Some of those who voted YES said:
• The people's mindset need's a sea of change first to progress collectively and move forward. Instances of corruption and inequitable distribution of the resources have been a stumbling block all these years. Economic upliftment of the people can be achieved only when resources are shared equally without any discrimination, for thus far major developmental project's have been confined only for a certain area and group of people while the other's languish in utter dismay. These are the issues that need urgent redressal and make right the wrong's that have been committed. Naga leader's need's to do away with politics based on Tribe's groupism and start to think and work for the people as a whole without biasness.
• The people's mindset need's a sea of change first to progress collectively and move forward. Instances of corruption and inequitable distribution of the resources have been a stumbling block all these years. Economic upliftment of the people can be achieved only when resources are shared equally without any discrimination, for thus far major developmental project's have been confined only for a certain area and group of people while the other's languish in utter dismay. These are the issues that need urgent redressal and make right the wrong's that have been committed. Naga leader's need's to do away with politics based on Tribe's groupism and start to think and work for the people as a whole without biasness.
• Yes, but it isn't the most important and effective solution. Nagas need to approach problems through different dimensions, with new mindsets and ideologies. Not all problems come with a solution, we should learn to accept some problems as they are. We ask for development in all spheres of life, but have we develop ourselves first? Have we said 'Yes' when called to volunteer for a good cause? Have we said 'No' to politicians when they offered to buy our votes? If we develop ourselves first, then the real development will automatically follow.
• Yes. Development not just in infrastructure but also in services, mindset, approaches, ethics and morality. With these, all problems can be solved.
Some of those who voted NO said:
• No, development is an overrated slogan. We all want basic infrastructure and we want our quality of life to be improved. But in modern politics the way that politicians and public leaders define development is not development. Development will not solve the problems in Nagaland.
• Development can only be a medium, it is not the solution. For development to have positive impact, the people must decide what kind of development they want.
• Development has many meanings. Development can mean anti-poor and it can also mean pro-poor. It all depends on the leaders and what kind of development they are talking about. These days our leaders understanding of development is anti-poor. This will not bring solution, only more problems.
• No. Development cannot be considered as the solution of problems in Nagaland. Just look at the situation in Nagaland where development is only for the powerful. It is a mockery.
• Naga people should either be open and unanimous in demanding for sovereignty (come whatever may attitude) or should forget about sovereignty and start paying income and property tax, else the impact of black money and corruption will become irreversible. Not paying tax and feeding (surviving) on someone else tax payers money has turned the Nagas into a second class citizen.
• What kind of development are we talking about, if in the context of the Naga people and their lands? Is development at the expense of destroying/ignoring the existing resource, look what the 4-Lane project did to the forest areas and the thousands of trees that were lost, the rivers that were polluted, the dumping of land cuttings that were dumped without any consideration of social, economic and daily impact. The government of the day seems to push down its agenda on the common man, without any thought and concern for the public. Indirectly leads to countless natural disasters and a recipe of a natural man-made disasters waiting for us every season. Development depending on the need of the region is the call of the hour. We might want so many replicas of development activities that we see in other cities or countries. Truth be told, we need to focus on our own existing reality, Do we have basic accessible roads in place? Do we have access to clean drinking water for all? Do we have regular electricity for all? Do we have Good network connectivity for all? The reality is some of the problems in our society are man-made too, bad roads, no access to clean water, lack of basic health facilities, lack of good educational facilities, and basic availability of services for the common man/women. Our government had the resource to really work on the above since statehood, but the reality is the money/funds/schemes all went for individual developments! Adding to taxation, tribalism between factions and others adding to the existing crisis only makes it unbearable! Any so called developmental plan/project should be made public, its impacts to be publicly discussed, with experts, researchers, and independent bodies. Have not we learned from the many developing countries where developmental projects have been pushed for commercial and corporate gains, leaving the masses its later victims? In simple language, any corporation, organization, or agency will never have development plans unless they solely benefit largely from it. The central government legislation on Environmental Protection Act and Environmental Impact Assessment today allows no accountability for the harm it leaves on a community, its environment, and its available resources, impacting the future. Have we not learned from other communities which have been victims of so called development? The development will always come at a hidden cost to a community, to not be its victims, we have to be asking the right questions (Not, kiman poisa pabo?) to the government, agencies organizations, and the corporations, and the individuals involved. And definitely, the task of any civilization is not to destroy what already exists, but it is to build a better sustainable model which complements the former.
Some of those who voted OTHERS said:
• Without human freedom there is no way that development will bring solution to the problems in Nagaland.
• Start paying tax. That's the only solution for now.
• We Naga people have to develop our own understanding and policy of development.
• When the British introduced changes to the social, economic and political aspects in their Indian colony, they sought to achieve their growth in Great Britain and not India. Likewise, most developmental activities in our times are also for electoral prospects for the few that occupy the seats of responsibility provided by the masses. Piecemeal development is obviously an answer to winning elections but to the extent that it is an answer to our problems, we are nowhere near that standard. Modern politics or yesteryear politics, development has and will never be the solution to the varied problems in our human life cycle. If Bhutan can say, we are happy enough to lead a slow yet fulfilling life, despite the slow pace of developments, maybe we are defining development with a wrong frame of reference or the Bhutanese are in the wrong. Either way, defining or trying to define development from a narrow perspective will only lead to a narrow outcome and as such, we will have to start presenting and defining development from the broadest frame of reference to be able to seek for a feedback.
• Leadership is the primary reasons of Naga issues, development will come with the right leadership.
• Partly right partly wrong.
• No need Development. pls be sale Dog meet in the Market.
• Infrastructure, human resources, employment opportunities...so all these are developments .. Aren't y'all aware of these key aspect
• Development in all aspects...
• After the deaths of People born before 1980's real world of development will pop up automatically
• Developments?? It solely depends on us (public) we rather change ourselves or keep our land barren for a sake of few thousand rupees. Moreover, Government needs to bring more Employments for educated unemployed persons. I don't think they will be able to consume any more of it.
• Nagaland is a paradise for corrupt politicians. Nothing is going to happen even in a century if the ‘trend’ continues. We all talk about change but don’t make our votes count when election comes around. Instead we sell our souls for few pegs of adulterated whiskey/rum and cash, then we complain and cry about it for the next 5 years.
