Z Lohe
Of late, the quarrelsome NPF-BJP DAN alliance has been dominating the local papers with friendship stories ever since the Governor of Nagaland Sri. B.P. Acharya has become vocal on his frontal and unbridled attack on DAN Govt. on charges of corruption. The Nagaland BJP unit submitted a representation to the Governor of Nagaland and the contents of which were published in local dailies on November 11, 2016. Submitting a representation to the head of the State on charges of corruption of a Govt. is one thing and the intentional leakage of the same to the press is another. Who does not know how corrupt is the DAN Alliance ruling Nagaland today? Yet, the political imbroglio between the sworn friends in DAN has its share of ramifications.
Some of the quotable points in the said representation to Governor are “corruption in the DAN government had crossed all limits” and “most of the departments like Rural Development, School Education, Medical, Social Welfare, Power, Food and Civil Supply and most sector(s) are deeply mired in unprecedented corruption...” The first quote speaks volumes of how brazen and rampant are the lootings of public money by the present DAN Govt. as the partner BJP unit has proved the magnitude of corruption in such superlative degree of language.
An Opposition party criticizing a Govt. is considered natural and normal. Such criticism is taken to be as usual and even tend to doubt its credibility. Whereas, when such severe criticism erupts from within the alliance, it is considered serious by common man and therefore such attack from within is more harmful than from outside. Yes, the DAN partner BJP unit’s exposures in the media has indeed severely dented the image of its own ministry irreparably. The points of attack will be the ammunition of anti-incumbency factors in 2018.
The Christian ethos is to confess one’s sins openly before God and fellow man if one wants forgiveness from God. Similarly, the Nagaland BJP’s representation to Governor was intended to get the State unit cleansed from DAN’s corrupt stigma and go to face 2018 with born-again image. Nevertheless, passing the buck to NPF by BJP at the fake end of the term after having committed all the same measure of corruptions together all through these years of alliance has miserably failed to make the latter absolved from blame. What NPF has asserted that ‘both achievements and failures of DAN Government should be jointly owned by all the DAN partners’ which includes BJP as seen in local papers on 2.12.2016 is practically correct. For what BJP has eaten, NPF cannot be held accountable.
From moral and accountable point of view, what accusations BJP has levelled against its partner NPF are indeed in the interest of the common man. And I do not think those accusations can be refuted. Whereas, from ethical point of view, and for the fact that despite of heaping fiercest accusation on the head of NPF, BJP brazenly remains in the DAN is nothing but lack of political culture and bereft of determination and gut. A nephew of mine used to boast that he does not eat fish but he enjoys its soup. BJP seems to have become tired of the alliance with NPF but not fed up in joint governance is similar to my nephew’s choice. I also saw the colour of opportunism in this blame game.
Nagaland Post carried the story where the opening sentence runs as “that signalled the near-breaking point of strained alliance” between NPF and BJP as assessed by the writer(correspondent) basing on the seriousness of the language so used by BJP. Having branded NPF DAN alliance as most corrupt in highest tone as ‘crossing all limits’, it is politically unthinkable for BJP to remain clung to DAN alliance thereafter. What strategy of BJP is this that the DAN is accused to the hilt and yet remains to be part of it and rather there is no indication of BJP leaving DAN is indeed perplexing.
Meanwhile, the NPF has counter accused its partner BJP to have ‘suddenly become arrogant’ with its party having power at the Centre. Yes, what more challenges and provocations NPF should expect from a partner than what BJP has thrown at the major partner. What BJP has done is like whatever credits accrued during the past years of association be credited to BJP, but whatever discredits so far detected be transferred to NPF’s account. NPF is being bullied, undermined and discredited by its partner BJP at will. The representation to Governor and its spillage in the media are prima facie for BJP to be dislodged from DAN. Yet, what NPF can do to BJP State unit since its party having power at the Centre is intimidating enough. BJP unit knows the helplessness of NPF for the mere reason that its survival depends on the mercies of BJP. Severing ties with BJP unit here will obstruct State Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries from giving Naga waist coats as gifts to Union Ministers. For fear of repercussion, NPF cannot dump BJP nor can BJP leave DAN for lack of confidence to have solitary fight in 2018. Perhaps, these reasons have placed both the parties in a win-win situation.
The friendship of NPF and BJP can be compared to a marriage of drunkards. When both husband and wife are drunkards, they tend to have frequent fights. The only peaceful period for such a family is only when there is no drink. Perhaps, the only quiet time for NPF and BJP is on the floor of the house where none attacks the other. The alcoholic family has no sense of shame to pick up quarrel at home, in the neighbourhood and in the street when spirited. Despite of shouting at each other during fights, none can leave the other as they are so interdependent knowing that none will ever get a better partner of similar habit if divorced. Also, both lacked gut to become widow or widower and therefore the quarrelsome family remains. In the case of NPF and BJP, alcohol is not the cause of quarrel but corruption is. None is fit to pelt the first stone.
