The last few days, people in Nagaland are waking up to find that funds meant for providing basic health and education services are either going missing or is being misused by unscrupulous elements who are out to cheat the system and in the process doing great disservice to the State. The fraud attempt made by a public leader to en-cash funds worth crores of rupees meant for HIV/AIDS program in Nagaland and the reports of the missing 29 cheques amounting to Rupees 5, 22,000 meant for primary schools under the much touted Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) program are all indicative of the deep rooted corruption in the State. It is safe to assume that at least in Nagaland at present, there is no fear of been corrupt because it is easy to cheat the system and the public and still get away without being caught and held accountable. Corruption in the State is therefore a low risk high profit activity and this more than anything else gives ample room for corruption to proliferate and yet go unnoticed.
It is against this backdrop that much credit would have to be given to the local media for unearthing the series of corruption related incidents. This will hopefully also allow the public to raise their voice against the injustice prevailing in the system. People’s active participation is required to thwart the designs of the corrupt. With the judiciary in Nagaland yet to acquire the vibrancy as a justice dispensing organ, the print media has a bigger role than most people would expect. At the same time, the media can remain a partner and as a watch dog of society without necessarily taking on the role of an activist. And since the local media works for the people, it is also important that mass based civil society groups should be more forthcoming in demonstrating its own support and standing behind the media as a legitimate partner in bringing transformation of society. As far as this newspaper goes, people’s right to information cannot be compromised with and it is the paper’s duty to tell the public about what is what and who is up to what. Only a well-informed society ensures healthy working of democratic institutions and this is something The Morung Express stands for.
With regard to the charges of nepotism leveled against a DAN Cabinet Minister in the selection process for the prestigious Joint Entrance Exams (JEE), it is unacceptable that the State government has yet to issue any official statement to either clarify or inform the people as to what measure is being taken to address the issue. How to restore public faith in the present recruitment channels be it NPSC, JEE etc. is therefore an immediate task of the government. The position taken by apex students’ body, the NSF demanding for the withdrawal of the MBBS seat given to the two unqualified candidates—one a Minister’s son and the other an Engineer’s son—and allotting the same to the merit students’ should be accepted immediately by the government without further delay. The concerned Minister should himself take the initiative to deliver justice that was denied in the first place. To err is only human and the Minister has an opportunity to restore his credibility in the eyes of the public. All he has to do is to undo the wrong done and reclaim his rightful place as a leader of the future.
