B Thawang Konyak, IAS (Retd)
Dimapur, Nagaland
In an earlier public function, the Honorable Chief Minister of Nagaland had flagged three major issues plaguing the Nagas and the Nagaland state, viz:- (1) Disunity among the Nagas, (2) Land for Developments and (3) Lack of work culture. Perhaps, it is not the first time that the Chief Minister spoke about these issues and the fact that he had to ruefully repeat and remind the same in his second avatar as the Chief Minister of the state, reflects poorly on the Nagas that we remain unchanging in this highly competitive time. Now in the context of his statement let us examine the issues one by one.
(1) Disunity among the Nagas exists that one cannot deny, causing destabilization. We often clamour to be a Christian state with ‘Nagaland for Christ’ as the emblem and also extolled the ancestry of our forefathers’ virtues. Let us introspect whether we are living up to that standard to be rightful heirs. We certainly may not have measured up to those standards as exclaimed that there is so much of dissensions and disaffections among us, but this is speaking about the generic causes in the general parlance.
To be specific on the subject of disunity, there are two major factors as could be seen. In the first place can’t we see condescendingly the problem began from the very seat of Naga nationalism? Today our national political groups are divided and splintered into countless number of unfounded factions. In this eventuality remember the ‘Aesop’s Fable’ of the two bulls and a tiger where divided they fall. The aura of the earlier Naga Nationalistic mind is lost thereby, and the sectional interest rears their heads.
On the other hand the state politicians and more specifically, the elected representatives with their trials of equi-closeness and equi-distance policies seems to have not paid off any dividends so far ending up as a sideshow in the process of political combinations and permutations. The whole exercise of being heralded facilitator ended up as non-performing assets in the banking system. Simply put, the two political streams of National and the State together failed to present any political principles and philosophies before the people to hope for. There are lofty promises flaunted everyday by all concerned but do we see any solution on the horizon? Disunity lies within the leaderships among the national and state political groups, one in irreconcilability and the other insincerity. Responsibility and blame for the state of affairs should not be relegated to the people, the ignorant and gullible mass by playing games of escapism. Nagas are already weighed down by economic burdens of high handed taxations and non-developments. In this infinity and melancholy, the collective will tend to saturate which reverberations are seen in the various formulations of the NGOs and civil society movements. The Naga National issue should be left to be pursued by its torch bearers with collective will of the people and on one-line approach. The state political leaders should look deep down as to how the present atmosphere of corruption be eradicated. If true leadership with sufficient amount of integrity is shown, people will automatically follow suit and the Naganess will be revived.
(2)As far as the availability of land for development purposes is concerned, we need only to have an open mind for our own developments. Article 371(A) gives the Nagas protection from outside intrusions. Recognition of land ownership rights and transfer is one of them to protect from arbitrary acquisition by governmental authorities. To regulate the same, the Nagaland Requisition and Acquisition Act, 1965 with its later amendments are in place. This simply means that no land shall be taken away without the due consent of the private landowners and without paying adequate or just compensations. Right to transfer is a natural corollary to the ownership rights. But any sale, transfer or lease to any Non-indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland is prohibited by law as per sub-section 2 of section 1 of Nagaland Land and Revenue Regulation (Amendment) Act,1978.
Apart from the above provisions which are essentially there to protect the rights and interests of the people of the state, we should bear in mind that we need to move with the modern day’s advancements. We should develop our own dynamics of development. Article 371(A) is a cover for protection, not a cocoon to hide. Recent case of Women Reservation imbroglio in ULB election arose due to our narrow interpretation of the provision of Article 371(A). Another regressive act of our people is the reclamation of earlier surrendered or donated land in many major towns of Nagaland to the detriment of the development -2- extension and even constricting the already built infrastructures. The establishment of towns and institutions enhances the market value of the land surrounding them and also afford marketability of other products. There are many other value added and reciprocal benefits which should not be lost sight of. Without some sacrifices no development can set in. We better realize it sooner than later.
(3) Just like the saying ‘Charity begins at home’, work culture also should begin at home. Children depend a lot on their upbringing by their parents at home before they spread out to schools and workplaces. In the rural settings and where the first generational changes took place, parents are apprehensive of their offsprings’ attitude. When they see their children with pants and shirts they can no more think of telling them to do their normal chores at home or expect them to go to khetis. The image of a ‘sahib’ already developed, a lot gets missed out thereby. When we think of the urban situation, in most cases mini/kancha culture holds sway. Children are pampered and no manual work is taught. Dignity of work is turned into indignity. So the work culture and the greatest lesson of life got missed and they become attuned to readymade and dependent life. Business intricacies become almost anathema to most Nagas. The same traits continues when one joins the government services, the only known employment avenue in Nagaland. Except for very few cases, many come to government services through political support, other connections now popularly known as ‘Backdoor’ appointments without much aptitude for the work. Proxy culture is an invention of the Nagas more rampantly practiced among the primary school teachers. On the other hand, the supposedly potential candidates are sometime blanketly called the educated unemployables. For any formal job interview conducted, there is doubt and suspicion about cash for job, lack of transparency, etc. so there is great amount of demoralisation among the youth seeking jobs. Other private job avenues are almost non-existent. Cumulative effects of all this excess non productive work force who are also accused of eating away sixty to seventy percent of the state annual budgetary funds leaving hardly anything for development works. This is a reality situation in debt-ridden Nagaland.
In the milieu given above, any attempt to reform or changes as promised proves a herculean task. The trumpeted reform of V.I.P culture appears counterproductive in as much as more V.I.Ps has sprung up and the scheme got imploded on the high table itself. The high voltage central government’s ‘Act East’ policies so far appears to remain embryotic that nothing is yet seen on the ground. Even the Nagaland dream project of four-lane Dimapur to Kohima road is giving distress sound of non-payment, etc. the Honourable Chief Minister is trying to raise his head among the merry making crowd going on oblivious of the consequences. But can he bring any genuine reform without reversing the present trend of waywardness in public life by introducing austerity in terms with potential resources avoiding wasteful expenses in festivities, et al. Election are fought and won on the strength of money power.
This gloom and doom atmosphere that has crept into the thitherto vivacious Nagas’ lives can never be taken as a new normal thinking that time will heal. Nothing has been taken away from us by outsiders. It is our own indulgences that has brought us to this wailing situation. The only solution will be when we reinvent ourselves with some sense of morality, responsibility and sacrifice among the leaders and the led.
