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Journalism of Courage
It is not often that two candidates for the chief ministership of a state seek to settle the issue squarely by laying claim to the same constituency. It is perhaps only apt then that the Champai assembly segment reflected the electoral mood in the rest of Mizoram and chose Chief Minister Zoramthanga over his Congress rival, Lalthanhawla. There, however, the sideshow of personality clashes ends. In Mizoram, as elsewhere in the country in this season of psephological churning, the election has been contested less on emotive planks, more on visions for the state8217;s development and its people8217;s progress. It has been a truly remarkable campaign. In keeping candidates to the straight and narrow of bread-and-butter issues, the electors have articulated their problems as well as their stake in a changing region. Zoramthanga8217;s triumphant Mizo National Front as well as the Central government would therefore be prudent to heed them.
The state today is poised at a critical juncture. The smooth conduct of assembly elections is yet another confirmation of the lasting dividends of the 1986 peace accord. The 75 per cent turnout on election day and the faith of former insurgents in the democratic process point to an enduring reconciliation. Yet, as former chief minister and grand old man of Mizoram, Brigadier T. Sailo, warned recently, insurgency in the state may be over, but the current economic woes could lead to unrest. Campaign 2003 reflected this apprehension, as well as a determination to own responsibility and implement solutions. It was latticed with proposals for peace, prosperity and propriety. Part of Zoramthanga8217;s appeal, for instance, lies in his zeal to help bring insurgent groups in other northeastern states to the negotiation table. Moreover, all parties wooed voters with agendas for development and integration. The MNF promised to improve connectivity mobile phones and border trade mechanisms and deliver privatisation. The Congress made a pitch for Mizoram8217;s inclusion in the Golden Quadrilateral8217;s grid and upgradation of the airport to better handle cargo. The Mizo People8217;s Conference, for its part, recommended a larger quota for Mizos in the armed forces. And all through, youth and church organisations pressured contestants to detail their manifestos and keep their electioneering clean and sharp.
