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Politics is the game for all seasons that people love to play. Government may come and go but politics will continue to play its own game to no end in sight. It is a profession where politicians of various descriptions, some good, some bad and some ugly, play their own games to win. It is also a game that will elevate some politicians to the crest of glory and power and some are pulled down to the recess of ignominy and oblivion. This is also a game of temptation that carries its own rewards or punishments. It is a sort of culture that will either create or destroy an individual. Politics knows neither mercy nor patience. It knows only how to win but is not prepared to lose.
It will make an interesting reading to note that in our State too, we have evolved a kind of game where politics of sorts by multiple stake holders drawn either from within or outside the State are embroiled in playing games much to the advantages of the players themselves in exploiting, plundering and maneuvering the people in a given situation. This tremor of attrition is felt much more at the commercial hub of Dimapur that is often christened as the miniature India where communities or fortune hunters drawn from all over the country not only resides but play their own games. One needs to be aware of the presences of such realities in holding their grounds cautiously.
Much has been heard or discussed about the politics of Sovereignty which incidentally is also a subject as old as the views held or discussed by the ancient Athenians where they regarded every city as a separate entity or a sovereign city. Sovereignty as understood today in fact is a word that is singular, indivisible, absolute and an end in itself. This singular connotation cannot be delegated to a substitute watchman. There is no vagueness on the authority where the sovereign power resides. In India, the people themselves are sovereign but on their own volition, this sovereign power is vested with the Government of the country. The sovereign structure is such that there is no scope for bartering the sovereign power with a second party. In a federal form of Government as we have in India, every States of the Union, either big or small is vested with a certain degree of powers with them under the ambit of the constitution but such powers are subordinate to the sovereign powers of the central Government. This characteristic of the sovereign powers of the center is manifested on the supremacy of the Constitution of the Country and the singular National Flag. There maybe enumerable constitutions of various kinds and sizes but the power of sovereignty that represents the entire country refers only to a singular constitution and a singular flag. There is no vagueness about it.
Much has been discussed about the uniqueness of our society. I do agree that there are number of factors that invariably support our society as a unique one, having a distinct identity but then we cannot stake claims that we are the only unique people that constitute a unique society. To appreciate this concept better, let us visit the history of creation where God in all His wisdom and authority has created every individual, beginning from Adam and Eve, in its own uniqueness so much so that every nation, every community and every individual from the beginning are created absolutely unique in their own rights. The more practical approach in dealing with such issues will depend on one’s ability in acknowledging the fact that we are as good or as bad as others. Instead of claiming either about our superiority or inferiority tag from others, we should learn to live as equal partners with others in the spirit of give and take.
Under the canopy of various political imperatives, let us also review in brief about the current economic and social scenario of our society. Our State continues to remain as one of the poorest States of the country economically. As per the per capita earnings of the eight North East State, our State stands somewhere at the eight position. Presently our coffers remain empty or rather gasping. We groan under the weight of debts and liabilities and carry those burdens without even winking an eyelid to the next year in making fresh demands and grants. More than 90% of our State spending for running the State are made out of the generous grants from the center. This figure was projected some fifteen years ago and I have my reasons to believe that our States financial management has not improved since then. We cannot perpetually run our State out of the gesture of hospitality from the center. Economically we need to stand on our own feet and from our own resources. For this cause we have tremendous challenges ahead of us. Sadly today we have more stories to write about our failures then success.
By nature we are very friendly people. Our simplicity and hospitality are intrinsically linked to our traditional values and practices. It is therefore natural for us to yearn for peace, happiness and stability in our land but somehow realising those dreams still remain elusive. We are often oblivious of the fact that we are true stake holders in ushering in peace and stability in our land. Peace infact is restored by the people but not brought nor purchased.
Besides the game of politics that will remain an ongoing issue, we also should realise that we live today in a fast changing and a highly competitive world where only the fittest will survive. The slogans of Schedule Tribe Concession, Backward Area Development initiatives, are gradually losing its credibility. The politics of today demands for efficiency and competency but less of concession in forging forward for a better and a brighter tomorrow.
Tali Longkumer