Dr Asangba Tzudir
Can a blind man lead a blind man? If there is a pit on the way, the obvious consequence is that the blind leader will lead the blind followed into the pit. Can anything good come from a blind leader? What good can it also bring if an illiterate tries to ‘educate’ fellow illiterates?
However, nobody would want to be blind, for experience from blind people shows that they suffer a lot not being able to see the beauty of the world especially those who had gone blind and not from birth. While they cannot move around freely they cannot see dangers that lie ahead of them. While they cannot lead themselves, they cannot lead others.
The worst thing that has happened to Naga society today is that in all social segments, we are generally led by short-sighted leaders, not necessarily blind but those that do not have clear objectives or lacking in vision and the discerning ability to see the truth. And being mandated, the followers are more often forced to follow the leaders blindly.
Further, triggered by the kind of social-cultural and political conditioning and response thereto, the intellect fails to let see the larger perspective surrounding the truth and its associated ideals. And while a leader is to bring vision and a sense of direction, not having it will only cause the followers to perish.
Currently, Naga society finds plagued by a disastrous syndrome which can be called the debt syndrome. This debt syndrome has caused religious debt, cultural debt, moral debt, political debt, economic debt etc.
Imagine a traffic point where all the signal lights – green, red and orange, are lighted together. There will be nothing but a situation of chaos, and the chaos will continue so long as the blind leader is followed blindly.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir writes a weekly guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
