Ideological Differences Don’t Matter: Congress and BJP Join Hands In Tripura Panchayat Board

At a time when Congress and other Opposition parties are trying to form an-anti BJP alliance in the country, the BJP and the Congress, with the support of a CPI(M) member, have formed the panchayat board in Tripura’s Srinathpur in the Unakoti district. In the 2019 panchayat election, the BJP won 6 seats, while the CPI(M) and Congress got 5 and 2 seats, respectively in the 13-member panchayat.

Currently, the panchayat has 10 members after the disqualification of one member each from the BJP and the Congress. Another BJP member resigned after getting a government job. On Thursday, a BJP member got elected as the pradhan, while the Congress member bagged the upapradhan's (deputy pradhan) post after the parties voted together. They were supported by a member of the CPI(M).

This isn’t a first for Srinathpur panchayat. With no party getting the required majority in the 2019 elections, the three parties allied to form the board in this panchayat. This shows how ideological differences don’t matter much when it comes to capturing power. Particularly at the ground level, ideological differences become blurred. Since 2019, many permutations and combinations have taken place in this panchayat — and all of these were short-lived. It remains to be seen how long the BJP and the Congress are able to run this panchayat together.

Manipur Violence Echoes In Poll-Bound Mizoram

It has now been more than 70 days since the ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kukis broke out in the northeastern state of Manipur, leaving more than 130 dead and displacing more than 50,000 people. Of these, more than 12,000 people — who are from the Kuki community — are taking shelter in the neighbouring state of Mizoram.

The Kukis of Manipur and Mizos of Mizoram share an ethnic bond. They all belong to the same “Zo” tribe. It is for this reason that Mizos are disturbed by the developments in their neighbouring state. They believe that the Chief Minister N Biren Singh-led BJP government of Manipur is responsible for the mayhem. The Mizos particularly lay blame on Biren Singh for pursuing policies that target the Kukis of the state.

Now, Mizoram, too, burdened by refugees from Manipur, is facing issues in tackling this humanitarian crisis. This is only giving rise to dissatisfaction among the Mizos, who are anguished by the fact that no bold political steps are being taken by the BJP-led Centre to restore normalcy in the neighbouring state. Last Wednesday, a demonstration was staged in the capital city of Aizawl, where the protestors burnt posters of Biren Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The protest was held by ZORO (Zo Reunification Organisation).

Amid this rising anger of Mizos, state vice-president of BJP R Vanramchhuanga resigned from his post last Thursday to protest the demolition of Christian churches during the violence in Manipur. He said that these incidents gave credence to allegations that the party is an “anti-Christian” organisation. While it is true that churches were burnt down in Manipur during the violence, what is often ignored in the narrative is that temples were also gutted.

Nevertheless, this resignation highlights the problems the saffron party is facing in Mizoram, where assembly elections are due late this year.

Impact Of Demand For Separate Administration For Kukis

Last Thursday, a fresh protest was held in the Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district of Manipur, demanding a separate administrative region for Kukis. Noticeably, this district was the epicentre of the violence.

No one can deny the fact that the ethnic violence has left deep wounds among the Kukis and these will take time to heal. But one should also not forget that Meiteis, too, have suffered; they, too, have wounds that will also take time to heal.

But the demand for a separate administration isn’t going to bring peace to the strife-torn state. The hills of the state are inhabited not only by Kukis but also Nagas. So, a move to demarcate administrative regions is going to run into trouble even in the hills as Nagas are unlikely to support this. The Meiteis are already strictly opposed to any kind of division of the state. More importantly, the creation of a separate Kuki state or merging the Kuki areas with Mizoram, as wished by the Zo tribes, is likely to strengthen the other movements like those of Greater Tipraland, Greater Nagalim, Garoland, and Bodoland in the region. This, in turn, will disturb the stability of the region.

Left Hitting The Ground To Regain Base In Tripura

The Tripura unit of the CPI(M) started its ground activities within months of facing setbacks in the state polls. The organisational activities are aimed to regain the lost base and strengthen the party ahead of the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Last Wednesday, the Left-wing party started a Bidhan Sabha Abhiyan or assembly campaign.

A rally under the abhiyan was held by the three wings of the party — All India Kisan Sabha, Gana Mukti Parishad, and Tripura Khet Mazdoor Union. The demands were related to jhum cultivation, irrigation, seeds, insecticides, and minimum support prices. Later, a protest rally was held, where state party secretary Jitendra Chaudhury criticised the state BJP government for not listening to the problems faced by the farmers.

Not only the ruling BJP, the TIPRA Motha was also the target of the Left leaders. GMP’s secretary Radhacharan Debbarma criticised the party’s slogan for Tipraland and said that the people living in the hills are going through a crisis due to a lack of food and employment. He also raised questions about the pending Village Committee elections in the hills.

This is the first big statewide organisational activity taken by the CPI(M) after the assembly polls. Thousands of Left activists took part in the abhiyan. The party is trying to regain its lost base, particularly in the rural areas — and that’s the reason it is focusing on basic issues faced by the farmers. Apart from that, it is focusing on revival in the hills — so it is also targeting the TIPRA Motha by highlighting the problems faced by the tribals living in the hills. 

 

The author is a political commentator. 

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