Election Fever 2012

‘You know what, today is the flag hoisting ceremony of our kendra’s candidate who is also a family relative.’—this is what I got to hear when I mundanely called up my married sister on her Nupamayumgi phone number to inform her that I have booked my ticket for Yaoshang and that I will be home. I was remotely amused by the excitement in her voice. I heard the sound of speakers loudly playing ‘Maikei asomda leibiriba ekai khumnabada matik charaba ahal laman lai guru...’ and all those nonsense stuffs. I made an excuse to call her up later as the noise was disturbing too much. The next moment I found myself satirically smirking and an interior monologue started playing on my mind, ‘Is this one of the syndromes of Election Fever 2012’?

I called up another childhood friend, and no need to guess anything, but there she was also busy attending a feast with some of her Leikai friends. (Of course! The kind of feasts sponsored by the election through the agents!) I could not endure the same pestering noise so I had a brief talk with her and hung up. The next step was pretty obvious. I switched off my mobile phone, fetched myself a coffee cup and parked myself in my work station (in a delusive state of mind). ‘Oh this is really what they often call the election fever’— I consoled myself later, gulping the last sip of coffee. Phew!!!

With just a few days away, the election fever is perhaps spreading fast at each and every corner and kendra. Forget the monthly salaries, the pending exam schedules, the thika-bills. Forget the electricity, forget the roads in rubbles, forget the highway 53, forget everything. Even the half-baked breads are waiting to be baked for the D-day on January 28. ‘Vote loiraga taarey’— I have often heard people telling one another in the past (and I am sure this is the most common assurance given among people at present too). Only the wisest fools would believe in such a stupid assurance. Has anyone ever introspected why everything is election-centric in Manipur since the last few weeks? What’s the big deal about this election? Why are our people easily lured by the seasoned tricks and tactics of those self-styled political parties and candidates? Why is the election fever given much hype in the state? Let the wrong or the right ones come to power. They are not the ideal demagogues in the state who can promise us a new Manipur. Their manifestos are all sheets of wasted paper with never meant to be implemented bullshits as the contents. We suffered, we lamented and yet we are electing them again. Oh, the dearest morons! Just shoot yourselves with a cheap gun instead of fooling yourselves over and over again.

If personally questioned, I am so freaking happy to admit that I have never cast a single vote during any of the elections held in Manipur. I self-boycotted them, I boycott it now and I will always boycott it in the future until and unless the deserving candidate is contesting for the election in my kendra. But as far as the scenarios in Manipur are concerned, the existence of the deserving candidate is just a myth. Everyone becomes corrupted. Everyone plays politics and everyone is so well-versed in giving excuses or explanations. One of the stupid excuses ever heard from the intellectual class in our society on politics is ‘You either become a part of it or become a prey of it’. Is there no third option?

It’s better to waste the vote than to cast it for the wrong candidate. In this regard, I have no regrets of wasting my vote in the past. I will keep wasting it every election. This is perhaps a pie of freedom and liberty I have enjoyed as an individual and this liberty is pretty precious to me. No one can ever bribe me on this. I bet that.

Nonetheless, I have some special messages for everyone out there. My first message goes out to that voter who cast the vote in the past or is going to cast the vote as my proxy, ‘Hey there, may your soul be dysentric and may you never find a single packet of ORS’. My second message goes out to all the election fans (especially to the so called khongbaan chenba parties) out there, let the fever continue. You guys do not need paracetamol tablets for this fever. Enjoy the chaaklems, yoorems and remain meerems forever. Your votes are cheap, your votes are misused, and your votes are never meant to bring a change in the society. Stop lamenting on further bomb blasts, stop forming JACs and no more rallies or protests in the future.

To the rest of the masses, let us heartily thank Sidhaba Mapu or Ema Laimaren Sidhabi that Child births, Nature calls, Dev-Karmas etc. are luckily not succumbed to the election fever. The get well soon cards will anyway be parceled for every patient but without any bomb attached with it. Take Care.

This article was published on 22 Jan 2011

My Vote Is Precious, What About Yurs ?

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

— Mahatma Gandhi

Defying a Mahatma’s citation would be the last thing anyone would ever do. So, I humbly accept the above saying without a nagging if or but. Nonetheless, it is a different cup of tea that the dates and seasons keep changing in Manipur while the situations remain the same. Sorry Bapuji, it’s indeed a successful-failure for us to refrain ourselves from being encouraged by such a moving principle. Heartfelt Apologies (with an accompanying sad smiley).

All is not well at all. It has been a continuous sequence of pestering and perturbing experience to read news and views on the current issues in Manipur that are without any solution. No matter one is confined in the home State or not, the concern remains the same. We all love to go through pleasing news and encouraging stories as far as the home-State is related which have become missing columns on most of the news-sites and dailies that are accessible through internet.

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and it won’t be long before the months turn into a year but no change has been ever observed so far and no change can yet be anticipated. The ‘Assurance-theory’ seems to have successfully failed again and most of the plans are almost getting foiled and flopped. Nevertheless, people need not worry because the Government will further work on more ‘assurance theories’ after all that’s the only thing they are good at.

It is at times a clear-doubt or a puzzle for me how the Government keeps it’s cool at such intense situations. No matter how many Bandhs or General Strikes that different groups call for, no matter how sky-rocketed the prices of daily commodities are, it is ‘paangkhokla eshing chaiba’ effort from the public’s side since none of the issues are ever resolved.

Nonetheless, we should still be hopeful right? We cannot be too pessimistic especially when some fleeting impractical solutions are probably on the way. YES! The elections are around. And when elections come, can fake-agendas be far behind? At a time when the whole State is burning and equally suffering amidst chaos and unexpected hoo-hahs, the upcoming election is perhaps going to be a pseudo-respite for people or at least I mistakenly think so? It would be a tricky situation for the ruling Government to act or react on any burning issue as they are prone to be severely criticised by the Opposition party. But yes, they will tackle things tactfully with the same old tactics. By the way, I believe campaigns have already been started. Many promises will be refreshed, many agendas will be framed and many social works can also be expected at each and every leikai. Local feasts will be plenty in number funded by the political candidates. Some families will also get monetary assistance personally funded by the same candidates. The love, care, affection and concern that have never been shown for all these years will suddenly outburst because it is campaign time and winning their love and affection is the primary agenda for them.

Ever wonder how open bribery is warmly accepted in our home State? Needless to mention that when it’s free anyone doesn’t mind having it (money). It is an open secret that Democracy is an honest joke as far as Manipur is concerned. It has always been Government off the people, bye (the) people, not for the people. The comical paradox however is that people are aware about it. They know the wrongs and the rights equally and yet they become easy prey to the pseudo-promises of undeserving political leaders that are refreshed during every election time. My earnest consideration therefore is that people need not complain at all when they are the ones who are solely responsible for bribery much before the political leaders come into power. It’s not just a vote that is sold away; it’s the self-respect that is being openly sold. It is all in all kind of dukandari system– give money and buy the vote—that’s it? If such is the norm that has been followed for all these years, why the heck should they complain about problems that rise later? Let the mushrooming number of problems burgeon, who cares? On a very personal note, I am honestly glad that I have never ever voted even once for any of the election campaigns held in our Kendra. I am not against plebiscite system in Manipur but I am totally against the misconstrued understanding and practice of election. If election is all about selling your self-respect just for the sake of some free money, I would never ever do that. If election is all about choosing a wrong candidate who cannot represent the collective voice or grievances of people, EXCUSE ME because my vote is really precious, what about yours?

This article was published on 4 Sep 2011