The bomb attack on the residence of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader K. Meghachandra at Bishnunaha, Yairipok, in Thoubal district, at around 8.15 pm yesterday is not merely another incident of violence in Manipur. It is a direct challenge to the authority of the State and raises a disturbing question: if the residence of a sitting MLA and Leader of the Opposition can be targeted with a bomb while the State Assembly is in session, who is safe in Manipur?
Fortunately, no one was injured in the blast. But the absence of casualties should not lessen the seriousness of the attack. The fact that unidentified persons were able to carry out a bomb attack at the residence of a prominent elected representative itself demands a serious examination of the State’s intelligence and security mechanism.
The incident assumes greater significance because the 8th Manipur Legislative Assembly is currently in session. An MLA is not an ordinary private citizen. Members of the legislature are entrusted with representing the people and participating in the law-making process. They must be able to perform their constitutional duties without intimidation, coercion or fear.
Article 194 of the Constitution of India provides powers, privileges and immunities to State Legislatures and their members. These privileges are not intended to place legislators above the law. Their purpose is to protect the functioning, dignity and independence of the legislature and to ensure that elected representatives can discharge their responsibilities without improper interference.
The rules and parliamentary practice surrounding the Assembly also recognise the institutional importance of protecting its members and keeping the Speaker informed when a member is arrested or detained in circumstances covered by the applicable provisions. Such safeguards exist because an elected House cannot function effectively if its members are subjected to arbitrary obstruction or intimidation.
The issue, therefore, is not whether an MLA’s private residence enjoys some absolute legal immunity from attack. It does not. Nor does being an MLA provide blanket immunity from criminal law. The more fundamental issue is the responsibility of the State to protect an elected representative who may become a target precisely because of his political position and public activities.
In the present case, the Government must answer some uncomfortable questions.
Was there any intelligence input regarding a possible threat to K. Meghachandra? Was his security assessment reviewed before or during the Assembly session? Were intelligence agencies and local police alerted to possible threats against legislators? If there was no intelligence input whatsoever, why was the security machinery unable to anticipate the possibility of an attack on a prominent political figure at a time when the Assembly was sitting?
And if there was intelligence input, what happened to it?
These questions cannot be brushed aside by merely announcing an investigation after the bomb has exploded. Investigation is essential, but the effectiveness of an intelligence and security system is ultimately measured by its ability to prevent an attack, not simply by its ability to investigate one after it has occurred.
The concern becomes even more serious if reports of another recent attack on the residence of BJP MLA Sapam Ranjan Singh are taken into consideration. If two sitting legislators can be targeted with explosives within such a short period, the State cannot afford to treat the incidents as isolated law-and-order cases. They should trigger a comprehensive security review of legislators and other vulnerable public representatives.
The Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly also has an institutional responsibility. The matter should not be allowed to remain solely within the domain of the police. The safety of legislators during an Assembly session concerns the functioning and dignity of the House itself. The Speaker should seek a detailed report from the Government regarding the circumstances of the attack, the security assessment of the MLA and the measures taken to prevent similar incidents.
The Government must also establish accountability. If there was an intelligence failure, someone must explain why. If there was a security lapse, responsibility must be fixed. If the attackers are identified, the investigation must establish not only who carried out the bombing but also who planned, financed or directed it, if a wider conspiracy is found.
An elected representative must be able to speak inside the Assembly without fear. He must be able to return home without fear. His political position must not make his family or residence a sitting target.
The people are watching.
If an MLA’s home is not safe in Manipur, the Government must explain why the common citizen should believe that his or her home is safe.