Political ‘greater common good’ is needed in Manipur

• On February 13, 2025, Article 356 of the Constitution was invoked in Manipur, bringing the State under President’s Rule.

• This move allowed the President of India to take charge of all administrative and legislative functions from Manipur’s Council of Ministers.

• The State Assembly was kept in ‘animated suspension’, allowing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its legislators time to resolve their differences.

Technical Reasons for Invoking President’s Rule

• The Union government did not consider this emergency step for 20 months due to technical reasons.

• Article 174 of the Constitution requires a space between two State Assembly sessions to be not more than six months.

• The then Chief Minister, N. Biren Singh, resigned on February 9, causing tensions within the BJP legislative party.

• The Governor declared the Assembly session scheduled to begin the next day as “null and void” after accepting Singh’s resignation.

Manipur’s Political Landscape

• Manipur has had President’s Rule 10 times, making it one of the most vulnerable states to this extreme measure.

• The state has 33 recognized Scheduled Tribes, most falling into the Naga and Kuki (now Kuki-Zo) groupings.

• There are several other non-tribal communities such as Nepalis, Punjabis, Tamils, and Marwaris, who constitute a substantial percentage of the State’s projected population of about three million.

The Politics of Populism

• Political populism is a political approach that appeals to ordinary people who feel their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups.

• There are three broad categories of political populism: “Reordering” populism, “Additive” populism, and “Quotidian” populism.

• The politics of populism of Mr. Singh and his elite adversaries built on waves of ethnic paranoia in their respective constituencies, transforming hostilities into communal enmity.

Challenges Ahead

• The current spell of President’s Rule is unlikely to last long, and a new BJP government could take charge sooner rather than later.

• The challenges ahead are far from simple, including allowing population movements across the international border and the drive against poppy cultivation or forest encroachment.

• The long-run goal is to shed populism and be consensual, promoting the greater common good.