Stop Your Political Poaching Game Please. Enough is Enough!

Encyclopædia Britannica, described poaching as being performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and a supplement for meagre diets. Since the 1980s, the term “poaching” has also referred to the illegal harvesting of wild plant species. In agricultural terms, the term ‘poaching’ is also applied to the loss of soils or grass by the damaging action of feet of livestock which can affect availability of productive land. ‘Poaching’ in simple language can be defined as an illegal hunt or catch( game or fish) on land that is not one’s own or in contravention of official protection.

The recent developments of ‘political poaching’ game played by the ‘very respected’ politicians of Nagaland befitted the very description of the word ‘poaching’ ( poachers of Kaziranga if u like) and is nothing short of an insult to the Naga populace and the chairs and positions these self-centered power mongering politicians hold. The game must be stopped at the earliest. How can a tree grow and bear fruits if it is constantly uprooted and kept transplanted into other soil.? The logic is simple. Either the tree itself must be uprooted from its roots and burn it on the fire and new siblings are planted in place of it to let it bear the fruits or the dramas are silently watched. Either way the spectators must not remain mute spectators any longer. Can’t we just call enough is enough?

In the words of Max Weber, “ if the government cannot ensure the basic services it provides for people such as security and stability and the possibility of procuring food and shelter, it loses the power to enforce laws”. A climate of political stability, consensus and predictability is therefore a pre- requisite for not only socio-economic development but also the legitimacy and authority of any government. If this statement has to be followed, the present legislators of Nagaland and the Government of the day no longer holds the legitimacy if not any moral obligation to continue to form another government and the house has to be dissolved for fresh election or the president rule is imposed in the state. They should either resign willingly taking moral responsibility or the public has to make demand for their resignation. The Kaziranga and other Oriental hideouts syndrome no longer holds any appeal to the masses and has deeply hurt the politico- economic situation of the state and made a mockery of democracy.

The right to development, political stability and consensus are the basic human rights in a democratic country. It is implicit under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution of ‘Right to life and Liberty’. Violation of this right by the state must be considered as the failure of the state machineries. Article 356 of the Indian Constitution vaguely mentions about “the failure of Constitutional machinery in the State”. The present condition of Nagaland must be fitted into this criteria. It is such that “the government of the State cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”. The same article also mentioned about the ‘satisfaction’ of the president for imposition of ‘president rule’ in the state. As a layman I do not understand what the ‘satisfaction of the president’ means but if the president is for the people just like his “ government is of the people, by the people, for the people” than surely he needs to intervene into these issues. Besides, Inadequate infrastructure development, rampant corruption, low human development indicators, public distribution leakages, rampant backdoor appointment and the unemployment of the deserving educated, faulty policy implementation etc are some other reasons for His Excellency to find his ‘satisfaction’ for the use of his power under Article 356. ( Government of the state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution since the government of the day has failed in every front).

It is understandable that the Constitution is supreme and it should also be made clear to all that the constitution is for the good of the people only. Politicians must understand that by following the mere formalities to fulfil the legalities of the Constitution is no longer acceptable. They should not continue to hoodwink the people by hiding under the “legalities” of certain loopholes in the law. Manipulation of any provisions ( for eg. Tenth schedules) in the Constitution or any law just for the sake of constitutionality for vested interests by any individuals or groups is a clear violation of the Constitution itself. So any such things are better avoided by every right thinking citizen including the politicians. Bottom line is, all political parties and legislators must understand that politicians come and go but the voters shall always prevail. And the voters are no longer happy over the entertainment provided by the well staged actors and dramebaazs of the Nagaland political parties. PLEASE, Enough is enough!

Kakugha Sumi Naga
Eralibill village (khetoi)
Dimapur, Nagaland