LS elections: After violence in Phase 1, Outer Manipur eyes peaceful polling in Phase 2

After incidents of violence during polling in the opening phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 19, bringing back grim memories of the ethnic clashes that claimed many lives and displaced scores more, the Manipur will have a tryst with democracy again on April 26.
While the Inner Manipur constituency, which is inhabited by the majority Meiteis, polled in the first phase on April 19, parts of Outer Manipur, too, voted to elect its Lok Sabha representative in the opening phase. The remaining parts of Outer Manipur will poll in the second phase on April 26.
While there is no official word on the rationale behind holding the polls in Outer Manipur in both phases, it is believed that the decision was taken after assessing security concerns in the violence-hit state.
Earlier, re-polling was held in 11 polling stations of the Inner Manipur constituency on April 22, after multiple incidents of violence were reported during the first phase of polling on April 19. Unidentified miscreants opened fire and even destroyed EVMs, according to sources.
The re-polling was done under tight security to avoid any mishaps.
Among the affected polling stations; two were from Khurai assembly constituency, four in Kshetrigao, one in Thongju, three in Uripok, and one in Konthoujam constituency.
The constituency of Outer Manipur is currently held by Lorho Phoze of the Naga People Front.
This time, however, the NPF is going into the polls as a partner in the BJP-led NDA. The BJP, earlier, announced its support for NPF candidate for Outer Manipur, Kachui Timothy Zimik.
Zimik is up against Congress MLA Alfred K Arthur, who is the joint Opposition candidate of the INDIA bloc.
Ethnic clashes erupted in the Northeast state in May, last year, after a tribal solidarity march organised against an order of the Manipur High Court, asking the state government to consider including the majority community in the state in the list of Scheduled Tribes, took a violent turn.
In a statement on September 15, last year, Manipur Police informed that the violence claimed 175 lives, while another 1,138 were injured and 33 people were reported missing.
In another grim fallout of the violence, scores were displaced after their houses were set ablaze during the ethnic clashes.
All 32 assembly segments of the inner Manipur parliamentary constituency had gone for polling on April 19.
Additionally, 15 assembly segments of the outer Manipur (ST) parliamentary constituency also voted during the first phase.
Manipur saw a voter turnout of over 69 per cent on April 19.
The voting for the remaining 13 segments of Outer Manipur will be held in the second phase on April 26. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.
In January this year, after reports of fresh violence in the state, a three-member team from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), headed by advisor AK Mishra, was sent to Imphal to assess the situation in the state.
In his first visit to the Northeast state since the ethnic clashes, Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Manipur earlier to campaign for the polls.
Addressing the public, Shah underscored the Centre’s priority, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to restore lasting peace to the volatile state going forward, while asserting that, “no matter how much one tries to foment trouble here, hum Manipur ko tutne nahi denge (we won’t let Manipur break up).”However, there was fresh violence in the state ahead of Shah’s visit, as two persons from the minority Kuki community were shot dead.
Recently, speaking to an Asamese daily, Prime Minister Modi said it was down to the “timely intervention of the Centre and efforts of the state government” that there’s been a ‘marked improvement’ in security situation in the state.
He added that the country’s best resources and administrative machinery were dedicated to resolve the conflict and bring back peace, breaking the cycle of violence.
The state of Manipur, which has been racked, bloodied and wounded by ethnic clashes for close to a year, is hoping for a fresh start and lasting peace with the general elections, and it will be looking forward to conclude the polling in the state peacefully with healthy turnout.