLAs visit New Delhi, Amit Shah would give the assurance that Manipur’s territorial integrity would remain intact and ignore the MLAs’ desire for affirmative action on the demands of the general population and a solution to the crisis.
All they wanted was a caring attitude commensurate with action from the BJP leadership so that they could face the people and proudly say that BJP means action. So, it resulted in the lack of an organised effort of campaigning for the party candidate and hence the defeat. Even in that, the party leadership was not really concerned with the Manipur defeat as the likely increase was only two as against their target of 400 plus.
After the elections, Manipur got a new incharge (in their words Prabhari) in the person of Rajya Sabha MP Ajeet Gopchade while the old hand Sambit Patra remained in charge of the whole of Northeast region. As everyone here in the state was talking about the non-visit of the PM besides Rahul Gandhi’s call for his visit Gopchade made a statement that PM Modi will not come to Manipur empty handed, he will soon come Manipur with a solution to the ongoing crisis. He is the only one who can bring the solution, according to him.
As we were wondering how the Prime Minister could whisk a solution out of air considering his relative confusion for more than 14 months, the state Chief Minister N Biren Singh contradicted the good doctor saying that whether PM Modi visits Manipur or not is immaterial. Then again, a junior minister in his Cabinet said that we should not expect the Prime Minister to speak at random. He goes on to say that the PM had mentioned Manipur in his speech on August 15, 2023 from the ramparts of Red Fort. Well, he is parroting whatever has been fed to him as facts and speaking points. Now, he is in a soup for belittling the efforts of the market women. The question now is, whether we should listen to Gopchade or the chief minister.
While the BJP incharge is trying hard to calm ruffled feathers among the general populace, the chief minister is trying to justify Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence and denial of the Manipur situation, besides their failure to convince the PM. Therein lies the riddle of BJP. Although the exact date of the visit is not confirmed, Gopchade stated that Modi will come to the state once a solution is in place. But then, there is no assurance of Narendra Modi coming to terms with the Manipur crisis or guaranteeing a viable solution to the situation. Fourteen months is a long time for any internal crisis and it reeks of an inability or unwillingness to deal firmly with the situation as the government in power belongs to his party.
(The views expressed are personal)
