Ruovihulie Angami B.A. B.Ed.
Rtd. Joint Director of School
Education, Nagaland
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n observing the present scenario of social system and political upheaval in our State by all of us, I for one of sympathizers of our welfare State, is constraint to highlight some of our expectations for a peaceful co-existence of our Naga people to live in a harmonious atmosphere in our blessed land.
1. As a citizen of Nagaland State I recollect the day when Nagaland became the 16th State of the Indian Union on the 1st December, 1963 while I was in class 3 at the Govt. Middle School of my Mezoma village. Perhaps, I was the youngest and the smallest student in my class holding the poster/banner with the wording – “Inauguration of Nagaland Statehood” leading the school procession to go throughout the length of our village of nearly 150 households during that time.
2. I do presume that most of our present State politicians are of my own age-group and even some are junior to me in age or academically, still then I congratulate and salute them in their political pursuit and career all these years so long they remain true to their commitment or calling.3. Passing through the political turmoil of confusion and childish/immetuned game of leadership and ministerial berths with the change of CM/Party President/party Chiefwhip/ Party CEC by setting up political camps but not the gospel camps is somewhat ridiculous as someone has already commented.
4. Through this ongoing political game, our State politicians must have realized the maxims, “there is no permanent friendship or foe in politics” or “Pride goes before a fall” or “If a blind man guides, both will fell down together” or “if the house is divided, it cannot withstand itself” etc.etc.
5. In every profession /career, the beginning and ending is very important, because some of our politicians have begun well in the beginning of their political life but may be ending up in a great mess or same but some of them might not have begun well but ending well by “learning by doing policy/principle”. In most cases, our calling /determination and commitment are also very important to asses/evaluate ourselves. I do not know how many of our present State politicians know their calling before they join and after before they joined politics. Perhaps many of them have joined political games just for the sake of joining it or with an ulterior motive without knowing very clear about the debatable maxim, “whether the means justifies the end or the end justifies the means” in political thought.
6. The dictionary meaning of politics comes from the word ‘polity’ which means ‘ruling with wisdom’ and if it is so, how many of our politicians have that wisdom from above to rule with love and maturity? No one is perfect and all are not the same in goodness but atleast one must have a basic requirement if he/she wants to enter into politics. Our politicians must, not mind if we redicule them for their unwise/selfish/childish /no conviction in calling to their political game with their inheritant gifts/ ability /capacity.
7. The electorate (voters) and the NGOs also have to exercise their political rights to elect /choose the capable candidates with free and fair franchise and can even stage a political referendum if their respective elected member does not work /live upto their expectation or voice, by withdrawal of their votes. Earlier also I have written somewhere in one of my recent articles in the English dailies that the definition of democracy comes from the Greek words ‘demo’ means ‘people’ and ‘crato’ means ‘rule’ so democracy means peoples rule. It means people shall elect their representatives and these elected representatives shall form the government to guide and help their electorate (people) but not to misguide or unnecessary control over them but due to our failure to tell the political truth to our elected members, have encouraged them to go beyond their role or to play with us. In fact, we are afraid of what/whom, whom we should not be afraid of and we are not afraid of what/whom we have to be afraid of in our spiritual and political life. In the absence of political maturity and decency as we observe these days, we are just misinterpreting the most accepted definition of democracy given by Abraham Lincoln (one-time U.S. President) quote “democracy is the government of the people (Cut off) from the people, for (far away) from the people and by (buying) the people, voters and dissident MLAs from their respective political camps at this juncture and also due to wrong pressure from political party parasites or tribalism colour.
8. There is a saying “if we lost our wealth, we lost nothing, if we lost our health, we lost something but if we lost our moral life (integrity), we lost everything” which is very true in the life of some of our politicians and bureaucrats (govt. servants) whether their respective bonafide local churches have taken any disciplinary action on the charges of marital and corrupted life on spiritual and moral ground which is leading to their downfall.
9. We know that the Hon’ble President of the Indian Republic and the Hon’ble Governor of an Indian state is the constitutional head of their respective State but one has to be wise enough to discern the truth and fact of political game with proper guidance to the government for good governance. In case of Nagaland State at present, perhaps the Hon’ble Governor is too lenient /slow /confused and no courage to take strong decision to control the situation by observing the legal constitutional processes which NPF faction (guess) has courage for floor test without inducement and without “hide and seek” game, has more advantages for sustenance with constitutional and legal rights to rule.
10. Once late Rev. Yankey Patton, one-time State Chaplain told me, the more he prayed for the Nagaland legislators, the more corrupted/immoral life they become and if it is so, what about the present State Chaplain, a mediator in guiding /counselling the legislators what is right or what is wrong alongwith prayers and scriptural references or simply working without the prophetic messages to them as the role of church leaders.
My article without touching sanitation and good governance is in complete, so who /which organization (s) governmental or non governmental agencies, will clean up Kohima Local Ground (Khuochiezie) in the name of Indian Republic Day, 2015 on the policy of M.K. Gandhi and Narendra Modi, the present Prime Minister of India of “Swacch Bharat Abhiyan(Clean India/Nagaland Campaign (somehow the Nagaland Civil Secretariat Plaza has been cleaned up except the toilets and premises of the Nagaland Civil Secretariat Office Building. Until and unless the Nagaland Civil Secretariat is functioning alright (transparent enough) with the outmost good governance by the AHODs, the HODs of Directorate/Head of the District/Sub-Division/Block/village level offices and establishments cannot be administered properly in a hierarchical order for which the Nagaland Govt. Senior Employees Forum (NSGSEF) is spearheading for a floor test against the CANSSEA President and General Secretary by all the Govt. employees whether government is to review and amend the improportionate 2009 Retirement Act. Of course, I have framed 50 (fifty) Nagaland General Knowledge Quiz questions to be answered by the Naga people who are the best parliamentarians or who are with criminal cases or a parrot-talk politician(s) not morally acceptable even by the church to be observed on the 25th January 2015 as prayer day and on the 51st Nagaland State Indian Republic Day, 2015.
Above all, the State Congress and the BJP should remain neutral not to join any NPF dissident group on political revenge staged during the recent past general elections or bye Election.