Gwangphun
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]orld famous scientist, Albert Einstein once said, “Science without spirituality is blind and spirituality without science is lame”. The pattern and culture of our peoples’ leadership need to be redesigned, renewed and energized in the light and wisdom of Einstein’s statement. The blind and the lame cannot lead the people with sight and legs. If the sight and legs follows the blind, they too are blind. Peoples’ leader is one who leads the people with direction and vision having spiritual (moral) sight and legs.
In my interaction with the governor of Nagaland Nikhil Kumar last year September 2013, I reasoned with him and posed a hard pressed question to him for finding and creating a right leader. He said, Nagas don’t need many leaders but one leader who dares to risk and lead the Naga people. Because many leaders will have many directions and the people will be driven away to different directions where there would be no meeting point but a fateful doom. If the Naga publics read and think only on the media reflections of political parties, our society will be wrongly driven and tended to mess up and end-up in chaotic social order. The present society has been so shaped by the shortsightedness of the past leaders and people. Now, it is important and crucial to look, understand and act in the perspective of general welfare and humanity at large. The present political scenario is seen under a wine-press of change, culminating into a new trend of political transition or transformation. It is high time for us to scale up our progress and competency as a people with the rest of the advanced communities of the world. We are not lesser people than any other in the world. Our people need to renew our political zeal and vision and create a better and lasting politics of hope and gain with a renewed people’s corporate vision.
The good willed leaders should be found, made, recognized, respected and supported by the people for the benefit of the people concerned. The need of the Naga society today is to start seeing the right and true leaders from the perspective of moral conscience (spiritual discernment) than just being driven by the current waves of illusive politics. We are morally obliged to find and make a good peoples’ leader who could carry peoples’ aspiration with a moral courage to brave through many opposing forces with its destructive criticisms.
When we analytically observe the politic of Neiphiu Rio, beyond his party called NPF or collective DAN Govt., he is seen as one leader with a vision beyond his personal interest and gain. Assumed that the science of his politic is altruistic. He is seen beyond his party as peoples’ leader in the region and nation-wide. We must be a catalyst for change through our participative support toward creating a new and right leader. We need to look beyond party politics with a renewed vision for a better political deal.
The old and past politics has entangled our aspiration and halted us on the way. Now we are to be driven-with a new outlook for a better global order and humane society. I am not trying to praise the individual of Neiphiu Rio but to draw the right line of political distinction out of his political approach and ideology for the general good of the Naga citizens and the northeasterners in general.
Readers are expected to take me aright and not otherwise or not to misread the intention. Neiphiu Rio’s leadership seems to be on the right track for a right lead. I wonder, how he would take if I suggest him, not to criticize the other party or leaders rather singly focus on working out the people’s vision with an un-deviated and unselfish attention. He needs to count and value the votes and voice of the people as moral endowment. It is that votes are not weighted but counted and voters valued as supporting assets and not as tools to be used.
There is a tendency to corrupt the democratic power when a person is positioned on top or in authority. It is a saying that “…absolute power corrupt absolutely”. When corrupted leaders are put to authority, the democratic form of government has a tendency and a chance to make him a dictator abusing the power to mislead the people tainted by the power of money and wealth. Only a convicted conscience-oriented leader can last and lead the people with vision-ward direction by overcoming all the pseudo tendencies to break or divide the people. However, voted to power doesn’t meant to corrupt the conscience of the people nor to be taken advantage over the people in a manner of democratic dictatorship but to do the will and aspiration of the people. Only committed leaders can lead and build the society and nation. Hope giving leadership can only turn the tides of the common people toward visualizing a better future.
I barely expressed my personal views and concerned, picturing Neiphiu Rio to be one our people can make as a better and preferred leader. While picturing him, I also acknowledge and respect the sentiments of many abled leaders and good-willed political parties. I would also intentionally support and co-operate any good leaders irrespective of party colour, or tribal classification. I am not trained or conditioned in the political climate of partism. However, I am convinced and urged to speak out my concern for the common good of the society.
Readers may kindly read and understand the content as intended. Any comment from any quarter, or even Neiphiu Rio may contact the author through the given No.8974381932 for any query or clarification.
The writer is a social researcher and peace activist.
