Only a single day is left for business transactions and in the past, it took over one month to do so, as it involves huge amounts in various issues.

He explained that apart from the staggering amount of budget, the government will be authorized to spend few dozens of burning issues which should be discussed on the floor of House in the larger interest of the people. The elected representatives were just for the sake of the people. If they would not discuss these issues with a view to addressing them quickly, the MLA’s of all hues would fail to accomplish their duties. He suggested that the opposition MLA’s, should boycott the budget session if the ruling party will not extend the session. However, this suggestion and clarion call had fallen on deaf ears. The opposition members, who have been in deep political slumber preferred not to hear or act.

Thounaojam and all sections of people, know that his cry for sanity and democracy is meaningless, and that nobody will pay heed. This is not the first time nor will it be the last, that Assembly sessions are held in this short manner. There had been similar short sessions in the past, during which all government bills were passed without a hitch.  The opposition parties, at this time shall merely be Okaying the government bills including the most important budgetary bills. When the opposition had failed its duty as a watchdog, democracy had gone down the drain. Opposition is an important pillar of democracy and without it, democracy will be a negation.

But the chief minister Okram Ibobi, who has been running the state as his private shop does not care to hoots. He was the first chief minister in Manipur, who could complete first and second terms smoothly. He is now in his third innings. Indications are that despite feeble ouster plans, he will complete the present term. In the January 2012 Assembly elections, the Congress bagged 42 seats in the 60 member House. The Trinamool Congress secured 7, the Naga People’s Front 4, Lok Jana Shakti 1, the Manipur State Congress Party 5 and the NCP 1. In simple arithmetic, the combined strength of the disparate opposition parties is still a force to be reckoned with. However, the tragedy is that the MLA’s are not discharging their duties in the expected lines. Their respective parties also cannot dictate terms on them. In the past, some MLA’s had minimally left their respective parties and the crestfallen party leaders couldn’t do anything but to nurse the wounds publicly.

Some political parties had learned a bitter lesson before the January 2012 Assembly elections. Some MLA’s belonging to the opposition parties had resigned and sought the Congress tickets. Some of them had won the elections in the Congress ticket. However, some others who were bluntly told of no vacancy made surprise statements about grapes being sour. They even called a press conference on the issue. Some of them had been behaving like ruling party members even before the elections. In some public meetings, they praised the ruling Congress for doing subsequently many things for the welfare of the people. Gone were the days when the opposition should expose the underhand deals. In a small state like Manipur, it is comparatively easy to put two and two together to make four. Not surprisingly, some of these MLA’s were not elected in the last elections.

The government has been wallowing in corruptions and other acts of commissions and omissions. It is the CPI, the Manipur People’s Party and some other parties have been demanding actions against corruption in the Loktak development Authority. A contract work involving over Rs 250 crore was awarded to a firm believed to have been floated by a close relative of a powerful politician. The newly floated firm could bag this contract, despite the fact that its capital was just Rs 10 lakh. One empty room in a residential area in Delhi was shown as its “office”. There have been some other public issues. However, after some shouting, these political parties remained silent. Okram Ibobi, is a happy man, since he knows that these political parties which had failed to secure a single seat are frantically trying for a foothold.

But, it is rather surprising that the political parties which have MLA’s are not making an issue of the acts of commissions and omissions of the Congress ministry. Of course, for the sake of records they had issued some statements. But, they failed to create political ripples and Okram Ibobi is not having sleepless nights. In any case, the opposition MLA’s has not uttered a single word all these days. But they may learn that their sepulchral silence is rather late. Since Manipur, is not the United Kingdom, the opposition MLA’s, may not panic for the next elections. It is a little concealed fact that crisp currencies, fly in the air ahead of the elections. In fact, this has never been an issue in any elections in the past.

When there were allegations that the Assembly had appointed the wife of the speaker on the OBC quota despite the fact that she is not entitled to it, the opposition members did not utter a single word. There was also a loud cry from some circles on this appointment, corruption in the Loktak Development Authority, the clandestine sale of power to other states while Manipur is groping in the dark. But sooner than later, there was silence all around giving the indelible impression, that the manipulative persons had thrown some bones here and there. In the other words Okram Ibobi and other major players are having the last laugh.

It appeared that most of the opposition MLA’s had learnt some valuable lessons. If they were in the good books of the powerful chief minister they stand to gain in the real sense of the term. There will be free flow of developmental funds in their respective constituencies. Besides, there are many things the grateful Chief Minister could do for the close associates of the opposition MLA’s, if they do not cross the line and support him all the times. It does not come as a complete surprise that the mouths, eyes, ears of the opposition members are closed in this manner. It has also been learned the hard way that the Congress, is the party which will be in power for a long time and Okram Ibobi, will continue to be the Chief Minister even if, he has to move around in wheel chairs. So far, attempts to oust him have failed to take concrete shape. Since the Opposition MLA’s, know which side of the bread is buttered they are not creating trouble for the Chief Minister.

Political scientists are worried, over cementing trend. If this has to continue, democracy will become meaningless. In any case democracy has been a farce in the sense, that the money power is the deciding factor in all elections. The then NCP President and former Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam said that it was a apology chapter in Manipur’s democracy, that those persons who had acquired filthy lucre had joined politics. Chaoba Thounaojam, the BJP President in Manipur, has also been cautioning the people against the persons with such undisclosed source of money since they have vitiated the political climate. The voters, most of whom are unlettered, can easily be corrupted. It is common sight to see agents of several candidates, moving around during polling openly distributing money. The highest bidder gets elected. In the last elections a voter in some constituencies got as high as Rs 3000. The people who had taken such bribes have no moral right to question the opposition MLA’s about their dismal failure to discharge their duties. Today, people have no bravery to Question the MLA’s on not completing their duties.

Being an insurgency prone state, where nothing moves without grease money, the people are facing various problems at every step. It is a sad commentary, that there is no MLA in the 60 member House to pull up the government and champion, the cause of the downtrodden people. There is nobody to bell the cat, since the voters themselves are also corrupt.