John Zeliang
Sometime weeks back I came across in one of the daily news papers (I forgot which one) inviting suggestion on how to improve/increase the air services to Dimapur, Nagaland. In this connection I would like to recall a popular joke being circulated in the internet. The joke narrates how the Senior Bush rang up the White House with an advice for the Junior, which was pick up by an aid to the President of the USA, Bush Junior, whose popularity was heading south. The one line advice goes like this; “Tell the bastard that it’s the economy”.
I do not find any other advice better than this one for the improvement or increase of air services to the only airport of Nagaland at Dimapur. Two logics prevail in this matter: (1) one can not travel by air if one can not afford the air fares and (2) one need not go any where if one has no business in going any place. Based on these two logics the following elaborations are made;
The general publics of Nagaland are too poor to travel by air services. Only few rich guys are traveling by air. These rich guys are too small in numbers to sustain the air services requirements. It is too preposterous to think that the few government officers can sustain the air services. Some ignorant dirty rich guys are too dumb to avail the finesses/ benefits of the air services; they are comfortable with the firmness of the potholed road.
The world of the general people of Nagaland starts and ends in Nagaland. They were born in Nagaland, lived in Nagaland, earned in Nagaland, spent in Nagaland and died in Nagaland. They did and do businesses within Nagaland only. The general public must be empowered and chartered to set and do small businesses. All acute businessmen know there are greater economies in selling Chappal (a footwear) than selling few exotic cars. Here lies the fact that growth/ developments of the society and land is achieved by greater participation of the general public and not with the few defiant government servants. To think that government servants are more patriotic and more better custodian of the public assets is old fashion. Most components of the infrastructures of NASA, be it missiles or space shuttles, are learned to be built by public/private own companies and the government only regulates the rules and regulations. The ministers and the government servants has corrupted the financial and administrative institutions so much for last many years I do not think any some misadventures in the public participation will have any additional impact in the system.
Based on the above arguments the solution to the problem has to be arrived at. The economic level of the general public needs to be raised. The earning capacity must increase then only the spending/buying capacities proportionately will increase. Air travel expenses falls under the chargeable head of “expenditure” of financial accounting. The biggest and stable booster of earning/income is producing and marketing the land produces within and beyond the state. Such land produces may be local raw materials or items made out of such raw materials. What happen to our gingers, chillies, cucumbers, kuchhu (yam), akhuni(soya beans), potatoes, cabbages, mustard products, etc which are annually replenished unlike timbers, etc which is not take some years to attain utility maturity. And the locally made tables, chairs, fabric products, novelty items, etc. which are on heavy demands.
Marketing and earning out of imported commodities is a very limited way of increasing the earnings since the net earning is only the difference in cost and sell prices. A big chunk of the cost goes back to the original seller or the manufacturer.
The people must and must be enabled to practice businesses beyond the boundary. We have failed to achieve this. We cannot blame system always. Tomorrow new difficulties will crop up and we will be still blaming some body or something. Outsiders may blame such existing difficult situations and so we, the locals, have to bridge the difficult gap. This could also be a blessing in disguise so the outsider is waned off. Look at the Motor vehicle manufacturers; they are not directly selling the cars, the local business men have interfaced. We got to realize that Italy and American too have Mafias of both arms and economic types, which we also have under different nomenclatures and situations.
This is where the government and rich guys comes into play. Unfortunately, the some rich guys are too dumb or have no zeal. And the government policy is too dim and dull and the government servants are too exclusive to their personal glories. The governments/ genuine NGOs must enable generation of abundant land produces by ordinary citizen and then they must create market, (go begging and pleading, if required). In the rest of India, the earning capacity, and so is their buying capacity, has increased so much that Shopping Malls are cropping up by minutes in every nooks and corners of India. What is wrong if the Chief Minister go pleading to the Bharatis, Birlas, Reliances, Tatas, Mitals, Shanaz, etc. for the sake of his ordinary Naga fellows? It would be foolish to hunt for the Gates, Trumps, Buffets, Adelsons, Fords, etc at this juncture. If we can not economically survive by catering to the demand of 100 crores Indian consumers, one of the world biggest consumers, I see no future for the economy of the Nagas.
Going back to beginning of this writing some body got to tell someone in Nagaland “Tell the bastard that it’s the economy” to improve the air travel services to Dimapur, Nagaland. Please, please do not give this advice to the Indian Airlines or the Airport Authority of India for I will feel a shame.
