Imkong Walling
Formation or dissolving of political parties in a multi-party Parliamentary democracy is routine. There is hardly any excitement unless well known faces are involved, but parties still get formed- some last, some fizzle away and life goes on.
The poll arena in Nagaland today has a third state player— a brand new party calling itself the Rising People’s Party (RPP). Going by the RPP’s professed philosophy, it is like no other the state has seen.
Without any political figures of clout to propel the party like the others, it professes to rebuild Nagaland anew by affecting ethical transformation in governance based on transparency, accountability and meritocracy.
The change it seeks is based on four core principles— good governance, women and youth empowerment, upholding rule of law and creation of a self reliant state economy.
The implied good governance is ridding corruption and nepotism, while creating a merit based society, it says. By women empowerment, it implies, “They deserve to be heard whether in elected bodies or through their participation in the development process.” In other words, enabling women to enter the political arena and holding influential position in governance.
By upholding the rule of law, it seeks to introduce a new social order where arbitrary use of power for personal interests is curbed.
Fourthly, it seeks to transform the state economy to self reliance by replacing the dependence on state government salary.
Further proclaiming the Rising People’s Party as the party of the grassroots “committed to bringing back decency and morality into politics, it states, “We believe we can create an electoral revolution and usher in a New Nagaland.”
Two other striking features of the party’s professed vision is its assertion to cleanse a deeply rooted tradition of vote-buying in the state electoral process and a conspicuous absence of the mention of the Indo-Naga political issue.
Quite bold given how the two issues have factored prominently in state polls, more often than not, shaping poll results.
At face value, the RPP is like a draft of cool air on a hot summer’s day, the party of choice for any ethically grounded elector going by the stated philosophy and objectives alone.
However, there is a big 'BUT'. The implied doubt being whether the existing electorate and those in line to come of voting age would open up to the governance ideals on which India’s electoral system was originally grounded.
Dreams and ideals are one, but laying the ground works and practically implementing them is a nightmarish affair, more so in a place like Nagaland, where ‘All’s fair in love and war’ has become an accepted principle and applied in letter and spirit in elections as would in geopolitical conflict.
The challenges are clear. Can the RPP become the change it professes to be? Fingers crossed.
The writer is a Principal Correspondent at The Morung Express. Comments can be sent to imkongwalls@gmail.com
