In Manipur, campaign void in buffer zone Kwakta as parties find quieter ways to make inroads
The HinduThis Id-ul-Fitr has been significantly different for the largely Muslim residents of Kwakta in Manipur - a small town bang in the middle of the buffer zone created by security forces to keep the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities from fighting each other. With anger rising in the town over the BJP governments’ handling of the conflict and their failure to protect Kwakta’s interests, the Congress has made the first move to reach out to these voters, forcing the BJP to now play a careful game of catch-up using its ally, the National People’s Party. “As for the election, all we are thinking about is who can help bring an end to this.” Pointing to the display racks where other dishes would usually be present, Mohammad Arshad, who runs the Al-Taufeeq Hotel with his brother Mr. Ali, said, “Before the violence started, our daily sales would be around ₹35,000. This void in the BJP’s campaign is instead being filled by its alliance partner National People’s Party, whose MLA Thongam Shanti Singh has been aggressively campaigning for Mr. Basantakumar Singh. “This morning, Shanti Singh attended the prayers at the Kwakta Bazar Eidgah, paid his respects and exchanged greetings with us,” Mr. Ali said as Mr. Arshad added with a smile, “He made sure he stayed the entire length of the prayers.”
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