Though 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly is just 100 or more days to go, it is still early to tell whether PRJA , the new political party floated by Irom Chanu Sharmila will be able to become another AAP which defeated both congress and the BJP at New Delhi in last Delhi Assembly election. Until recently there are many critics about her decision to contest the election, even as her decision to change strategy fighting for repeal of AFSPA has been supported. There were speculations among the people that Sharmila may join some major political parties or fight the election as independent candidates.
The recent move of the AFSPA crusader to accumulate likeminded people and form a political party to fight the upcoming election can be perhaps considered a good decision.
India had witness emergence of a new political party called the Aam Adami Party (AAP) borne out of the mass campaign against corruption in the country. Fighting corruption is the cause of the party led by Delhi Chief Minister and he gained massive support from people across the capital city making his party getting a landslide victory. Arvind Kejriwal had succeeded because people of Delhi were fed up of corruption. Moreover, the strategic preparation for the AAP for fighting the then ruling Congress Party as well as the emerging BJP was excellent. Co-operation among the AAP members by understanding how election campaigns are being conducted is the main reason for its success.
Coming back to Irom Chanu Sharmila’s new political party called Peoples’ Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA), every political analyst sees similarity between the new political party formed by Sharmila and the AAP. The only difference is that Sharmila form political party to contest election as she is confident that if she wins she will be able to repeal the draconian act AFSPA. Every Manipuri hate AFSPA and every good citizen of the country want to repeal the draconian act. Even the former prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh called it as “inhumane act”.
But the question is, what if she defeated? A deeper look in ground electoral politics suggested that winnable chance of Irom Sharmila at Thoubal Assembly Constituency where the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi is contesting is zero. Not because people of Thoubal want AFSPA but because election in Manipur is dependent on one to one personal relationships and not on issues. 15 years, Okram Ibobi rule as Chief Minister and there is no doubt that in these fifteen years he had established good relations with required voters to win the election.
Manipur is a poor state and 80 persons don’t care who is contesting, but cares about who is cleaning the drain, black topping the roads, providing contract works and more importantly who is feeding their needs.
Sharmila is a pious lady who believed in truth and only truth. She had protested evils without drinking even a single drop of water for 16 years. One wanders how she will manage the inevitable relationship with voters. Of course many will come to her support but will not reach the mark. This is said because only 10% really do care about the country.
Saying so it is not discouragement to Sharmila, her party could win if she leads the new political party without contesting the election but by fielding some popular candidates in all the 60 constituencies.
PRJA indeed is the need of the hour but its defeat will also mean defeat of the people. Once again it is requested to Irom Sharmila to reconsider contesting election, instead field some supporters and remain as a party icon.
Wait for people who will come to get PRJA tickets once the major political party BJP and Congress announced their candidate. Winning a single sit of this political party will tell the world that Sharmila is marching ahead. We hope you live beyond petty electoral politics of Manipur.
1 comment
A couple of corrections you chaps really need to do some research before printing even if its just me reading. Sharmila is campaigning in two districts. And although you claim that people vote because of one to one personal relationships in standard English the word is bribes or if you want a bigger word corruption, they can take the one to one personal relationship or bribe offered by Mr Ibobi and then use the secret ballot to vote for the betterment of their motherland. Why you say only 10% care about their Motherland God knows. The BJP and Congress are formed from the same goondas who rely on one to one presonal relationships perhaps not limited to bribes also intimidation. It is certainly possible for PRAJA to become the next Government of Manipur if the people want it. If they vote for these twenty candidates to form their Government around 10 seats go to Naga MLAs who tend not to vote. That leaves 30 to be split between BJP and Congress although they will be the same familiar goondas offering one to one personal relationships with the people often if the people want them or not. Change is possible. For starters will you chaps stop taking small chump change to write badly written prose for your former masters. You make yourselves irrelevant. Hold your nerve and you can become part of the future.