interview

March 30, 1997

THE WEEK

We will continue our fight
Manoranjan Bhakta

ONCE a refugee from erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), he is now the uncrowned king of the UnionTerritory of Andaman & Nicobar islands. Manoranjan Bhakta, 58, has been representing the islands since 1977 as a Congressman in the Lok Sabha.

Even in the worst days of the Congress-1977, 1989 and 1996-when many stalwarts of the party bit the dust, Bhakta (devotee) never lost the Bhakti (devotion) of his electorate. A graduate in arts and law from Calcutta University, Bhakta began his political career as an understudy to the late K.R. Ganesh, former MP of the Union Territory. By the early 70s he had matured into a full-fledged politician.
Experience has taught Bhakta that even in a democracy politics has a lot to do with muscle-flexing. Pondicherry, a Union Territory, has its own legislature, but the Andaman & Nicobar islands don't.
Bhakta has been waging a war against this discrimination for the last three decades. His persistence has secured the Union Territory a 30-member panchayat council. A campaign for a unicameral legislature is currently being waged. A private member's bill was moved in the Lok Sabha last session and Bhakta anticipates approval. Bhakta spoke to THE WEEK and explained his stand on the subject. Excerpts:

QUESTION: Why are you asking for statehood for Andaman & Nicobar?
To fulfil the hopes and aspirations of our people who live in a cluster of islands far away from the mainland. At present it is a one-man show. A Lt. Governor appointed by the President under Article 239 of the Constitution rules this Union territory. All budgetary allocations, both plan and non-plan (last-year it was about Rs 450 crore), come from the Central coffers. But the local people have no say in the day-to-day governance of the islands.
The Lt. Governor and a handful of bureaucrats, who are all outsiders and who have no stake in the development of Andaman & Nicobar, decide everything for the people. And our people have no stake in the election of the President as we don't have any legislature.
It is a peculiar system. Pondicherry, though a Union Territory, can take part in electing the President. It can also decided its destiny as it has its own legislature. Andaman & Nicobar can't. Are we second-class citizens? Our fight is against the discrimination and the fiscal mismanagement of the present administration.
What sort of fiscal mismanagement?
Occasionally funds are diverted from one sector to another at the whim of the Lt. Governor. Just as every madness has its method so also every gubernatorial whim has its motivation. And the motivation is to help and develop the contractor-raj.
Today's Andaman is a paradise for every contractor. Moreover, for each and every sanctioned expenditure the local administration has to secure approval from Delhi. As a result more often than not the island administration can't spend the allotted amount and the subsequent year's budgetary allotment gets smaller. Net result-we suffer.
Are you against the present Lt. Governor I.P. Gupta?
No. I have the best of relations with him. In the last 41 years this Union Territory has seen several retired generals, bureaucrats and politicians as Lt. Governors. In our experience retired bureaucrats are comparatively better administrators than retired generals or politicians. And Guptaji is a retired bureaucrat.
Are you enjoying better administration now?
No, he has no power.
How come?
Recently the prime minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohammed, came to Port Blair. Would you believe it, just before his arrival Guptaji was asked by Delhi to send a protocol officer to received by just a protocol officer! Such is our Delhi government. Guptaji consulted me and we went to receive him.
Why didn't your party accede to your demands while they were in power?
We have been fighting for this cause for the last three decades. I myself had resorted to a hunger-strike for 13 days in 1979 when Morarji Desai was Prime Minister. When Mrs. Gandhi became Prime Minister we got a 30-member panchayat council in 1981. During Rajiv Gandhi's time, due to our movement, some more powers were bestowed on the islands by the Centre. But people no longer believe in any piecemeal solution. They want power-their own legislature to decide their destiny.
Have you held talks with the former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao or the present incumbent H.D. Deve Gowda on this issue?
Raoji assured us that he was against any sort of discrimination. But before he could act the poll debacle ousted both him and the Congress. Deve Gowda also assured us of sympathetic consideration.
What if, despite this, statehood eludes you?
The situation in the islands may take a turn for the worse. Neglect and lack of understanding may force our people to take the path of violence. All these years we avoided it. But we don't want to be pushed around any more.

TAPASH GANGULY