Manipur CM in a fix, partners want Army Act to go

Though the steering committee of the three-party ruling Secular Progressive Front had already recommended that the demand be raised to withdraw the Act, and the CPI, one of the three partners, threatening to quit if nothing happened till August 13, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh wasted more than eight hours today in an attempt to call a Cabinet meeting and endorse the recommendations of the Front.

The reason why the meeting did not start till 7 pm despite all Cabinet ministers gathering at the CM’s residence by 10 am was that the Cabinet Secretary was not to be traced. There were rumours that the officer had been deliberately kept out.

Sources in the SPF gave enough indications that once the State Cabinet passed the resolution for withdrawal of the Act, there were two possibilities: the Centre would impose President’s rule in Manipur, or the Congress high command would dismiss Ibobi and replace him Th Debendra Singh.

Of the two, the second option is more likely to happen, given the fact that Debendra Singh enjoys the blessings of more Central leaders. He is known to be close to Pranab Mukherjee and Santosh Mohan Deb.

But the CM is also working on another plan, which is likely to be announced even late tonight: recommend partial withdrawal of the Act. Going by speculation made by leaders outside the Congress, the Ibobi Singh government might lift the Act from the municipal area of Imphal city in order to cling to power.

Meanwhile, the CPI, which has five MLAs in the three-party ruling SPF whose total strength is 39 in a house of 59, today said the Union Home Minister has not been briefed on the actual situation in the state.

‘‘I am sure Shivraj Patil has not been briefed thoroughly on the issue despite the fact that the situation has gone from bad to worse during the past one month,’’ said M. Nara Singh, CPI legislator, who also happens to be the convenor of the ruling SPF.

The five CPI legislators have already threatened to quit the Front if it did not support withdrawal of the Act, with Nara Singh saying the national leaders too subscribed to this view.

At least five Congress MLAs and the two opposition Manipur People’s Party MLAs have also issued a similar statement. ‘‘It is not a question of removing the Assam Rifles, but the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act that needs to be repealed. Moreover, if the Centre can consider repeal of POTA, there is no point letting the AFSP Act to continue,’’ said MPP chief O Joy Singh.

Interestingly, even as the organisations spearheading the agitation for withdrawal or repeal of the Act refrained from any demonstration today, Dr N Bijoy Singh, vice-chancellor of Manipur University staged an eight-hour sit-in dharna on the campus here demanding withdrawal of the Act.