“Old habits die hard’’

WITH Lok Sabha being dissolved and polls round the corner, insurgent outfits in the North-East have once again stepped up efforts to influence the electorate of the region. ANVC, a proscribed outfit in Meghalaya, had already appealed the voters to vote for former Lok Sabha speaker P. A. Sangma.  On the other hand, KYKL an insurgent outfit of Manipur has threatened to eliminate former Union Minister T Chauba Singh and even directed the BJP to remove him from the post of state president. A Mizoram MLA has also received a threatening letter. Over the years, insurgent outfits in the region have made it a habit to oppose the democratic process. Despite being rejected by the people on several occasions, the ultras play the same cards during every election. What is more worrying is that to prevent the people from participating in the democratic process, these rely more on their gun power. Take the case of KYKL threat to Chaoba Singh. In democracy, every person or organisation has t he right either to oppose or support a person or a party, leaving the issue of final verdict to the people. But the underground organisation from Manipur has shown no faith in people. It has threatened to use its gun power against the former Union minister if he joins the electoral race. KYKL should realise that by issuing such a threat to a sitting member of Lok Sabha, it has actually challenged India’s democratic set up. It is for the people of Manipur to decide whether or not Chaoba Singh will represent them in the Lok Sabha and KYKL has no role in this. It can at best express its choice but cannot force the electorate to dance to its tune. By threatening to eliminate Chaoba and his supporters, KYKL has infact tried to rob people of their democratic right.  Gun culture has no place in a democracy. KYKL should learn lessons from the fact that people have always rejected those who relied more on gun power and ULFA is the best example. More it started relying on its gun power , more it had distanced itself from the people. If KYKL has reservations against Chaoba it should fight him democratically rather than intimidating the electorate. The same logic is applicable in ANVC’s newfound love for P. A. Sangma. On mumber of occasions, the Meghalaya electorate has proved its maturity in electing its representatives to the Lok Sabha. In the coming elections as in the past, the electorate of Meghalaya should be given a free hand while electing its representatives. No one has sought ANVC’s marg darshan. Yet the organisation has jumped into the poll arena threatening to divide the voters on ethnic lines. ’’In a democracy dissent is an act of faith. Like medicine, the test of its value is not in its taste, but in its effects,’’ said J W Fulbright. But the dissent expressed by the undergrounds of North-East defies all logic, as they want to win the battle of ballot through bullet. This is one of the biggest challenges before democracy. The people should defea t the attempt by the ultras to capture power through backdoor. The voters should exercise their choices without any fear which is the best way to defeat the sinister design of the underground forces. The electorate of the North-East had defeated such designs of ultras on previous occasions. And this time too the voters of the region will defeat the enemies of democracy.

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