The third voice: Naga youth have their say on ‘solution before election’

Atono Tsükrü
Kohima, Jan. 9 (EMN): Youth represents a key component to any society that can determine its future towards shaping its progress as a state or a nation.
Well-informed, educated and responsible youth have the power to influence any society with their renewed and innovative thoughts and skills – be it education, leadership, politics, developments etc. Unfortunately in the context of our state, young people are often ignored, excluded and overlooked when it comes to planning and decision-making.
Leaders and elders do not consider engaging the youth in any decision making which are matters of importance for every member of the society. It is observed that decisions are made and taken without taking into consideration the views and opinions of the youth, whereby it is to be noted that the participation of youth in decision making positions benefits the whole society as a whole.
And while the apex organisations and Naga civil society have been demanding and pressurising the government of India to defer the forthcoming assembly elections for solution to the Indo-Naga talks, there have been doubts and apprehensions going on among the young people. Once again, they have been sidelined and ignored on the most crucial matter.Eastern Mirror asked the views of some young people about their opinion on whether they want election or solution and if it was wise and practical to call for solution at this point of time. Here are some of the responses:
Renponi Naga, a young Naga woman opined that the general election will be the preliminary ground for the Nagas on clean election which is like the gospel itself and will be the testing ground for the voters to ‘walk the talk’ on whether they want development or the usual vicious cycle of ‘cursed election festival’ that Nagaland celebrate with money every 5 years.
She asserted that the candidates must also see the ‘clean election voters’ as a vote-bank and should start focusing on why they were chosen as the voice of the constituency, and ‘not act like musical chair state players anymore.’
When asked if she wants ‘election or solution’, she says ‘solution first because we have seen the ineffectiveness of the end products of election in all spheres. The fear of shame all trend to follow in Nagaland is a big apprehension and it’s high time, we also come face to face with reality.’
Although Thepfükuolie Kehie, a young student wants solution, he was apprehensive that with the present situation prevailing between the factions and the general public’, ‘a solution at this stage will only worsen the situation creating more problems which might lead to no solution in the near future.’ So given a choice, he said, he prefer election as of now.
With the current state political scenario in the open for all to see, Yupangnenla Longkumer felt that if the election goes ahead as scheduled it may be a ‘game-changer for better or worse.’
Though Naga people for long have been waiting for ‘solution’ to end the vicious circle of the Indo-Naga political issue, Longkumer opined that Nagas cannot shy away from the fact that many are still apprehensive about the ‘solution’ with so much political unrest in the state.
At the same time, Longkumer felt that there is no harm in being sceptical stating that ‘without going through some hardships we really cannot achieve our goal. Therefore, in my opinion ‘let solution arrive, after that we work towards a better future.’
Justifying her stand for want of solution, she commented: “For how long are we going to go through the purgatory situation of being neither here nor there? It has to be either left or right. We have trod the middle path for long and it has only prolonged the matter. Why waste the opportunity we are given. Why throw away the chance because of our endless ‘what ifs’”.
Longkumer said she is encouraged that the civil society are now voicing their concern over the issue and is pressuring Delhi to hasten the process. While brushing away the ‘doubts and apprehensions’, she opined that Nagas should cohesively work towards it to avoid any downfall rather than cowering and taking safe side, not realising it is only worsening the situation.
Ngukato Nika Tsuipu said he is not adverse to Nagas’ demand for solution, but felt that as per the views opined by various NGOs at this juncture ‘we are dancing to the tune of political groups’. To this, he pointed that the GoI has spend twenty years of negotiation with NSCN-IM without achieving any desired goals. “Is it practicable that the GoI will settle the issue with the six working groups so soon and bring solution to the Naga political issue?” he queried.
He opined that Nagas need to give time and space as it is not practical to give a time-frame for solution and added that NGOs have to be realistic and not jump into conclusion and dance to the tune of certain political groups.
Instead of demanding solution before election, Tsuipu said Nagas should rather demand that the contents of the Framework Agreement between GoI-NSCN-IM, and the charter of demands made by the 6 working groups, should be made known before elections.
On various NGOs demanding solution before election, he asked ‘if the government of India conceded to their demands and the solution is not desirable and acceptable to the Nagas, will those NGOs take full responsibility before the Nagas?’
Hence, he maintained that election should go ahead at the moment and demand for sovereignty and negotiations should continue once all stakeholders were on board.
“This is not the right time to ask for ‘solution first or election first’ as both the Naga national workers and the state politicians have messed up the Naga society beyond repair at this stage, and terribly lost the public trust,” said Dr. H Inato Jimomi.
He strongly asserted that solution must be made without further delay and there is no question of asking election first or solution first as the peace talk is based on the uniqueness of Naga history and ‘gentlemen agreement’ between the national workers and the GoI.
Sounding sceptical on the question of ‘solution or election first’, Jimomi maintained that ‘the solution we need now is to chase out the occupational forces from Nagaland within a shortest period of time.’