Biren's Message for Summoning the Assembly Session: Making Kukis Stateless in Their Own Country or Tacit Approval of Their Demand for Seperate Administration?

Parliament and state assemblies are not mere monumental structures. Rather they stand tall as symbols of democracy or Temples of democracy. Thus the way it conducts itself and the principles adopted in its functioning indicates the state of democracy in the country and at the provincial government respectively. Merely declaring a country as a democracy does not make one, but the conformity to the ideals of democracy is what makes a country or a government a democratic one.

Democracy as we know is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. Owing to the large population and familiarity with the workings of the British Parliamentary system, the independent Indian constitution provides for Representative Parliamentary democracy. Universal adult franchise, periodic elections, Rule of law, independence of Judiciary and absence of discrimination on certain grounds are the manifestation of the democratic character of the Indian polity. These factors have gone with the winds in Manipur since the 3rd of May.

The other basic Principles of Democracy that have died for the Kukis in the Meitei government are Citizen Participation, Equality, Political Tolerance, Accountability and Transparency of the Meitei government. People around the world have defined the core values required for a democratic government. In a democratic society, these ideals often find their way into a constitution or bill of rights. Thus respect for provisions that ensure these ideals and citizens’ participation by way of representatives elected through the process of elections is thus a necessity for a democracy. In Manipur under the Biren rule, the violation of these provisions is the new normal. Inaction against his crimes emboldened him to discriminate against even the elected representatives of the Kuki community.

Elections are the foundation of a democracy, wherein the adult population of a nation elects the people’s representatives. It is the process through which adult citizens participate in the decision-making of the country. Thus, it is when the representatives they elected are allowed to work on their behalf that the election process becomes the lifeline of democracy. Else election alone with no respect for the representatives elected from the process and if the voter’s votes do not have the same values, the process alone does not make a country or a political unit a democratic one. With no Equality, there exists no space for Liberty/Freedom or Fraternity as well. Thus, in their absence, Democracy is a far cry, and even Justice will be costly. Elections in this case will become a tool manipulated by the dictator to legitimise their authority and power as being a democratic one like Biren does presently.

The idea of a universal adult franchise under Article 326 of the Indian constitution is based on the idea of equality as it states that every adult in a country irrespective of their wealth and the communities she/he belongs to, has one vote. However mere exercise of one’s right to vote does not make a country democratic, the values of one’s vote have to be respected and have the same footing with other citizens as well. Under the Meitei Government that oppresses the Kukis, The one vote one value of the universal adult franchise for the Kukis is thrown in the garbage. Throwing their rights in the garbage, Biren might try to project himself as the saviour of Meiteis but in the process, he throws democracy in the garbage as well.

Among the measures taken up by the founding fathers of India to ensure and protect the rights and democracy of the minorities is the reservation of seats for ST and others in the electoral constituency of MLA and MP elections, but in a majoritarian regime, does the reservation of seats protect the minority rights? The Kukis under the majoritarian tyranny of the Meitei can tell you how useless it is when the government in power’s interest lies in serving the interest of the majority community.

However, if all MLAs elected by the people of a particular community are discriminated against and denied access to the temple of democracy in the states unjustly, doesn’t that imply there is inequality of votes among citizens of the same country based on their ethnicity? Doesn’t that imply democracy is non-existent for that particular community? What use is of an election if the elected members themselves are considered as good as dead? Thus those powerful, just, and equitable rights and constitution provisions laid down in the paper alone cannot ensure democracy and minority rights and protections. And what use is of rights and constitutional provision that cannot see the daylight and practice?

The commencement of the Manipur assembly without the participation of 10 Kukis MLAs is a grave concern democratically and constitutionally. Violations of the constitutional rights of the minority Kuki community as citizens of India and as a minority questions the validity of democracy’s existence in the state. No state government has the right nor the power to mute the voices of lakhs of citizens belonging to a particular community residing in the political territory unless they consider them non- Indian or domiciled in other states within the country.

Thus what the Biren government’s stand on the exclusion of all Kuki MLAs in the state Assembly is, needs an answer. If Kukis are considered non-Indian by his government, who gave them the authority to decide and are they more powerful than the constitution and parliament, is the question? If they consider the Kuki as domiciled in another political territory within India and outside Manipur, he needs to answer where.

Security reason aside, with ethnic genocide pogrom committed against people from their constituency, do they have the moral right to participate without holding the government in power  that  allows the pogrom? The answer is known. However, It is Biren and his government’s duty to ensure the participation of these Kukis MLAs, not the other way round and give them the confidence and assurance that the concerns and injustice of the people whom they represent will be deliberated and a solution for them found. Does the failure to bring them not have him the free right to commence the Assembly in their absence? Yes, he can do so but is it democratic? The Assembly without the representatives of all stakeholders is definitely not a democratic session. A person with a position that represents all people in the states has the responsibility to ensure democracy for all. As the saying goes, with Authority comes Responsibility and Authority with the Responsibility of some stakeholders is a trait of Dictatorship or Majoritarinism. A democratic ruler would rather dissolve the House in respect of the voices of all but Biren chose to save his government than the democracy of lakhs of citizens.

Biren’s government is a repeated offender of violation of the basic structure of the Constitution and violation of citizens’ fundamental rights. Holding him not responsible might cost India dearly in future. The Supreme Court and the central government must take necessary action to ensure his majoritarian government has no space in a democratic country like India.

Thus through his insensitive act, Biren is making lakhs of Kukis stateless right in their  own country unless he tacitly approves of a Separate administration for the Kukis as they demanded.