Content area
Full Text
Imphal: It doesn't take long to understand that the election in Manipur is being fought solely on the issue of territorial integrity of the state. Instead of development as a basic talking point, politics in Manipur is revolving around the Naga Accord which the Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed in 2015. Though basic issues like corruption, lack of development, extra judicial killings, ecological issues and AFSPA remain alive, it is the three-month long blockade organised by the Naga community in Manipur that continues to remain the biggest issue. Senior BJP leaders are quick to question the Manipur Chief Minister Ibobi Singh of 15 years on the formation of the seven districts right before the Assembly elections leading to intense violence. "The message went out that the decision was political in nature. He had earlier claimed that he would carve the districts till consensus evolves and then he took the decision suo motu," said Kiren Rejiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs. Though Congress defended the decision as a routine administrative matter but the message which went out was that the state government undermined the concept of Nagalim (Greater Nagaland) leading to the unrest in Naga dominated Manipuri areas. The result of the decision was a massive blockade which threw life out of gear in Manipur. CM Ibobi blamed the Centre for inadequate support and the BJP blamed the Congress for fishing in troubled waters. The accord which was signed in 2015 has not been thrown open to public scrutiny citing security issues. It is this opaqueness which troubles an average Manipuri, though the BJP claims that not an iota of land would be ceded and territorial compromise is a political jumla. "There is no mention of Manipur in the accord. I can vouch for it. There is no compromise on the territory," says BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav who is the party in-charge of North East. Such is the seriousness of the issue that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to publicaly assert that territorial integrity of Manipur would not be tempered with. Singh on the other hand continues with low a profile campaign around territorial integrity whereas the BJP has gone in the opposite direction. BJP's campaign is loud and high decibel with senior leaders campaigning in Imphal. BJP also doesn't have a chief ministerial face. It feels content in projecting PM as the face. It has also taken up the sensitive issue of extra judicial killings with the promise that political actors who authored such decision would be brought to books. "We have made blockade an issue because it is being used politically by the Congress," says Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in PM's office. BJP wants to build this narrative of blockades and lack of development without getting into the Naga issue directly. For full report log on to www.dnaindia.com