B Thohii Shuru
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f words mean anything there is virtual war between two Chief Ministers, Rio and Ibobi, of two neighbourly states, Nagaland and Manipur, which is troubled by complex political intricacies. The two statesmen have gone to the extent of personal attacks of like ‘Ibobi is enemy number one of the Nagas’ by Rio, and in rebut ‘Rio is a trouble maker’ by Ibobi. In politics it is not few and far between to throw political punches at each other by leaders of different political parties and more so by the opposition party against incumbent ruling party. But in the case between Rio and Ibobi, not sharing cordiality, geniality, and friendliness as should in normal politics is deeply rooted in political complexity of different nature. Frosty political relation between the two leaders is overtly seen during election time of Manipur State Assembly (2012) and MP election (2014), and every statement made by both carries a baggage of implications on the touchy issue disquieting both the states.Both shares similarity in their political career of being Chief Minister for consecutive three terms successfully, and also having made headline news of being dogged in defending their antithetical political agenda of ‘Territorial integrity of Manipur’ by Ibobi, and ‘Integration of the Nagas’ by Rio. They had the same background of being ordinary politicians during Congress ruled governments in both states under the veteran leaders Reishang Keishing in Manipur and S.C. Jamir in Nagaland and later transforming themselves into prominent chief ministers of the two states. Except for Mr. Rio who rebelled from his mentor and became popular in NPF, the then known as Nagaland Peoples Front, both had similar humble beginning with Congress party. I believe no critic would disagree with the uncut transformation of these two leaders in creating their own niches in political career from being little known politicians to shrewd and gritty statesmen today in politics in their own ways.
In demeanour Rio and Ibobi have contrasting persona: While Mr. Rio is natty, savoir-faire, impeccable in dress and carry himself the flair of an English gentleman, Shri. Ibobi, in contrast to his counterpart Rio, is old-fashioned, conventional, and carry an aura of Bharat netas. Both have political flamboyance and don’t make piffling speeches to counter pique. Unarguably both are straight-thinking in their own way. While Mr. Rio applies the art of agility, valiant, and gusto in driving home message to his intended crowd, Shri. Ibobi employ the art of temperate, composed and cool but determined in getting the message across to his intended audience.
Both know the art of playing with the emotion of the crowd for political advantage from the issue they take as a trump card. Two statesmen separated by ethnic origin and state jurisdiction but born in contemporary are matter-of-factly engaged in faceoff against each other not by choice as individuals but by constrain of politics of the time brought by history.
Destined by destiny Ibobi remains an old fogey Congress and Rio roost in his regional political party, NPF. Interestingly, both command total sway of huge followers in their home states and rule the roost. Both enjoy absolute majority of sitting MLAs in their own State Assembly giving no breathing space to opposition to make much impact. While Congress is an oldest national party having deep root in India, NPF is a recently born regional party restricted to one ethnic group only, which is the Nagas by the name itself imply. The jittery side of NPF is the rough road and minority it faces outside the comfort zone of Nagaland state. Nagas are scattered in different parts of other neighbour states (even in Myanmar) but in minority besides being separated by well-defined jurisdiction under present status quo.
Since launching of Naga Peoples Front (NPF), a new wine from old bottle of ‘Nagaland Peoples Front’, the intent is clear that it would be outsourced to all Naga inhabited areas to kindle a common feeling of Naga-ness for facilitating Naga political aspiration. Mr. Rio is definitely the man to be credited for popularising NPF party, and constitutionally he has every right to open out his party beyond Nagaland. In the recently held State Assembly elections (2012) of Manipur, NPF successfully got four elected MLAs to the State Assembly. As every politician would do, Rio did his job exceptionally well in launching NPF party to the Naga dominated areas in Manipur defying all the tactical and political moves posed by his counterpart, Ibobi. Armed with all what it takes to be a politician, Rio did his political entrepreneurship of marketing his dream party NPF to the Naga dominated districts and it did pay off with his rhetoric, expressive and oratorical skill in speeches during his extensive run for election.
Against all odds Rio braves the hard road and left his prints upon the soil of Naga dominated areas in Manipur, despite harsh criticism from valley base local papers.
However, having said that, one cannot disagree with the fact that Rio’s political agenda was by the same token checkmated by his counterpart Ibobi who shrewdly calculated every move and speeches of Rio and deftly changed the game to his advantage in the State Assembly elections (2012). Ibobi got shot in both arms by coming out in absolute majority crossing forty+ of Congress MLAs in the Assembly; an overwhelming result to the surprise of his critics.
The result far exceeded the expectation of his critics and general public. Rio’s clarion crow for Naga integration was equally countered by Ibobi with his political knack and canny gimmick for territorial integrity of Manipur, thus drawing the valley base vote bank to his hat trick which pushed his position to even more formidable one. Ibobi is been scathingly criticised as being anti-hill peoples, particularly to the Nagas by Naga organisations but the fact one cannot but accept is that he cannot be written off in so far as he plays his political game in his bastion. Despite of various political parties and ideological differences, Ibobi did manage to find favour on the card of territorial integrity of Manipur in the valley and this is bound to be the same irrespective of political parties who come to power.
Prickly comments, itchy rancour, diplomatic wrangles, and punches of allegations and counter allegations wagged not only between the CMs office but also by organisations of the Nagas and Meiteis on Rio and Ibobi faceoff over NPF inroad into Naga dominated areas in Manipur, literally now within Manipur’s territory, is indeed a tricky rows. Beneath the political rows over Rio’s political stunt to Naga dominated areas in Manipur for NPF grand entry to State Assembly elections (2012) lies the deep sensitivity of the problem which is quite intractable in nature. Let us assume Ibobi never want Rio’s NPF to come to Manipur’s Naga dominated areas and attempted to derail it but Rio rebuts it with rhetoric that he is free to travel to all Naga inhabited areas without necessary red tape-ism of diplomatic negotiation. This is hypothetical faceoff between the two statesmen but this thorny issue is in fact deep rooted as far as the problem at stake is concern. In narrative Ibobi is one who stood guarded and defensive of his state’s territory against any kind of intrusion, and Rio is the other who raided daringly with the claimed rights to consolidate and reach out to his brethrens. In truest sense of realpolitik Manipur and Nagaland are still markedly two separate states with clear border and separate jurisdiction under the constitution of India. As of the present status-quo it will continue to be problematic.
Naga Peoples Front (NPF) is a registered political party under the Constitution of India and therefore is free to launch in all parts of India. Nevertheless, NPF has a drawback of its exclusiveness by the name itself imply and possible caution and caginess about the party by other ethnic groups. To the Nagas, NPF is a political party with a purpose but to others it is not for reason too obvious. Technically, the appellation of NPF does not provide avenue for inclusion of others into its fold though its policy may be broad base and accommodative. As a political party it requires to have a different outlook in a state like Manipur wrestled by multi-ethnic politics where issues are drawn on ethnic line. In a complex milieu of multi ethnic politics in Manipur, NPF faces imminent hitch in walking the talks in the house of sixty MLAs where an unequal ratio of 40 (forty) majority seats from valley base (Meiteis) is against 20 (twenty) minority seats of the Hill areas which is again a dividend of two ethnic groups (Nagas and Kukis).
Rio would be an elected lone MP from Nagaland after 16th May and Ibobi will continue to be a chief minister but the problem on key issue disquieting the two neighbourly states would continue to be problematic. The two statesmen need to go beyond political rhetoric to actually deal with the unsettled issue which have serious implication to a large populace.
