Yes, the citizens of Nagaland are required to do something without fail for the system of our election before the fall of 2018. That something is no other than to replenish the usual abominable and sinful culture of the processes of elections with God fearing election. That we have to shed off the nationally and internationally renowned Nagaland Christian election benchmarks of shamelessness, greed, dishonesty, Godlessness and fearlessness in committing crimes in the name of opposing and supporting a candidate. That we have to replace myopia with foresight, selfishness with sacrifice, glutton with restraint, dishonesty with honesty and hatred with perseverance. That each Naga Christian may have to remember that the sins one commits during election can forfeit one’s salvation as any other sin committed at any other time.
One complaint on everyone’s lips is bad roads in Nagaland. Yet, we had the best roads, the best schools, the best health centres, the uninterrupted power supply, the sufficient PDS items, the timely release of Village development funds and the regular release of salaries during 60 days of campaign of every election. In the whole country, the voters in Nagaland are best treated by all the political parties and its candidates like kings and queens during elections. All what the voters asked are accomplished during election. What else the voters expect from the elected members and the Govt. during the next 5 years? The money invested in each Assembly Constituency by several candidates comes to crores of rupees. With that much money available with the voters, roads be maintained, health care be taken care of, sufficient and qualified teachers be provided to schools, transformers be repaired or replaced and Village developments be funded.
The worst roads in Nagaland, the dilapidated and abandoned health centres, the namesake schools, the most erratic power supply, the non-availability of PDS items, the withholding of salaries for months, etc. are the election fruits we are harvesting and enjoying in our Christian State for 5 years. The voters used to mistreat and harass the candidates throughout the period of campaign. There was hardly any voter found to be honest, rational and reasonable during election. Hardly very few human beings are found in Nagaland during election. In brief, for candidates, not to visit human settlement during campaign is unthinkable but to meet human voters bereft of shame, fear and taboo is so tedious and torturing. Politics and the social issues become absent and completely irrelevant to voters. All what prevailingly dominated the atmosphere is cash transaction. After all, the candidates are made to learn from voters that no amount of honest contributions, sacrifices and achievements either for community or individual during 5 years are never credited to them and thus failed to lighten election burden during campaign. When the voters are so thankless, cunning, evasive and selfish why should a leader struggle for the public once seated in power. The vicious cycle is therefore the elected representatives and the voters are mistreating and torturing each other.
Nevertheless, a government cannot just totally ignore the plight of the common man no matter how ungrateful the people may be. A popular government cannot become a legalized gang of looters of public money. A State’s bureaucracy should not become the trustworthy partner in that business of looting State’s exchequer. A State’s bureaucracy should have the power to say ‘NO’ when needed for the preservation of the system. It is painful to observe that such has become the accepted fashion.
Now, there has to be a realization that we are destroying ourselves. We have sufficiently damaged the system of governance and the established infrastructures. We, the leaders (politicians and bureaucrats), are ruining the future of our posterity. Without waiting for another better opportunity, we have to make a beginning for rebuilding. We cannot opt for second thought but now is the chance to collectively face the challenge.
In the light of above, I heartily congratulate the leaders and the citizens of Langpangkong range in Mokokchung District for adopting 13-points resolution to be imposed on the voters within its jurisdiction in near future. Yes, if all those points are duly implemented in the future election, there will certainly be a revolution in the area. That revolution can produce capable and honest leader to be the representative, that leader is bound to have accountability to public, that the public will have power to prevail upon the leader pertaining to interests of the Villages and the area and that physical developments in lieu of paper developments in the area can take place. Of all, if those resolutions are enforced in letter and spirit, the spiritual integrity of members of the churches will be strengthened.
The Ao community produced leaders to command the Nagas in several fields at successive times. Therefore, it is most appropriate that while Nagaland is fast sinking and drowning in the man-made whirlpool of corruption, a conscientious range as Langpangkong gathered the gut to start a beginning is highly laudable while Nagaland as a whole is amazingly in deep slumber.
I have not forgotten about sending two observation teams, one by State Govt. and the other by NBCC, to Mizoram prior to 2013 State elections. Yet, I failed to come across any constituency in Nagaland that inculcated Mizo style of election in 2013. Should Nagas be trained by Mizos to conduct clean election? Do we believe that Mizo Christians have highly technical and scientific mechanism to conduct their transparent elections of which we are ignorant? Does any Naga think that Mizo God is more capable than Naga God?
I believe the Mizo election is as simple as this. That the Mizo Christians managed to prevail upon the political parties, the candidates and the party workers to abide by the rule of law during election is the determination, the boldness, the robustness, the honesty, the unity and the sacrifice of the leaders of the Churches. I believe the Mizo Christians who used to spearhead the reformative movement did not undergo any training except that they leant all those mechanisms and techniques from their Bible. The Mizo Christian leaders have dedication in their commitment to serve the living God Jehovah alone. The Mizo Christian leaders: the Reverends, the Missionaries, the Pastors, the Evangelists, the Deacons and the theologians who spearheaded the clean election movement vehemently rejected the offers of worship of other gods, such as, the god of money, the god of post election treatment, the god of status, the god of greed and selfishness. Thus, the Mizo Christians led by God fearing leaders collectively gathered their strength to overcome the evil spirit of timidity. Thus, the Mizos dared to challenge the rich and the powerful who were made to be the subjects of the powerful Church lobby. Thus the Mizo Christians managed to have their transparent and the most economic election, I believe, in India since all the Church leaders as named above have the gut to set aside their obligations and personal relationships with the candidates and the rich and powerful. The Mizos’ clean election Movement became very successful for the only reason that the Church leaders risked and sacrificed their future benefits and comforts for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ.
Will there be any more region, any Church or any organisation in Nagaland for Christ to support Langpangkong people? I know how unprofitable it will be for the Church leaders in Nagaland to resolve in support of Langpangkong people. I can imagine what a loss it will be for those Church leaders to refuse to be the trusted lieutenants of their candidates and carry the cash filled brief cases during paydays. I know the puzzle the Church leaders will face when the issue of extending support to Langpangkong people crops up because of the fear that none will then finance foreign trips, etc.
Nevertheless, the Church has to dedicatedly and resolutely pursue cleaner election. If Mizo Christians managed to do it, the Naga Christians are equally capable to ensure the rule of law as we all worship the same Saviour Jesus and the same God Jehovah. The only question is whether the Christians in Nagaland are bothered about it and so willing to take initiatives with a difference. If not, better not peruse namesake movement with full of phobia. May the Living God Jehovah bless the people in Langpangkong range.
Z. Lohe
