Pamreiso Shimray
In a state rigged with the politics of hills and valley divide, the newly floated United Naga Democratic Alliance, the political wing of United Naga Council, is today the acrimonious villain. Scorned in the valley for its ‘divisive intent’ as they called it, the UNDA is also being shunned like ‘untouchables’ by the Congress and its allies.
This situation, which sprung no surprise for anyone, was already premeditated before the polls.
The entry of UNC in electoral politics, seen as a grievous threat to territorial integrity of Manipur, has never been a convivial gesture in the valley. And interestingly, the UNC-backed legislators have trudged into the ninth legislative Assembly, willing its cudgel for the Indo-Naga peace talk. The changing scenario, which sounded like a death knell for the Meitei, has metamorphosed the UNDA as the villains in the Meitei-dominated polity. For the Nagas in the hills, the UNDA may have been looked at as ‘the saviour’; but in the eye of the valley, they have donned the mantle of ‘the baddies.’
In the garb of MPP, one finds the vociferousness of the Meitei to safeguard the state’s territory. Ironically, we have the MPP and the UNDA, the parties with schismatic ideology, to rub shoulders in the assembly. Imagine in this scenario—Will they be friends or foes? Of course, there is no reason to doubt they would join hands when it comes to government bashing. However, given the intensity that has brought them to the fore, there is no point of compromise for the MPP and UNDA. They are rivals and villains to one another. What a strange bedfellows they would make!
In a run up to the polls, the UNC and certain Naga voluntary organizations have played the spoilsport for the INC in the hill districts. The meddling of UNC has proved to be lethal for the Congress. The result, as obvious now, is the mortal defeat of Congress in the Naga Hills. In this situation, there is no room for reckoning that the wounded party would be kind to the inflictors. With Congress returning to power, thanks to the mandate from the valley, the fate of UNDA legislators is clearly indicated that they would be pushed to the wall.
So in the corridors of power today, the Congress-led SPF has clothed the UNDA once again in the costume of the baddies.
In times when the UNC sponsored MLAs could not even find amicable ally, the worst thing happening is—it is fettered to take backseat even in the treasury bench despite emerging the largest front next to Congress. As it has not come to the house under a banner of political party, they could not even stake a claim to the chair of opposition leader. This situation, if anyone should puts it, is nothing less than the height of despair.
Caught in between the deep blue sea and the devil, the UNDA legislators are reported to have a rift with the UNC. Basking in the glory of having facilitated the success of the six legislators in the just concluded assembly polls, the UNC have also gone to the extent of asserting their role as the ‘political master.’ The Naga organization is also believed attempting to usurp the UNDA’s legislative authority. However, this sort of action is the last thing the UNDA legislators would approve of.
Of late, the UNC has already announced the formation of UNDA, but till now remains undecided as to who would lead the front—an indication that unanimity is an elusive factor among themselves. In this absurd scenario, the elected representatives, when they should be pawned into a queen have unfortunately been made literally a pawn by the so-called political master.
However, it remains to be seen, for how long the UNC will, with their whims and fancy, anchor the UNDA? If the past rapport of the Naga legislators and UNC is anything to go by, it has only few things to cherish of. There were times when the Naga MLAs were maligned as “the betrayers.” So there ever is a possibility of repeating the history. That thing, of calling names—betrayers, villains…whatsoever—could happen, when too much is exacted from them.
Well in a week time, the first sitting of the ninth assembly would be convened—with Ibobi leading a considerable supporter against the rickety opposition. And interestingly, the UNDA has been reportedly asked to move a bill for the integration of Nagas in its maiden inning in the house.
Only time will tell, how they would serve the needs of their political master.
