Passing of motion of thanks to the governor’s address delivered on the first sitting of the 11th session of the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly on June 26, 2015, without much debate between the treasury and opposition benches rings out an unmistakably clear message about the credibility and acceptability of the Okram Ibobi Singh’s administrations.
With the strength and of course the symbiotic characteristic of both the treasury and opposition benches deserves credit for upholding the accountability of the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh who rules the state for 3 consecutive terms.
It is indeed a fact that the decade long conflict which was the outcome of the differences between government and the rebel groups had been contained to a relatively calm situation, though many civilian lives were lost during the process. Various armed rebel groups of the region has been tamed and accumulated at designated zones with the aim to restore and maintain peace in the region. The changes brought about in the state of Manipur both in terms of improvement in law and order system as well as the constructions of infrastructures need to be appreciated. But then, when an opposition MLAs raised the issue of June 4 ambuscade at Chendel district and other unwanted incidents one sees no reason to believe that the law and order is improved, as had been claimed by the state government at every available opportunity.
But are we convinced enough to conceive the level of appreciation.
Converting ‘lie’ to ‘truth’ is no more a tough or challenging job for anybody with majority in number in the legislator’s house in the practice of democracy. A matter of majority and the subtle political art of creating mutual understanding with the opposition is what they required.
Are we ready to applause for the lies that have been projected as the truth?
The legislators at both the treasury bench and the opposition bench had tied a knot of close relationships. Even the state media, which has been regarded as the fourth estate has not been left unsullied.
Dirty tricks of the peoples’ representatives often performed to fool the public, had been occupying the headlines of almost all newspapers and news channels of the state in the last couple of decades. Promises, assurances and false pretences to befool the general public by responsible heads of the state are the common menace that slur on the mind of the middle class public by the members belonging to the fourth estate. It is not the integrity, or the lack thereof, of the journalists that compelled them to slur on with the phenomenon, but it is rather the society’s responses which prompt them to dance on the tune of the existing government.
To talk about the roles being taken by the judiciary and executive would be, perhaps ‘a waste of time’. The symbiotic existence of the treasury and opposition bench in the legislators’ house had converted the judiciary as toothless component of the government while an unpleasant yet vital gesture to comfort the near and dear ones of the chief minister becomes a part of life for executives in this little state called Manipur.
The academicians, civil rights activists, pressure groups, etc. have been enticed to join the chorus for any tune played by the government.
Manipur today is being portrayed as entering a golden phase as according to the resolution passed by the august house of the 10th Manipur Legislative session on 26th June 2015. The unfortunate fact of the matter is, only a handful few are able to look beyond the obvious haze and realize that the state is really entering a gold tinted phase.
