1) Very sorry for occupying the columns of local papers since October 2014 with my articles on 2009 Retirement Act issue as well as on the areas of public importance whether acceptable to you or not but I cannot stop writing till our people come to understand the issue with the right perspective to some extend and thus releasing the following thoughts even this time.
2) Now, all Town councils in the state are without elected members reasons best known to the state Govt./Political Parties and the Naga Public. Any Council without elected members will be the weakest Council and only the CEO of Town Councils with few laborers cannot administer all the affairs in urban or semi-urban areas of development and other welfare activities. As Dimapurians having a Naga Council, kohima also should come up in that DMC or KMC should elected , but it can function well through with a simple thought and it could give some vital points of advise to the then Hon’ble Chief minister of Nagaland in 2009 whether he received it or took heed of what I felt for him and also had a series of talks with the leadership of one strong faction and at last humbled himself and embraced me with a word, “thank you for your truthfulness and an open mind” for which I don’t take credit but in this way we have to understand each other and worked out a solution to the problems which our society is facing today.3) Urban development Department should not confine to the personal development and planning but not town planning which will be unethical in its functioning as being objected by DMC in certain areas of toll-taxes without much sign of city/town planning.
4) Because of my habit of cleaning/sanitation where in the areas we have been living and telling people to do the same, I am being termed as’half-crack’ (R.Angami is my nick name) bluffing me like this, (R.Angami matha biya hoishe for which I reply them (matha biya manu tu sapha kam kuribo aru apunar matha thik thaka khan to sapha kam nakuri bi) with my justification,’’ I am a fool for Christ and whose fool are you’’. I don’t bother what people may term me in any form they want to say because I know that all social reformers (I am just a small spark of a little agent of social change) were usually condemned by the society even by their own family /friends and society.
5) The Angami Community with all well-wishers of the Kohima City had conducted a mass social work on the 22nd Nov’ 2014 in cleaning the city except in some pockets and even distributed pamphlets to the denizens and all passersby but until and unless we all are vigilant everyday to keep on reminding all concerned to do the works doing by ourselves, people have started littering the city. Actually I proposed to the Angami Volunteers to clean up the Kohima Local Ground (Khuochiezie) on that day right after the refreshment at the KMC premises but surprisingly I came to know that one NGO has been granted contract by the District Administration for controlling/supervision/and collection of toll-taxes from these people who have been running their business. No harm if that NGO has been permitted to see the security/taxes/sanitation of the playground as daily duty but not just for collection of toll- taxes.
6) Now foreign tourists have already been keep on coming to the State Capital and moving around and if they see the ugly picture of our land especially the market places, our image will not be good at all. Don’t we think that poor sanitation will cause diseases/sickness/ailment and where is the medical ethics of health workers-doctors, nurses/pharmacists/hospitals of both govt. or private just waiting for more patients to come so that more medicines can be sold without giving health awareness to the public on the importance of sanitation. Also the heads and teachers of educational institutions through their students should be the agents of sanitation throughout the whole academic session. The police personal can also give peace-time contribution on public welfare like sanitation and checking of anti-social elements outside their camps for which the DGP/SP have to initiate for such noble works, church/pastors should teach sanitation to their members.
7) We are told that a backslidden person/village/community will have no proper sanitation; no interest to live in clean surrounding-residential areas, streets, work-places because the testimony of their Christian living is missing that heaven is a clean/holy place with its streets made of gold and silver. Not only urban areas, but even the rural villages have to take up this principle of clean living as the saying goes ‘cleanliness is next to godliness’. The statement of Rahul Gandhi is that the sanitary program being taken up by Narendra Modi and his grandfather Mahatma Gandhi is just a desperate attempt to the dynamic leadership of his political opponent. Remember that sanitation is above party color or any issue.
8) Very sorry for occupying the columns of local papers and your precious time since the recent past with my articles on 2009 Retirement Act issue as well as on the areas of Public importance but I cannot steps writing till our people come to understand the matters with the right perspective to some extend and therefore releasing the following points:-
9) Our people may recall to my article “Education in Nagaland Today” which was published in ten series of the erstwhile Weekly Journal of 1990 in which I touched the right and wrong concept of both formal and non-formal as well as areas of public importance in the Naga Society today.
10) All Town/ Municipal councils in the State are without elected members (defunct) reasons best known to the State Govt./ Political parties the architects and the Public. Any council, be it urban or semi- urban areas cannot be developed/ improved in sanitation/retail price or price control and other welfare activities.
11) Till the Municipal election is held in Kohima and Dimapur or other such illegible district headquarters which are under that category or statues, as there is Naga Council in Dimapur there should be Kohima Council and so also in all other municipal or town councils where the good members are to be elected from various communities to take control of the people in helping the respective District Administration.
12) Urban Development Department should not confine to personal/ private individual physical development which will be unethical on its part but concentrate to public domain of urban/town planning lest present and future Municipals may not suffer for lack of planning at the right time like Kohima Municipal council(KMC) and Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) where there is conflict in collection toll taxes as well as town planning of road-widening and its maintenances/expansion/survey of new sites etc. lest it becomes too late to develop with this and that excuse.
13) I am a simple man with a simple thought but could give some written vital points of advice/suggestion to the then Hon’ble CM of Nagaland in 2009 whether he received or took heed of what I felt for him and also, I had a series of talks with one of the highest/strongest leader from Naga Political Group (NPG) in 2010 and atlast he humbled himself and embraced me with a word to me, “thanks for your truthfulness and openness” for which I don’t claim credit but this should be the way how we should talk to each other for the welfare of all.
14) Because of my habit of cleaning/sanitation in the areas where I have been lifting or wherever I go even in my office I keep on telling people to do the same, I am being termed as “half-crack” (R.Angami is my nick name) R. Angami matha biya hoishe to which I use to reply them, I am a fool for Christ, whose fool are you?”matha biya manu tu sapha kam kiribo, kintu upunar matha thik thaka khan to sapha kam na kuribi. I don’t bother what people may term me in any form they want knowing that all social reformers. (I am just a small spark for a small change) where usually condemned by the society even to the extent of their family and friends but it is a challenge to all of us.
15) The Angami community with all well-wishers of the kohima city has conducted a mass social work on the 22nd Nov 2014 in cleaning/sanitation except in some few pockets (colony people or neighbourhood of these areas are requested to do) and even distributed pomplets of sanitation to the people but until and unless we all are vigilant in checking/reminding all concerned to do the works by ourselves, again people have started littering the city for which we feel paining at heart.
16) Actually I proposed to the Angami community volunteers on that day (22nd Nov 2014) to clean up the Kohima Local Ground (Khuochiezie) to set an example of keeping it clean after our refreshment at the KMC premises but surprisingly I came to know that one NGO has been granted contract by the District Administration for providing security particularly toll-tax collection from the business community who are running their stalls. No harm if that NGO has been granted/ permitted to collect toll-taxes provided it provides proper security/sanitation/price control on those businessmen even in bazaar areas/main city as a daily duty but not just for collection of toll-taxes.
17) Now, foreign tourist have already been keep on coming to our state capital city and moving around but if the ugly picture of our land especially the market areas, our image will not be good at all. Don’t we know that poor sanitation in dry season will cause certain diseases and so also in rainy season. Where is the working basic ethics/ profession of the health-workers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists/ health clinics/ hospitals of both govt. and private who are just waiting for more patients to come to them so that they may sell more medicines or earn more from their patients without giving health awareness education to the public on the importance of sanitation with a popular saying, “ Prevention is better than Cure” whether the medical fraternity has taken any measures to prevent the spread of dread disease like HIV Aids and Ebola etc which may come to our land/people through visitors from outside the State/Region.
– Ruovihulie Angami
Kohima Town
