By : Vikram Nongmaithem
The crisis that has been brewing within the Congress in Manipur is slowly taking the form of a slapstick comedy played among the Congress MLAs themselves, which the people look at with a sore eye. The washing of the Congress dirty linen in the public has led many to wonder if the linen belongs solely to Ibobi or the whole Congress system. The infamously famous Ten percent Ibobi, as rightly called by one of the dissident MLAs is a real Zero Ibobi with regard to his lack of the moral authority to rule as the CM of Manipur. Of course, he is currently at pains to defend many of the allegations hurled against him and his coterie of ministers whom, he can buy off at any moment. Among his achievements, he cites the restoration of Kangla to the people of Manipur, the conversion of the Manipur University into a Central University, the lifting of the AFSPA from seven Assembly constituents of Greater Imphal and so on. Even a country yokel knows very well that these are products of the common people’s cries and efforts, which realised in the form of carrots handed down from the Centre to appease the people of Manipur. With regard to the timely release of the contractors’ fund, the common people have nothing to gain from it. Contractors comprise of less than 0.1 percent of the total population of Manipur. His claim simply shows that favouritism and nepotism towards a tiny section of the population are its zenith. With regard to appointments in government posts, his claims are not at all convincing if we take into account the facts and figures put forward by the spokesperson of the dissident Congress MLAs. On the other hand, so many portfolios and departments are still concentrated in his hands and the system, therefore, naturally becomes inefficient and difficult to handle. His worst fear, that the expansion of his ministry might create divisions in his team, has backfired. He need not have had such unfounded fears if he has the drive and sincerity as a Chief Minister.
In his six years of misrule, his economic policies have no solid grounding. Among the 21 MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) signed between various enterprises in Thailand and the different states of the North-East, nowhere did Manipur figure. His recent sojourn in America was a farce and his talk in New York for attracting American investors into Manipur was a pathetic comedy or shall we say, ‘a mock tragedy’ and the expenses of his visit, a sheer wastage of the taxpayers’ money. Everyone knows that he was dreaming an American pipedream.
Now, the crack within the party has begun to appear. The allegations put forward by the dissident MLAs are too sound to be ignored. His defence against the allegations is like spitting into the sky. Perhaps, he is hoping that the spittle will be carried away by some wind and not fall on his face. One funny thing that has cropped up in the news recently was statement by Th. Debendra Singh, who told newsmen about the demands of the dissident MLAs that it amounts to killing the cat before buying the cow (sal leidringeida houdong hatpa tagani). It was widely believed that Debendra himself was plotting against the CM and many people thought that he was the man behind the steering wheel. Being the seniormost MLA in Ibobi’s cabinet, many had hoped that the Congress misrule will be rectified under his leadership. It is a bit unfortunate that a roaring tiger has just turn out to be a paper tiger.
The double-standards on the part of many Congressmen may lead to a chaotic state within the Congress party in particular and the state as a whole. People find it hard to believe that the hangman will loosen the noose around the convict’s neck and set him free. The problem at stake is not just the power drama but that the morality of our leaders has reached such a nadir that they are hanging and clutching at the hem of power without a moral authority to rule at all. The credibility of the leaders is so low that nobody wants to talk about it. From the age-old saying that the excrement of the aged is used for mending pots (ahalgi mathina chafu melnei), it is slowly changing into “ the shit of the old simply smells the worst”. Everybody blames everybody and instead of taking the state in the right direction, our leaders are taking part in this blame game. Being politically elected, the MLAs have the mandate of the people. Whenever a crisis happens, instead of finding a solution, they are also taking part in the rats’ race of blaming one another in a negative fashion.
Although the Congress has a majority in the Assembly, the CM has lost the moral authority to remain as CM at all if he cannot give a fitting reply to the allegations of the dissident MLAs. A rat in a sinking ship ought not to keep on smiling. Probably, he is a cat set among rats stranded on an island. Will the Godmother of the Congress come and rescue him and his coterie and kill all the rebellious rats? This is a question perplexing on the minds of many fence sitters among the Congress. Or on the other hand, will she tame the cat? In any case, a rat in a sinking ship has nothing to smile of. The moment is an opportune moment for the Congress leadership in New Delhi to set things right in a troubled state in the far corner of North-east India. If the central Congress leadership acts with a clean conscience and pure motive to regain the trust of the people, the party has a future in Manipur. With Ibobi no longer remaining immune to the eternally true old saying, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”, it is high time that the central leadership take into full account of the ground reality in Manipur. Sonia should tell the Congressmen to follow her noble example of relinquishing the Prime Ministerial post that she displayed some years back when the Congress came to power at the centre.
Since the nasty days of horse trading and frequent floor-crossing are over with the Anti-Defection Law, there is a high possibility of forming an alternative Congress government in the state led by some other than Ibobi. This is a reality that should not be ignored by the Congress leadership. The possibility of a snap-poll is very limited if the central leadership acts fast. Otherwise, it will leave to posterity no good lesson of the Congress’ ability to act on prudence and merit in an otherwise fractured polity of Manipur. The Congress should look ahead to the future and groom a dynamic leadership that can act and be reliable. If Ibobi be made to repeat his follies again and be absolved of all his misdeeds and failures, posterity will have little wisdom to gain from the political dynamics of the Congress under Sonia.
It was Sonia who was the star campaigner in the last Assembly elections that led the Congress to win so many seats and form a government. The Manipuri electorate pinned all their hopes on her when she promised them so many things. Now, she should not let them down. Sonia should not forget this and trust the seemingly altruistic statement of Ibobi that the Congress came to power in the state because of his able leadership and stability. Stability sans development and maintenance of peace is meaningless. Stability becomes a dangerous nuisance if it is used as a weapon for continuing and pervading corruption on a mass scale. Development projects under Ibobi are a mere farce to siphon off public money. Therefore, in bringing about a reunion of the divided Congress house in the state, Sonia should take the chance to mend the hole of non-governance and help Manipur become a peaceful and corruption-free state. TINA (There is no alternative) formula will not work. In this case, there is a better alternative. Is Sonia listening? Who will listen if the leaders themselves don’t listen?
http://ifp.co.in/ArticleFull.asp?ArticleID=183
The crisis that has been brewing within the Congress in Manipur is slowly taking the form of a slapstick comedy played among the Congress MLAs themselves, which the people look at with a sore eye. The washing of the Congress dirty linen in the public has led many to wonder if the linen belongs solely to Ibobi or the whole Congress system. The infamously famous Ten percent Ibobi, as rightly called by one of the dissident MLAs is a real Zero Ibobi with regard to his lack of the moral authority to rule as the CM of Manipur. Of course, he is currently at pains to defend many of the allegations hurled against him and his coterie of ministers whom, he can buy off at any moment. Among his achievements, he cites the restoration of Kangla to the people of Manipur, the conversion of the Manipur University into a Central University, the lifting of the AFSPA from seven Assembly constituents of Greater Imphal and so on. Even a country yokel knows very well that these are products of the common people’s cries and efforts, which realised in the form of carrots handed down from the Centre to appease the people of Manipur. With regard to the timely release of the contractors’ fund, the common people have nothing to gain from it. Contractors comprise of less than 0.1 percent of the total population of Manipur. His claim simply shows that favouritism and nepotism towards a tiny section of the population are its zenith. With regard to appointments in government posts, his claims are not at all convincing if we take into account the facts and figures put forward by the spokesperson of the dissident Congress MLAs. On the other hand, so many portfolios and departments are still concentrated in his hands and the system, therefore, naturally becomes inefficient and difficult to handle. His worst fear, that the expansion of his ministry might create divisions in his team, has backfired. He need not have had such unfounded fears if he has the drive and sincerity as a Chief Minister.
In his six years of misrule, his economic policies have no solid grounding. Among the 21 MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) signed between various enterprises in Thailand and the different states of the North-East, nowhere did Manipur figure. His recent sojourn in America was a farce and his talk in New York for attracting American investors into Manipur was a pathetic comedy or shall we say, ‘a mock tragedy’ and the expenses of his visit, a sheer wastage of the taxpayers’ money. Everyone knows that he was dreaming an American pipedream.
Now, the crack within the party has begun to appear. The allegations put forward by the dissident MLAs are too sound to be ignored. His defence against the allegations is like spitting into the sky. Perhaps, he is hoping that the spittle will be carried away by some wind and not fall on his face. One funny thing that has cropped up in the news recently was statement by Th. Debendra Singh, who told newsmen about the demands of the dissident MLAs that it amounts to killing the cat before buying the cow (sal leidringeida houdong hatpa tagani). It was widely believed that Debendra himself was plotting against the CM and many people thought that he was the man behind the steering wheel. Being the seniormost MLA in Ibobi’s cabinet, many had hoped that the Congress misrule will be rectified under his leadership. It is a bit unfortunate that a roaring tiger has just turn out to be a paper tiger.
The double-standards on the part of many Congressmen may lead to a chaotic state within the Congress party in particular and the state as a whole. People find it hard to believe that the hangman will loosen the noose around the convict’s neck and set him free. The problem at stake is not just the power drama but that the morality of our leaders has reached such a nadir that they are hanging and clutching at the hem of power without a moral authority to rule at all. The credibility of the leaders is so low that nobody wants to talk about it. From the age-old saying that the excrement of the aged is used for mending pots (ahalgi mathina chafu melnei), it is slowly changing into “ the shit of the old simply smells the worst”. Everybody blames everybody and instead of taking the state in the right direction, our leaders are taking part in this blame game. Being politically elected, the MLAs have the mandate of the people. Whenever a crisis happens, instead of finding a solution, they are also taking part in the rats’ race of blaming one another in a negative fashion.
Although the Congress has a majority in the Assembly, the CM has lost the moral authority to remain as CM at all if he cannot give a fitting reply to the allegations of the dissident MLAs. A rat in a sinking ship ought not to keep on smiling. Probably, he is a cat set among rats stranded on an island. Will the Godmother of the Congress come and rescue him and his coterie and kill all the rebellious rats? This is a question perplexing on the minds of many fence sitters among the Congress. Or on the other hand, will she tame the cat? In any case, a rat in a sinking ship has nothing to smile of. The moment is an opportune moment for the Congress leadership in New Delhi to set things right in a troubled state in the far corner of North-east India. If the central Congress leadership acts with a clean conscience and pure motive to regain the trust of the people, the party has a future in Manipur. With Ibobi no longer remaining immune to the eternally true old saying, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”, it is high time that the central leadership take into full account of the ground reality in Manipur. Sonia should tell the Congressmen to follow her noble example of relinquishing the Prime Ministerial post that she displayed some years back when the Congress came to power at the centre.
Since the nasty days of horse trading and frequent floor-crossing are over with the Anti-Defection Law, there is a high possibility of forming an alternative Congress government in the state led by some other than Ibobi. This is a reality that should not be ignored by the Congress leadership. The possibility of a snap-poll is very limited if the central leadership acts fast. Otherwise, it will leave to posterity no good lesson of the Congress’ ability to act on prudence and merit in an otherwise fractured polity of Manipur. The Congress should look ahead to the future and groom a dynamic leadership that can act and be reliable. If Ibobi be made to repeat his follies again and be absolved of all his misdeeds and failures, posterity will have little wisdom to gain from the political dynamics of the Congress under Sonia.
It was Sonia who was the star campaigner in the last Assembly elections that led the Congress to win so many seats and form a government. The Manipuri electorate pinned all their hopes on her when she promised them so many things. Now, she should not let them down. Sonia should not forget this and trust the seemingly altruistic statement of Ibobi that the Congress came to power in the state because of his able leadership and stability. Stability sans development and maintenance of peace is meaningless. Stability becomes a dangerous nuisance if it is used as a weapon for continuing and pervading corruption on a mass scale. Development projects under Ibobi are a mere farce to siphon off public money. Therefore, in bringing about a reunion of the divided Congress house in the state, Sonia should take the chance to mend the hole of non-governance and help Manipur become a peaceful and corruption-free state. TINA (There is no alternative) formula will not work. In this case, there is a better alternative. Is Sonia listening? Who will listen if the leaders themselves don’t listen?
http://ifp.co.in/ArticleFull.asp?ArticleID=183
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