Election results of five states Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttrakhand,Goa and Manipur are talk of the town after they were out. Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand are swept by the Modi wave, Punjab is captured by Congress rupturing the hopes of Aam Aadmi Party, in Manipur and Goa none got majority. While Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab and Uttrakhand have grabbed the eyeballs of mainstream media channels, Manipur seems to be an outlier to them.
This time election in Manipur was not like previous ones when it was presumed Congress party to be the clear winner. This year fight was interesting with BJP, surfing on Modi wave and human rights activist Irom Sharmila into the fray.
Last year, Irom broke 16 year long fast (for repealing of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act) by jumping into political waters. Her fast did not bear fruitful results but earned her reputation of ‘Iron Lady’. She launched People’s Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) party to fight against AFSPA politically.
Only three candidates were fielded in three constituencies. Sharmila decided to contest from the Thoubal assembly constituency against chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh. She intentionally avoided easier seats and chose tougher seat which would give a symbolic message in politics. Despite much hype Irom Sharmila failed to give any fight let alone win as per the results. She got only 90 votes in total while the irony is more people pressed the button for NOTA on this seat (143) than those who voted for her.
Irom’s party has many young volunteers and activists including the Harvard alumni Erendro Leichombam, who is also the co-convener of PRJA. He came back to India four years ago from the US and contested in Thangmeiband seat. He too fared poorly and received just over 500 votes while real fight remained between the two national parties, Congress and BJP. Najima Phundreimayum, the first Muslim woman to contest in Manipur elections from PRJA, contested from Wabagai seat and received only 33 votes.
Trust deficit
Irom Sharmila drew the ire from her supporters when she ended 16 year long fast. It was taken as backstabbing hopes of people in order to pursue political ambitions. Even her elder brother had expressed disappointment over her decision. He complained that Irom did not consult with her mother or supporters to end the fast and took unilateral decision. In an open letter Namoijam Oken and Khetri Laba, leaders of the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) a Meitei insurgent outfit, and the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), an ultra-leftist group, urged the Iron lady not to end the fast. They even threatened her with assassination citing assassinations of those insurgents who chose the ballot instead of gun. Many believe Goa-born British national Desmond Coutinho who is also the boyfriend of Irom Sharmila influenced her to end the fast. Many people have apprehensions that Coutinho is a state agent and he tried to veer her struggle for self-interests.
Cash deficit
Irom did not have enough funding for the elections. She carried poll campaign on her bicycle and did not believe in publishing posters and hand bills. The budget kept per candidate was kept Rs 1, 00,000 by her. It’s lucid that the campaign was ill planned and getting victory with these numbers was just a dream. Sharmila may have underestimated how elections are fought in India.
Not another noob
People may not want to vote for another activist who neither has political acumen nor experience to govern. Delhi is a fine example of how not to govern where the Chief Minister did not keep his election promises and still put the blame on central government. Last year, Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister was embroiled in controversy over his differences with Lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung. The deplorable coordination with the central government has let down the people of Delhi who awarded AAP with 67 seats in the state election.
After the results Irom Sharmila decided to quit politics after getting only 90 votes. She felt betrayed by her own people who opted for NOTA instead of voting for her. Her loss to CM Okram Ibobi Singh did not surprise most of the people but the vote numbers came as a shocker. Irom has decided to continue her fight for the repeal of AFSPA through other national and international platforms. There is not one ounce of doubt that she was treated as a public property when she was on fast. Her picture with tube in nose became the iconic sign of dissent against the government. There is no denying of fact that she has struggled for the people of Manipur. But, did she deserve more? It’s too late to answer. The people of Manipur have already made it clear.