Manipur elections 2022: Who did Amit Shah want to woo?

Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah (Illustration: Suneesh K)

In a last-minute pitch to vote the back BJP to power in Manipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah promised voters in the Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts that the party would take the peace dialogue initiated with the Kuki-Zomi rebel groups to its logical conclusion. 

Various armed militant groups, operating under the umbrella of the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF), are in a political dialogue with the Centre and the State government.

Shah visited the districts on February 23, just four days before the first phase of voting.

Churachandpur district has six assembly seats, which predominantly comprise the Zomi and Kuki ethnic communities. Kangpokpi district has three assembly constituencies predominantly made up of Kuki voters.

Read also: EVMs or Raj Bhavans: Who picks govts in smaller states?

“Give us five more years, we will talk with the armed groups,” said Shah. “We will ensure that the Kuki and Zomi youths no longer hold their guns and are part of mainstream society”. Emphasising on peace and development in the hill areas of Manipur, Shah said that laptops, corporate door keys and bike keys would replace guns in the near future.

Shah emphasised the work done in the past five years by the BJP-led N Biren Singh government, claiming that it brought a sense of normalcy to the State. “There were no bandhs and blockades in the State in recent years,” said Shah, appealing to voters to give the party another chance to ensure stability, peace and development.

KNO reacts

Reacting to Shah’s call to continue the peace dialogue with armed groups, Kuki National Organisation (KNO) spokesperson Seilen Haokip said: “That’s the government talking. They better make it happen soon.”

Haokip did not deny that Shah’s call was a positive move. “I agree it is a positive sign,” he said, underlining it is also aimed at giving credit to the Central government led by the BJP.

Before the 2017 state election, then Home Minister Rajnath Singh. who had visited Churachandpur, had called for the dialogue with the two umbrella groups (KNO and UPF), which began in 2016, to move forward. The dialogue got a push after the State and general elections but there is again a lull.

It may be mentioned that the various Kuki-Zomi armed rebel groups under the KNO and UPF agreed to suspend operations in 2008 after talks with the government. But it was only in 2016 that a political dialogue – tripartite talks with the Centre and the State government – began. Though the dialogue had made considerable progress it has not been able to come to a conclusion. The main demand of the KNO and the UPF is a “separate administration” for the Kuki and Zomi people, within the Indian constitution.

Voting by cadres

Cadres of the KNO and UPF have been taking part in polls, starting with the 2014 general election and the state election in 2017. An estimated 2,000 cadres have been spread over 14 designated camps since the peace process began. Separate balloting for the cadres was arranged in the designated camps.

KC Zomi, one of the leaders of the UPF, said postal ballots came to the camps and that the cadres have voted. “Yes, we voted in our camps, like other elections, arrangements were made for us,” said Zomi. He said the Home Minister’s call was a positive move, noting: “Home Minister Rajnath Singh had initiated the push for the dialogue and there has been some progress. We look forward to Shah’s call on continuing the dialogue.”

In Kangpokpi at Ebenezer Peace Camp, cadres of the Kuki National Front (KNF) group, exercised their franchise in full vigour. Cadres of the outfit were seen lining up in full uniform and arms to cast their votes at the camp, even greeting polling officials on their arrival. Rohan Kuki, Joint Monitoring Group member of the outfit, said that since the political talks were initiated, members of the group have sincerely participated in exercising their franchise in anticipation of an early resolution of their political demands.

UPF leader KC Zomi did not deny reports that the UPF and KNO are voting for the BJP. “ Yes, we look forward to the party to seriously continue the dialogue,” he noted.

Also emphasising on the need for a stable government that can seriously take forward the political dialogue, KNO spokesperson Haokip said: “It’s a secret ballot. But yes, as far as the KNO and UPF are concerned we do want the BJP to come to power … (so) that the talks continue  and come to a logical conclusion,” said Haokip.

On the allegations of booth capturing and other poll-related violence, Haokip said: “I am not condoning it, but I would like to argue that once the political settlement with the groups comes all this will subside.” Haokip argued that such malpractices – common in Manipur, and not only with armed rebels – are basically a law-and-order problem.

Haokip argued that the problems are essentially due to the lackadaisical attitude of the government ( especially the Central government) in settling issues with the armed rebels. “Whatever the government’s compulsions may be, if we are serious about bringing peace and stability, the onus lies with the government,” said Haokip “There can be no political stability or progress without political settlement with the rebel groups”.

Payoff allegation rejected

On the allegations of Kuki-Zomi armed groups being paid money (₹15.7 crore on 1.2.22 and ₹92.7 lakh on 1.3.22) by the Union Home Ministry and the BJP government in Manipur, Haokip said these were “Congress orchestrated allegations with no proof”.

Refuting the allegation, Manipur’s Chief Electoral Officer stated to the media that the Home and Finance department had released Rs15,703 crore to clear the backlog in payments to the KNO and UPF cadre for the period from October 2020 to September 2021 at the rate of Rs 6,000 per cadre. In all the KNO and UPF have 1,122 and 1,059 cadres, respectively. This stipend is an ongoing arrangement by the government and has been in place since 2008, when the political dialogue began. 

The CEO also clarified that another amount of Rs 1.02 crore was sanctioned for the rehabilitation of surrendered rebels. The said amounts were approved before the election code of conduct and do not violate the model code of conduct, the CEO’s office said.

Meanwhile, repolling had been scheduled for March 5 for nine polling booths in Churachandpur and one in Kangpokpi district.