Thepfulhouvi Solo
Recently there has been something of a political bomb-shell in the local News Papers in that the present tolerably Peaceful, duly elected and a full flagged legally constituted Government of Nagaland would ‘resign’ and pave the way for an ‘Interim Government’ of a different Group!
How can a Government come into being not based on an Act of Law passed by the Legislative chamber of the People? The State of Nagaland came into being through an ‘Interim Body’ out of an ‘Act of Nagaland’ passed in the Parliament. A Government has to have legal democratic Basis.
People of Nagaland has wholly, lawfully and happily elected their Representatives who are running a tolerably good Law & Order Government and nothing other compulsions should suddenly compel them en-mass resign without the Democratic sanction of the People. The People of Nagaland are surprised and puzzled as to what is coming and as to what will happen; they have a right to be assured of what is coming to affect their future.
There comes a misleading time in the society of a People, at such times, it is not ordinarily easy for laymen to perceive the affairs of the time. Today, the Nagas are, for the first time, in the threshold of the 2nd Century of their recorded, democratic life, in the third Millenium; a time has come to resolve to set their Society in firm Foundations of Democracy and not go, whatever the Principles are, for their immediate desires. The Nagas today need to plan their future for a firm Base on Democratic Principles and not accept casually and aimlessly things as they come.
The immediate longing of the Nagas today appear to be strongly for Reconciliation whatever the Principles are, though discerning people know by Experience that Democratic Principles endures and Expediency, even for Reconciliation, is Transient.
For quite some time: dictatorial Power Politics from the Barrel of the Gun occupied limelight in the Naga Society and Democratic demeanor pushed to Back-Benches. Within one and a half dozen years of tortuous Peace Talk between the Forces of the Gun and the Forces of Democracy however, Peace tottering, is gaining force in the Naga society. The barrel of the gun appears running out of its Steam; today how to decommission the Arms is the bigger problem than its procurement. Politics may not endure if it is not from the democratic Principles.
The immediate need for creation of a Nation is in the long run less important than Democratic Basis for that Nation. Religion, rather than Democratic Principle, was employed to answer the then immediate need to creating a Pakistan Nation. Today, 64 years after, Pakistan is reeling violently under its own Choice and not from India’s hatred. And on the unlikely replacement of the present Pakistan’s semblance of Democratic Government by an orthodox Islamic Taliban Government, it would be just a change of Masters, not a movement towards democratic one.
Egypt has recently replaced 30 years of smothering Hosni Mubarak’s dictatorship by a welcome world wide accepted mass peaceful democratic Revolution in the famous Tahir Square at Cairo, but the Army with its shadow of barrel of the gun still seems to be calling the day. Recently there was a free and fair Election, the Muslim Brotherhood Party with not very democratic past, by a slender margin of 2 %, won the election. The elected Muslim Brotherhood Government seems to be on a deadly struggle with the Army for Power.
And only time will tell, even if the Muslim Brotherhood wins the struggle, it is still premature to assume they would lead Egypt on the path of Free will Democracy, they may even turn out ultimately or descend into Religious Orthodoxy. It is not sure Egypt has finally decided for a modern Freewill vibrant Secular Democracy!
India, unmanageable it may seem, is still carrying on, tottering tolerably in increasing democracy on Free Will of the people.
The fundamental Principle on which a Nation stood during its formative years is of tremendous importance in the political destiny of the People.
There comes a time once in a lifetime of a people to choose between not so spectacular democratic Principles and immediate spectacular practical Solutions. Politics germinated not from the free will of the People does not endure and the End does not justify the Means. It is only correct Means that finally End well.
The Aim of the FNR in the Nagas for example appears to be Reconciliation. That is very welcome; the Writer has no doubt the FNR has the general goodwill of all Nagas, Christians or not. However in the haste for Reconciliation; Nagas, even Churches seem to have glossed over the Means of germinating the FNR. A Church sponsored Body cannot originate from any other than from the established Church doctrine. A Christ-like Body cannot originate from Cult-like Group like the Shisha Hoho.
The Shisha Hoho is a mixture of mystic Christian fortune-telling, hell-damning Prayer Group without the official support from any established Church or Association and led by a mysterious simple Village Layman of not very enlarged or enlightened views.
The Writer is surprised as to how foreign educated Naga Reverends of established Churches and Associations and with Ph.D in Theology from reputed American Universities or Seminaries could identify themselves whole heartedly with such quasi-Shamanistic cult-like Group led by a Leader claiming dubious credentials of images of a worldly Hoho of the Nagas?
This gives an indication of how naïve, casual Christians, Churches, Councils, Associations and Faithful could we Christians still be in Nagaland.
Political Practices not founded on sound Democratic Principles is like Religion not based on Faith.
