While participating in the debate in the legislative assembly on a private member resolution for implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur, Chief Minister N Biren Singh exuded confidence and seemed quite content with the recent decisions of the central government. He said, he would be ready to leave politics if the decisions on border fencing, free movement regime, change of guard along the border and NRC are implemented. Till then, he and his team would cling to their posts and not surrender it to others as it is extremely necessary to save the state and its people.
Biren Singh trusts no one and he does not have confidence in any other political leader or dispensation other than himself and his party in taking up the cudgels for the sake of Manipur. In many of his speeches, he keeps harping on how past governments and regimes had done almost nothing for the state and it has become the job of his government to bring back the state on the right track, of course, with blessings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
In every breath, the names of these leaders are chanted and how lucky Manipur is to have such benevolent leaders at the helm. Certain people might sulk at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence with regard to Manipur. But it had its advantages also. As a result of his silence, Manipur has suddenly become famous. Maybe, it is for all the wrong reasons.
But still, Manipur has become the most talked about state in India. The opposition and journalists are competing to speak about Manipur every other day, the stand-up comedians are quoting Manipur, the social media is agog with memes and satirical depictions about the state and a whole new genre is out to bring focus to the once neglected and relatively unknown state in the Indian public imagination.
The basic question now is, whether we should consider ourselves lucky in having such a self-confident Chief Minister who believes in himself and his capabilities as absent in other political leaders? We may not, as the demand for termination of SoO with Kuki militants and of a broad-based plan or process for bringing back normalcy in the state was not at all mentioned in his Friday speech.
Although the SoO agreement with the Kuki groups lapsed on February 29, it is still uncertain whether the central government is extending it further or not. It is quite well known that many in the Indian security establishment are opposed to terminating the SoO agreement as it has a proven record of keeping in check both Naga and Meitei insurgency. On the other hand, as a responsible government Chief Minister N Biren Singh should have placed a plan for bringing back peace and normalcy in the house.
If he is so confident in himself, why has he not been able to wrest back the reins of Unified Command from the Security Advisor? Words are easy, but without action it all becomes a sham. He also must understand that he lives in a glass house and should be careful about throwing stones to others.
(The views expressed are personal)
