N. Biren Singh 2nd term – Now plaguing with unscrupulous issues

The second term of the BJP’s N. Biren Singh led government in the state of Manipur has started plaguing with a number of unscrupulous issues.
Keeping under control – the leaders of Civil Society organizations or utilization of the ‘intimidation tools’ to suppress activisms of individuals and the silencing the voice of dissents by appeasing or intimidating the media is not helping his government anymore. People today have started realizing the fact that, the promises and assurances to root out all form of corruption from the state is appearing as a mere joke, as multiple issues related to corruption have now been surfaced in the public domain. Issues about irregularities to the appointment of Vice-Chancellor of the Manipur Technical University and that of the Chief Engineer in-charge of Engineering Wing of Education (S) department, irregularities highlighted in media including this newspaper regarding misappropriation of government funds by officials of the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), etc. are left unnoticed. Announcement to ensure doorstep delivery of the benefit under the various flagship programme of government is history today. Promises of better road connectivity, better public transport, and mandatory attendance of government servants to their respective offices, schemes for the improvement of education sectors, all turn out to be hollow promises.
One wonders, where has the ambitious – “School Fagathansi Mission” gone? Students today came out in the street with placards demanding the implementation of the Right to Education Act. Trust in government schools deployed with highly paid teachers, has been lost. And as a result, the students demand 25% free and compulsory education at private schools.
On the other hand, the recent decision for mass plantation of Oil Palm Trees and the adoption of base year for Manipur’s native people as 1961 has revealed the quantum of “patriotism” to those who have been mandated to run the state. ( Read Imphal Times Editorial, June 16 & 17, 2022. https://www.imphaltimes.com/editorial/item/23085-oil-palm-tree-most-manipur-land-may-dry-up-after-25-years ). On the issues of human rights, justice has not been delivered to the 1528 victims of fake encounters not to mention providing basic amenities like regular drinking water, health care services, etc.
It is worth mentioning that, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had once appealed to the people to first talk with him or the government authority before going to the street for any kind of protest or agitation. That was in his first term. However, it was only after a journalist and another protestor got injured that the state government responded to the demand of the people under the aegis of the UCM, protesting a solution to the disputed border issue between India and Myanmar where the fencing is taking place.
It is not even a year, that the N. Biren Singh-led government has been mandated by the people of the state to continue the second term. With just 21 MLAs out of the 60 seats State Legislative Assembly, N. Biren Singh led BJP to form a government with the support of other political parties, besides the fact that the Congress party got 28 seats in the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly. This time the people of Manipur have given a mandate with 32 seats to the BJP in the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly Election. Human being are not immortal so as the politicians. And the opportunity doesn’t come twice. People have been given the opportunity this time and the N. Biren Singh and his team should not let this opportunity turns into a disaster.