The Hindu : Militants `ban' Congress, BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 02, 2004

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Other States - Manipur

Militants `ban' Congress, BJP

By Our Correspondent

IMPHAL, APRIL 1. Since the early hours of today, there has been a sea change in the election scenario in Manipur which has two Lok Sabha seats. The two national parties, the Congress and the BJP, are the major players. But in press releases issued last night, proscribed underground organisations, the Kanglei Yawol Kunna Lup (KYKL) and the Revolutionary People's Front (RPF), have asked the two parties to end poll-related activities.

The KYKL owned up the responsibility for the attempt on the life of the BJP vice-president, Naorem Tombi. It said four shots were fired at his head from close range. But he survived. He was given the "death sentence" as he ignored the KYKL's warning to distance himself from the party president, Thounaojam Chaoba, who was given the "death sentence in absentia" for his alleged "inexcusable activities."

On January 29 it had asked the rank and file to expel Mr. Chaoba by February 15 failing which all members would be targeted.

The outfit said some friends had approached it for "pardoning" Mr. Chaoba. But there was no question of pardoning him as well as the rank and file who had failed to expel him.

Now the BJP cannot carry on with electioneering. Some senior Ministers told The Hindu that it was impossible to confront the insurgents.

Mr. Chaoba was not available for comments. But some weeks ago he had inserted advertisements in the media requesting the KYKL to exonerate him. In the last Lok Sabha elections, there was a similar ban by the KYKL.

But Mr. Chaoba had got elected since the rank and file were free to do the spadework for him.

Since this time no BJP member can carry out the electioneering for both Mr. Chaoba and Loli Adani, the candidates in the reserved Outer Manipur constituency are unlikely to win.

Meanwhile, the RPF issued a press release, sealing the fate of the two Congress candidates. It had forbidden the Congress rank and file from any election-related work. The Congress was alleged to be playing a second fiddle to the Central Government. The ruling Secular People's Front was formed by the Congress (36 MLAs) and the CPI (5). State Ministers allegedly pocketed the development funds released by the Centre. At the behest of the Centre, the SPF Ministry had been resorting to killings of overpowered persons in fake encounters. For these alleged excesses committed on the people, the RPF said it was banning the Congress.

The Government has given maximum security to candidates. But this is not the solution since the party rank and file are vulnerable to the armed insurgents.

Independent reports say that most of the rank and file of the national parties plan to resign. Now that both the national parties are driven out of the serious election contests, the CPI, the NCP and local parties have shot into prominence.

All these parties promise preservation of territorial integrity. They welcomed the peace efforts between the Indian Government and the Nagaland-based underground organisation NSCN(IM). But they would oppose any plan to cede any part of Manipur for the formation of greater Nagaland.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi, who is also the State Congress president, is not making any comments on the blanket ban on his party imposed by the RPF.

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Militants `ban' Congress, BJP