Everyone who follows the violent conflict that erupted on May 3 in the bordering areas of Manipur’s Churachandpur district and Bishnupur district know that 10 MLAs of ruling parties who belong to Kuki-Zomi tribes have been demanding Separate Administration from Manipur since May 12. Of the 10 MLAs seven are from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while the three MLAs – two from Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA) and one is an Independent – are also supporters of the ruling BJP government in the State. The signatories of the joint statement demanding Seperate Administration included BJP Ministers Letpao Haokip and Nemcha Kipgen.
However, BJP Manipur State Unit President Adhikarimayum Sharda speaking to media persons at their office, Thambal Shanglen at Nityaipat Chuthek on October 20 contended that no BJP MLA is demanding Separate Administration but misunderstanding among the communities gave rise to the demand of Separate Administration.
BJP President Sharda said that Manipur has been facing serious troubles on account of illegal immigration and the Government has been working to implement NRC, expedite border fencing and resettle displaced families.
Instead of giving positive suggestions which may help in bringing peace and normalcy in the State, the Congress party seems to be exploiting the situation to score political advantage, she alleged.
She asked what response or reaction the Manipur Congress gave when a former president of Nagaland Congress and former Finance Minister, and a senior leader of Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee expressed support to the demand of Separate Administration for Kuki-Zomi communities.
President Sharda charged that the order issued by the Congress Government on August 25, 2014 which renamed Thangjing as Thangting turned out to be a big boost to the support extended by Nagaland and Mizoram Congress to the demand of separate administration. Another order issued by the Congress Government on June 29, 2012 removed some areas under Panchayat and placed them under ADC.
Saying that BJP’s endeavour to protect the integrity of Manipur resulted in some unwanted incidents, Sharda asserted that the BJP Government reserved an area of four hectares on Thangjing Hills to preserve its historical and cultural significance. Likewise, an area of two hectares was declared as a protected site atop Koubru Hills, she continued.
She claimed that BJP will never allow disintegration of Manipur nor will it belie the people’s faith. Pointing out that the Suspension of Operation agreement was signed during the Congress Government in 2005; the BJP Manipur Pradesh President asked how the Congress Government signed the agreement with a man named Guite from Myanmar. The sole interest of the Congress party is winning elections and it does not care what is happening in different corners of the State, BJP Manipur President charged.
While the shockwaves of her October 20 bombshell that no BJP MLA is demanding Separate Administration but misunderstanding among the communities still hurt the people who stand for the integrity and unity of Manipur, Manipur BJP President Sharda once again claimed to media-persons on October 25 that it is not the BJP MLAs who are demanding Separate Ddministration. Sharda was responding to media inquiries about the party’s stance on BJP MLAs, including two ministers, on the controversial demand.
She made the statement while attending a Chakumba, weaning ceremony of a baby born to mother at the relief camp, at Khuman Lampak on October 25.
However, she did not mention anything about either suspension or expulsion of the seven BJP MLAs who had joined the league of Separate Administration. Instead, she attributed the root cause leading to the demand for separate administration by Kuki MLAs to the previous Congress regime.
Manipur BJP President Sharda even turned against the media-persons asking why the Congress government converted four Gram Panchayats (GPs) including Koubruleikha, Toribari and Kalapahar, which were under the Panchayat system of Imphal West district into Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) and renamed the Thangjing Hill Range to Thangting.
She asserted, “None of the Meitei MLAs from the BJP are demanding a Separate Administration. So, it is inaccurate to claim that BJP MLAs are demanding Separate Administration.”
When the media persisted in emphasising the role of BJP MLAs, Sharda replied, “Have BJP MLAs attacked or harmed the Meiteis of Manipur? Do you genuinely believe that BJP MLAs would harm the Meitei people?”
Regarding measures for resettling displaced victims, she mentioned that progress has begun in four districts. Acknowledging that restoring normalcy in Manipur would take time, she stated that the government’s maximum efforts toward resettlement were steps in the direction of achieving normalcy.
Consequently and as expected, on the next day, October 26, the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) strongly criticised the statement made by Manipur BJP President Adhikarimayum Sharda regarding the demand for Separate Administration, in which she denied the involvement of BJP MLAs.
According to the MPCC, the statement from the state BJP president is an attempt to shield the 10 MLAs who are demanding Separate Administration, and it goes against the interests of Manipur.
Addressing the media at the Congress Bhawan in Imphal, the party’s working president Khumanthem Devbrata stated that the Manipur BJP President’s statement is meant to divert attention and confuse the public during the present crisis. He pointed out, it’s clear that seven BJP MLAs and three MLAs supporting the BJP are demanding separate administration.
While the BJP has blamed Congress, Devbrata emphasised that the BJP and the state government cannot escape responsibility for the ongoing unrest, which has resulted in loss of lives and displacement.
Regarding Manipur BJP President Sharda’s claim that the conversion of four Gram Panchayats into Autonomous District Councils and the renaming of Thanging Hill Range to Thangting by the then Congress government are the root causes of the Separate Administration demand, the MPCC Working President gave a clear explanation.
Devbrata explained that the four GPs in Kangpokpi district already fell under Hill Areas, as per a government order issued in 1972, and all actions were taken in accordance with the law of the land. Regarding the Thangjing Hill Range, he clarified that it was a naming error in the subdivision, which was reviewed and corrected and the Sub-division was notified as Kangvai Sub-Division not as Thangting Sub-division.
“Why hasn’t the BJP government, during its two terms, rectified any perceived mistakes made by Congress if they considered them wrong?” he questioned.
Devbrata urged the BJP to stop playing politics and blame other parties to hide their wrongdoings during this critical situation. He called on the BJP government to focus on addressing the present unrest and resettlement programmes which the Congress is ready to offer full support. Devbarta also mentioned that the Congress is not interested in forming the government and only requested a change of the CM if necessary to restore normalcy at the earliest.
Moreover, reacting sharply to the recent statement by BJP Manipur President Adhikarimayum Sharda Kshetrimayum Santa, the Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and convenor of ten opposition parties, on October 27 has dubbed the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Manipur as a “Double Standard Government.” This is in stark contrast to the BJP’s assertion of having a “Double Engine Government in Manipur.” Additionally, he compared the BJP’s methods to Adolf Hitler’s false propaganda leading up to World War II during the Great Depression.
Santa accused BJP leader Sharda of spreading false propaganda to the media. Explaining his label of the BJP government as a “Double Standard Government,” he clarified that the BJP Government in Manipur appears to align with hill residents at times and with valley residents at others. “Their inconsistency is why I term them the Double Standard Government,” he remarked sarcastically.
Now, the question is why the President of Manipur BJP Adhikarimayum Sharda tells such blatant lies which no one will accept.
‘Misunderstanding gave rise to Seperate Administration demand’ was the line she maintained while addressing the media at the BJP office at Nityaipat Chuthek. Has she had to say this to save the MLAs and the party? Was it due to the alleged ‘understanding’ the BJP had with the Kuki groups in the 2022 Manipur Legislative Assembly elections between the outfit and the party in question that SS Haokip, Chairman, United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF), one of the armed organizations under Suspension of Operation (SoO) referred to? Is it the ‘misunderstanding’ of the ‘understanding’ between the Kuki outfits and the party in question? Or does the Manipur BJP underestimate that the people of Manipur can be fooled?
President Sharda’s assertion – “None of the Meitei MLAs from the BJP are demanding a Separate Administration. So, it is inaccurate to claim that BJP MLAs are demanding Separate Administration.” – also led to ask, Is Manipur BJP only for Meiteis?
Nevertheless, since Manipur BJP President contended that the demand for Separate Administration is due to a misunderstanding then President Sharda should explain the ‘misunderstanding’ instead of adding fuel to the fire with blatant lies.
Senior Editor: Imphal Review of Arts and Politics
1 thought on “Manipur BJP President Sharda Should Explain the “Misunderstanding” That Resulted in Demand Separate Administration by 10 MLAs”
In good times her comments would have been a great laugh. It’s good news to see her doing disservice to the party.
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