Umbrey Vs Mr and Mrs Mithi

(Editorial, Oct 11, 2009)
At the start it appeared that this election was an issue based politics but as polling day gets nearer, the fight seems merely to win no matter what means are adopted. It has been rightly said, 'everything is fair in love, war and politics'. While Laeta Umbrey struggles to retain his chair on the strength of youth’s idealistic ambitions, Mr and Mrs Mithi seems wanting to regain their lost glory. The political activists loyal to Umbrey have now resorted to an aggressive propaganda by shrewdly adopting the non-conventional method all with the intention of grievously damaging Mith’s image. It is rightly said, ‘You hate a person because you don’t know him and you will never know him because you hate him’. Pity those young people who see in Umbrey a ray of hope in their pursuit to their idealistic goal for ‘a change we can believe in’. For these youths, hurting Mithi’s career is not their objective but going by the intensity of personal attacks directed against Mithi, the fight now seems more like a personal clash between two elite groups of Idu Mishmi community. Settling personal scores have become the main objective of the campaign which is being surreptitiously done under the guise of ‘change’. The bitter truth however is that the same non-conventional tactic was successfully attempted against Dature Miuli intending to hurt his image during the by-election of 2006. However Miuli had been gracious enough to declare, ‘yesterdays rival is today’s friend’.


If Mithi is being blamed for bowing before Nagas in compromising the territorial integrity of the state, then how does one explain his daring statement of ‘there are no Nagas in Arunachal’ made during his tenure as CM. Can any politician in Arunachal today reiterate what Mithi said six years back? This audacious and powerful statement strongly defied the Naga’s logic of their ancestral domain in the eastern districts of Arunachal. It was only after Mithi’s ouster that the state govt gave a go ahead for autonomous council status to Tirap and Changlang district which was ostensibly done to appease the Naga insurgents. Also the controversial APCOCA and the operation ‘Hurricane’ launched during Mithi’s regime to flush out insurgents from Tirap and Changlang district were also withdrawn. Therefore it is the collective responsibility of all our representatives for the historic blunder and every politician today owes explanation to their people.


The personal attack being leveled against Mithi is a sign of a frantic attempt in trying to win people’s confidence in making them believe as their fight against bad by the goodies. But such act needs introspection. If Mithi was so bad, why Umbrey agreed for an alliance with him? Trying to depict Mithi in a bad shape after having failed alliance will only be seen as a sign of hypocrisy. Also Umbrey need to introspect why waves of support shifted to Mithi. In his two years as MLA, he always looked for an alliance with Mithi thereby defeating the very purpose of having a bipolar politics in Roing for which the people had supported him. Also the youths at that time who were at the forefront of anti dam movement suspected such alliance was intended to corner them and to crush the indigenous rights movement. The greatest blunder however was the grand announcement of alliance made over panchayat election 2008, thereby Umbrey losing many of his avid supporters to Mithi. By now, to many people it was a feeling that Umbrey simply didn’t have the nerves to withstand Mithi’s power.


However Umbrey could not be easily underestimated. Over the year he worked hard and broke the old traditional style of ascendancy. Mithi had produced elites through which he laid control over the citizens hierarchically. Umbrey breaking the old practice reached out directly to lowly and vulnerable and hence came to be known as a ‘Friend of poor’. This was a brilliant approach that was earlier successfully attempted by Tezu MLA Karikho Kri against former MLA Nakul Chai that led him to a glorious victory. However this time it’s not Mr Mithi, its Mrs Mithi who is well acquainted with the Kri style.


Now comparing both in terms of development, Mithi has his own share of contribution in giving the people adequate political space to grow and in developing the kind of infrastructures which otherwise requires great flair for articulation in mobilizing funds. Khandu today might be looked upon as dear leader for dolling out money lavishly but in distress he looks upon Mithi as saviour. Yet as a setback to Mithi, to a common man’s wisdom, the accomplishments and the personal acumen he developed in his 23 years of rule seems to get outshined by Umbrey’s rapid achievements made in his short duration of just 2 ½ years. Although it was the good fate that clicked well with Umbrey since during his tenure the state’s financial resources had grown considerably compared to previous terms. Nevertheless Umbrey’s judicious use of funds and his strong commitment to development is being greatly appreciated and that is the major factor for his growing popularity.


No matter the hostility and the personal attacks, no matter the rhetoric of personal accomplishments and plans for future but it’s the common people that are being victimized in this political gambit. God knows people might one day be a mute spectator to Umbrey and Mithi hugging each other passionately, for politics is about one’s own permanent interest.