Asem Nirmala, general secretary of the popular and influential Ema Market in Imphal city, is embarrassed over the untoward incidents that marred the first phase of polls in the Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency on April 19 but is also happy that people protested attempts by unidentified miscreants to disrupt the process.

Repolling held in 11 polling stations on Monday saw very high and peaceful turnout (81.64 per cent) under heavy security deployment. Meira Paibis or women torchbearers were also out in their respective polling stations to keep mischief-mongers at bay.

“What happened on April 19 is embarrassing and unfortunate. It has never happened before during any election — miscreants trying to rig the polls in the valley. What is heartening is that people resisted attempts by these unidentified miscreants to interfere with their voting rights,” she said.

Traders at Ema Keithel in Imphal, the world’s only women-run market. 

“Voters destroyed EVMs in some stations in protest because they wanted to save democracy, save Manipur. The protest and high turnout also reflected the disillusionment with and pent-up anger at the way the ongoing conflict has been handled. The Centre and state government are not hearing our pleas to resolve the conflict at the earliest,” Nirmala said from Imphal.

Nirmala is part of the influential Ema Keithel (mother’s market), Asia’s largest and exclusively women-run and managed market in Imphal. The market is seen as a symbol of women’s empowerment and an influential political socialising agency.
Such Ema Markets are found across the Imphal valley which comes under the Inner Manipur seat where the Meiteis are in majority.

Asem Nirmala

Manipur has two Lok Sabha seats, Inner and Outer Manipur, currently held by the BJP and its ally NPF, respectively. Inner Manipur had six candidates but most say there was a keen contest between the Congress and the BJP.

Nirmala’s views are shared by Imphal-based social scientist Dhanabir Laishram, who said there were quite a few takeaways from the first phase of polls, especially that people in the valley this time voted to “save” democracy and Manipur.

Laishram said resisting the unidentified miscreants was an important development, a difficult task considering the “very difficult situation the state is passing through”.

“This cannot be ignored. There seems to be an awakening in Manipur about voting and the conflict. People want to participate in peaceful, participatory and meaningful democracy and people don’t want anybody to infringe on their rights or rig the polls. Young voters came out in large numbers to vote on April 19. The first phase reflected the people’s overall mood vis-a-vis the election and the prevailing situation (conflict), hence the protest against attempts by unidentified miscreants to disrupt the polls at some places,” Laishram said.

The polls are being held (the second phase is on Friday for the remaining Outer Manipur area) amid the ongoing conflict between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zos. The conflict will complete a year on May 3 but a solution is still elusive.

There were quite a few voices who wanted a solution before the election and were aghast when miscreants -- and at couple of places armed miscreants tried to influence voting in the Imphal valley.

The recommendation for repolling by the Innner Manipur seat returning officer said “mob violence” led to the disruption and destruction of EVMs. There were reports of vandalism, intimidation of voters and agents, booth-capturing and firing on April 19.

Churning

That a churning is taking place against attempts to disrupt the polling atmosphere was evident a day after voting when a powerful women’s organisation, Imagi Meira, condemned the violence on April 19 and the “inability” of the government to ensure adequate security to ensure free and fair polling. They also wanted to know who were the “unknown miscreants” who unleashed chaos, asking the government to take action against them within a week.

An Imphal resident, Khoirom Medha, had on April 20 claimed her brother, a Congress polling agent, was assaulted by members of the Meitei radical group Arambai Tenggol. She claimed before the media that she is being asked to deny their involvement but Medha asserted she would not back off, come what may. Arambai Tenggol has denied its involvement and sought police action against the perpetrators.

Kshetrimayum Dhiren, a 72-year-old retired Meitei schoolteacher from Bishnupur district living in a relief camp in Imphal, had told The Telegraph before the polls that he would vote despite being “disinterested, disillusioned and bitter” at the way the conflict has been handled.

He is disinterested because he wanted a solution first and is now hoping the incoming government will help restore his shattered life and those of others like him by amicably ending the conflict.

“We wanted a solution before the elections but now that the election has been held, we are hoping some solution to the conflict is found soon by the incoming government. We all live in hope, and we all want peace,” Vijaylaxmi Yumlembam, a Meira Paibi from Imphal, said.

Hope is what Manipur is clinging on to 11 months after the conflict began.

Inner Manipur voted on April 19.