Perform or perish

(Editorial: Sept 20, 2009)
Unlike the past, the coming October election will not be determined on the basis of ruling party. Laeta Umbrey who every time fails to get Congress party ticket despite his immense zeal to join the party is good at proving the point. The long drama and speculations made over Congress party ticket has finally ended. Before, while one party would claim their 100% chance, the other would make it 110%. Amidst the uncertainty, the confusion however played to the advantage of Umbrey. It is now being deftly rumored that Mukut Mithi is loosing his say in the Congress party as party opposed to him knows that such impression to the people will determine the course of electoral battle.

With the announcement of Mrs Pomoya Mithi as the Congress candidate for Roing 43rd constituency, the dynasty rule which is quite significant with the party has been formally launched. The party opposed to her however will find it hard to disapprove of the dynasty rule since both the candidate had aspired for Gandhi family led Congress party thereby accepting the dynasty factor in the party with honor. So any attempt to criticize Mithi for bringing dynasty rule would be a sheer hypocrisy. The only chance then they have is to first join either BJP or CPI (M), the two party that is purely governed by its ideology.

As campaign heats up now, the youth factor seems favorably on the side of Umbrey as majority of college students and the young people aspiring for a change has chosen him as an ‘alternative’. It is however a quirk of fate that in his two years of tenure he had to confront with the youth activists of the students union which had then emerged as a powerful pressure group questioning the credibility of both Mithi and Umbrey. Despite Umbrey’s initiative on development he failed to bring in youth specific developmental agenda. Even his own 2004 election manifesto of a college in Roing had been simply abandoned. May be for both Mithi and Umbrey, college is not the preferred choice for obvious reasons.

Now merely in the name of youth by counting on the basis of age and amassing strength can prove counter productive as has been witnessed from Umbrey’s defeat in 2004 elections. Often many youths tend to get reckless and excited as is evident from late night shouting of slogans which violates the model code of conduct. As campaign goes on, harping on change by bringing in the achievement of renovating the look of town and empowering the ‘voiceless’ people image has to be played carefully since the voter knows that if Umbrey can Mrs Mithi also will. And taking due credit for communal harmony and law and order can also be deceiving since it’s the combined effort by the media and most importantly, the transparency in the role of district administration that has contributed to peace in the town.

So the time is not to get deceived in the false promises and claims of the politicians but to enjoy the beauty of democracy of how today both the aspiring leaders are struggling for their survival in the arena. And in that struggle, it’s the wisdom of people that is making them increasingly realize that it is now the era of ‘Perform or perish’.