A Government at Last

Source: IMPHAL FREE PRESS

Posted: 2007-06-28

The familiar line “The Pope is dead. Long live the Pope” comes to mind. The obvious idea is, while individual Popes have to die when their times come, the papacy never does. What happens is only a change of guards. It is not an altogether unfamiliar idea though, for it very well applies to the notion of government too, Manipur’s included. In February this year the term of one government ended, and that of another began. It is unfortunate the new guards had to undergo such a long and agonising birth pang. But all’s well that ends well.

At least it is not still-born as many had begun to suspect would, and many others probably were hoping that it would be the case. After four months, a full-fledged government, with the capacity 12 ministers, is finally born. Hail the new government then, but this is only the end of Act-1. Heavier responsibilities await it, as they must any government. For four months, a period that saw some of the most violent social trepidations in the state, have gone by with the Manipur administration virtually headless, and with the tussle for ministerial berths having virtually transferred the state’s administrative headquarters to New Delhi’s Manipur Bhavan.

But let bygones be bygones, at least now the government can get down to the serious business of governance.In a way the script of the political drama covering the 8th and the 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly can also be summarised as, “Goodbye Ibobi, welcome Ibobi”. What a survivor the chief minister has been indeed! Ibobi the 8th sneaked into limelight five and half years ago, and many will argue by default, but from then on he has proven his political acumen by accomplishing the feat of never letting that limelight fade, although on occasions, especially before the advent of the amended Anti-Defection Law, he very nearly did. He even had to inordinately delay the winter session of the Assembly in 2002 to avoid a confidence vote, nearly creating a constitutional crisis. But as the Americans say, you cannot argue with success. Ibobi the 9th is different. Nobody can say he walked into the 9th Assembly by the backdoor, for Ibobi the 9th who inherited the crown from Ibobi the 8th is a confident, battle-hardened commander, who knows exactly what he is doing, and who his best Generals are.

At this moment at least, it does appear there is nobody in the elected Assembly to challenge his political authority. We hope this will not be cause for any vain hubris though, rather than it giving the chief executive of the state the stability and confidence to do precisely a chief executive’s job well.While we are indeed impressed by the chief minister’s political survival skills, we still would like to see his politics transcend the mere art of defeating in-house politicking. First of all, we would like to see him and his council of ministers take real charge of governance. He can begin by spelling out clearly and firmly to everybody what part of governance is the government’s sole responsibility, and what part of it can be shared with private partners. Today, as we have said so many times before, as it is also everybody’s knowledge, practically anybody and everybody can assume the responsibility of governance, even to the extent of meting out penalties to those who do not keep by their decrees.

We would also like him to pledge solemnly before the public that he would not allow development to be compromised at any cost and that official corruption would not be tolerated. If he succeeds in this battle, just as he has so emphatically in the battle for political survival, we would like him to go still farther, and translate all the political acumen he gathered from experience into statesmanship. This will entail first and foremost the ability to find ways to reach out and convince all the protagonists in this complex conflict theatre that Manipur is, that there are other viable ways of settling differences than violent means. Along with this process on the home front, we would like to see him as a key player in bringing about a regional unity, for many of our conflict issues are not confined within state boundaries. In other words, we would like to see him take the initiative in breaking diplomatic ice with our neighbouring states, and neighbouring countries as it were, especially while the “Look East” policy wind is still blowing our way.