Neiphiu Rio, Conrad Sangma and Manik Saha were sworn in as chief ministers of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura respectively, earlier this week. All three were incumbent CMs and their return to office, in its best version, promises stability in government and continuity in policies. The presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the swearing-in programmes — the BJP retained office in Agartala and is a part of governments in Shillong and Kohima — sends out a message that the Centre is invested in addressing the complex challenges faced by these border states. The BJP’s central leadership has focused on these poll arenas to expand its footprint in a region where it had a nominal presence until recently.
The otherwise diverse region has in common the presence of insurgencies, which had forced previous governments to adopt security-centric policies. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), for instance, was a product of this environment. This is poised to change with many of the insurgent groups signing peace treaties with the government in recent years. The government has backed the peace efforts with a push for infrastructure projects. More roads, railway lines, airports and bridges are being built to connect the region with the rest of India. The closure in the Naga peace talks and development of the eastern districts are essential to take forward the Act East policy. Both these issues have been flagged as priorities by the government. The Centre had withdrawn AFSPA from several districts in Nagaland ahead of polls and promised the same in the rest of the state. Another long-standing complaint — the absence of women legislators — has been addressed with the election of two MLAs, with one of them joining the Rio Cabinet. Tripura’s indigenous groups have their own set of identity concerns, which the Tipra Motha championed successfully in the election. Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s attempt to start a conversation with the Motha on this subject is a welcome start.
At the same time, the blurring of lines between parties of the government and Opposition is a disquieting trend in the region. Nagaland is poised to be Opposition-free in the assembly since parties that fought the NDPP-BJP coalition — among them NCP and JD(U) — have pledged support to the latter. In Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP) and the BJP were partners in government, but had an acrimonious break-up before elections. Hours after the results were announced, both were back in the same tent. Other parties that fought the NPP and BJP — including the United Democratic Party, the second largest party in the House — too have declared support for the Sangma government. This winner-takes-all approach is likely to diminish the Opposition and, in the long run, even the ruling party/coalition — unchecked power breeds hubris. It could also breed cynicism among voters, which is not a good portent.
