Lok Sabha 2014: Is it a mission or ambition or running away?

Today is April Fool. Have fun, at least today. But when you have been subjected to sort of April Fool every day for the last 11 years or so, it is not fun or funny anymore; it actually has turned into agony every day. Isn’t it so? Yet for another coming 5 years or so, unless you decide otherwise you are going to be fooled again. How?
For the first time in the State a serving Chief Minister has intriguingly volunteered to walk out of the state politics, relinquish the otherwise much envied position he undisputedly hold and reincarnate his regional spirit into a national spirit. And for his undeterred determination to move out at any cost his cabinet finally conceded and even the party’s preferential choice of alternative candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha Election was hushed up. Looking the other side to the recent past of DAN Government, all the erstwhile elected MPs reluctantly went to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, all undeniably had a predetermined mindset to rush back to state politics at the first opportunity.The fact of their home coming, even before the expiry of the fixed tenure only vindicate the bitter truth that the MPs had no political objective before the election or even accountability after the election; therefore, they felt meaningless to remain with the overwhelming crowd of variety and personality in the Parliament. Their re-entry or premature entry (through by-election) to state politics only substantiates the contention that sending an unwilling and uncommitted member to the Parliament is a big political blunder, as a matter of fact the electorates were fooled thanks to the NPF for publicly admitting this although lightly as a mistake. In plain language the journey to the Parliament since 2004 was propelled neither by personal ambition nurtured by the member nor a political mission ventured by DAN; rather parliamentary election in the past appeared like an opportune occasion when the so called unwanted elements in the state politics were scooped out or intended to be eliminated.
Interestingly, this time the decision of the outgoing CM is apparently his own and not of the party to which he belongs; actually a party which claimed to have no high command but the CM always has the final say. However, the curious question worth pondering is whether his decision is determined by (i) a political mission to assert the demand of the one faction for which his government has unproductively facilitated over a decade or (ii) a political ambition to claim a position above that of state chief minister or (iii) as many people believe, running away from the mushrooming unmanageable problems in the State, a lot of which is his own creation. Since the CM became a self imposed candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat he had naturally outsmarted the other aspiring softie and even subdued the party from seriously projecting alternative candidate or obstructing his candidature. Again since he had been so imposing and forceful in getting his candidature approved and instantly declared as DAN consensual candidate he should as well clarify to the people with substance why he desperately wants to go to Lok Sabha in 2014.
For all we anticipate, the most convenient alibi given will be as usual-political solution, peace then development and then blah blah. It may sound too critical but equally inevitable to raise these pertinent questions should he claim his decision is a mission. In which case exactly what kind of solution would Rio champion in Delhi, if at all he goes there; minus sovereignty and integration will it be a solution better than what he earlier ridiculed-the 16 Point Agreement; or a solution similar or even worse than what his predecessors, the UDF leaders have brought about- the Shillong Accord or a solution considered honorable but applicable only to Manipur? Given the fact that Rio had assured a solution within 3 months of government formation and it is 11 years now without any solution why blame the UPA Government which has not given any time bound? Also, his government is facilitating only one faction and this one faction has vehemently opposed the involvement of the other factions in the negotiation process so why blame the GOI because it may not make settlement after settlement with different factions of the same group of people? Why blame the State Congress for the debacle of the JLF? Congress MLAs volunteered to resign en bloc “to pave the way” for the much desired solution but the ruling MLAs decided to resign only “after a settlement is reached”. What kind of politics is this and what kind of post settlement sacrifice is the outgoing CM talking of?
On the economic front it is no less preposterous. On the one side he is talking of state development, prosperity, this award that award while on the other side he is accusing the UPA of corruption and withholding fund and making fun of the flagship program which actually had fetched him repeated electoral victory and his kind of development. For a cent percent dependent state, because the state could not even release the 10% state matching share against all mega central projects for years together, where does Rio think he got the huge fund for the kind of development over which he is glorifying? From Gujarat? On the contrary, if at all development, payment, salary etc were affected because fund meant for the state was blocked by the UPA as alleged by Rio, where the heck did Rio get the kind of money he is lavishly throwing around in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and elsewhere financing candidates? From Gujarat? Or is he truly running away from his own shadow, his own ghost?
Coincidentally or is it predestined? We see a Siamese twin in Modi & Rio and in NDA & DAN with some commendable resemblance and characteristic. Both are three times serving Chief Minister contesting the 2014 Lok Sabha Election, both declared as consensual candidate. The “Har, Har, Modi!” (Hail, Hail, Modi!), is a call eulogizing Modi as a demigod of the Hindu fanatics and the political messiah of the RSS-backed BJP. Similarly Rio is now projected by the NPF and allies as the ‘champion’ of the north east. Apart from its intense anti UPA agenda BJP has no serious election agenda except Modi’s prime ministerial candidate and NPF too has no serious election agenda except Rio’s ministerial berth in a BJP led Government. BJP backed by the RSS naturally propagates communalism against secularism and the NPF backed by certain faction naturally facilitates exclusiveness against inclusiveness. The corporate giants are supporting Modi, so also the leading NGOs are swayed to Rio’s support. Modi is the ultimate in BJP and not even seniors like Advani or Jaswant or Sushma matters; likewise Rio is the ultimate in NPF and not even Shurhozelie or Aja Kenye or Alemtemshi matters because at this moment BJP is Modi, NPF is Rio and not vice versa in both cases. The question now is, if Modi with the credential of good governance is pursuing the goal preset by the RSS what is Rio’s actual goal?
Therefore, unless Rio gives a convincing contrary reason the only conclusion we can deduce is that his decision to go to Lok Sabha is basically his political ambition if not running away from state politics. It is a pity there is no real politics here, it appears personal and NPF has succumbed to it. For that matter there is every possibility of Rio coming back to the state politics like his predecessors to reclaim the throne he has thrown away, if he is denied the ministerial berth seemingly assured by the BJP. But now that there are perhaps too many too serious contenders for the one CM post, will Rio’s return be humbly accepted for the second time with the same spirit of DAN consensual candidate? Surely it will be an interesting sight.

K Toshika Achumi
New Minister Hill Kohima