YL Jami IAS (Retd)
Dimapur
The Naga tribes were roughly classified into the following four categories: The southern Nagas, Western Nagas, Central Nagas and Eastern Nagas. In an obvious manner, Nagas have always emphasized on equality, unity, integrity, uniqueness and the Naga identity. However, our practical differences ahead of us were still too wide and had far reaching effect and consequences from the ground realities. In that sense our tradition, culture, uniqueness and Naga identity will never match with the present advancement of the modern world and its civilization.
Nagas need not show and maintain our redundant attitude in the name of Naga traditions and culture in any manner. Social equality, civil equality, political equality, economic equality, equality of opportunity and education are of paramount importance especially in our Nagaland context at this juncture. For example, by political equality, we mean equal access of everyone to the avenues of political authority. All citizens must possess similar political rights, they should have similar voice in the working of the government and they should have equal opportunities to actively participate in the political life and affairs of the state. Political equality guarantees the enjoyment of the similar political rights to all citizens. Again economic equality is closely related to political equality. Political equality is never real unless it is accompanied with virtual economic liberty.
Presently, we have the so called 14 tribes of Nagaland comprising the ENPO (Eastern Naga People's Organization), CNTC (Central Naga Tribe's Council), TPO (Tenyimi People's Organization) and as of now TPO tops the political authority as Chief Minister of Nagaland, and CNTC ranks in 2nd as Deputy Chief Minister of Nagaland, and in such a way that if there is any new development in the process of opposition-less government, then chances should go to the ENPO to maintain equality and balance of the State without bias. Otherwise, there would be havoc every now and then in Nagaland from all aspects.
