The irony of an economically poor State Nagaland is that we view corruption in terms of many lakhs and crores of Rupees, but anything below that is negligible. Instead of pointing fingers let’s make an effort to understand corruption both at the macro and micro level in Nagaland. The cause and effect of the cycle of corruption is like this story; “The boss shouted at the husband at the workplace; the husband shouted at his wife at home; the wife shouted at the son; the son kicked the dog; the dog ran after the cat and the cat killed the rat”. My action may not show an immediate result, but it may be contributing to a larger wrong, however disconnected it may appear to be, just like the ‘rat’ had to die because the ‘boss shouted at the husband’!
Are we all a party to corruption? How?
POLITICIANS: The practice of spending crores of Rupees during election by a candidate has become a normal phenomenon. The politician after winning election, to make up for the money spent embezzle funds by taking the so called ‘cuts’; which leaves less money for development. We’ve made our Politicians the most insecure people, but expect them to secure our future! They are unsure of their own fate in the next election, so, they try to hoard public development fund as much as possible, so that even if he lose, a part of luxury and lifestyle is not taken away from him. The result at the end is everybody suffers.
BUREAUCRATS (GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS): When Political bosses becomes overtly corrupted it encourages red-tapism in bureaucracy to an indigestible extent, because without the help of bureaucrats, politicians however high flown they are, are paralyzed to continue with their corrupt practice. In the process, the practice of ‘share of cuts’ become an unavoidable accepted norm; this results in poorer quality in all round developmental works and programs.
CONTRACTORS/SUPPLIERS: Like businessmen contractors/suppliers will not work unless they see profit. After paying all the ‘cuts’ of different kinds, most of the contractors’ putting also their self interest high above public interest find excuses to compromise too much on the quality of work they do. The kind of work we see everyday. Developmental works are washed away by one or few monsoons.
NATIONAL WORKERS: The once very revered set up has now fragmented themselves into many factions for whatever reason(s). Their bellowing in the local dailies against each other is no more viewed as news but dirt. Theirs ‘cuts’ among the ‘cuts’ in the public fund has become a daily talk. It not only hampers development, but also serves as an excuse to further destroy the Naga society itself. While acknowledging the sacrifices made by our National workers, have we come to a point where even many of our senior level workers are starting to feel, I have given my everything for this cause, so now it’s time for me to enjoy the fruit? What is our National cause? Is it to further the corrupt practices to kill the society itself? The commodity taxes by our National Heroes on the stockists and suppliers have become the major excuse for the stockists and suppliers to crush the very existence of the ‘right to life’ of the Naga populace. The taxation excuse or burden is put back on the public through exorbitant prices. Where is the society without the public?
THE NAGA PUBLIC (THE MAJOR PROBLEM): Who among the Naga public including the ones in the wombs and to be born of this generation is/are righteous? Let’s take a righteousness test below to see whether we qualify?
a. DURING ELECTION: Almost everybody takes money during election from the candidates. The excuse is they hardly do development before election and the same shall remain after being elected, plus ‘I’ as individual is not taking much. We fail to calculate the larger repercussion. For instance Rs. 2000 (two thousand) X 20,000 (twenty thousand) voters = 4,00,00,000 (Rs. Four crores)! Where/how will the politician make up for that loss? Some don’t take money and instead demands jobs, which promote favouritism, nepotism, backdoor-ism, etc which are the other forms of corruption. Is it possible that we have 1% righteous Naga public? I doubt. After spending so much a politician can’t risk the loss, so all forms of dirty techniques and tactics are used. Don’t we blame our politicians?
b. DEPENDENCY ON THE GOVERNMENT: The Nagas even the villagers are now hungry without the government. The once sufficient villages and villagers no more self sustains. The mentality has been perverted to the extent that whatever comes from the government is for free. For instance, no villager wants to work the whole day for a mere Rs.100/- under MNREGS unless the money is distributed for free!
c. In the eyes of the public, a not ultra rich government official is a social misfit. A politician or government official should be able to give many government jobs and also distribute money if not that person is a useless fellow, though his sincerity may be benefitting the larger society. Where is the source?! Nobody wants to be rejected by the society. Knowledge and wisdom can take the backseat when money speaks.
d. The Naga public has accepted corruption as a way of life, but still has not realized what we have accepted consciously or subconsciously!! Who will educate us? Who will lead us out of this mess? Can an individual or few people do it?
CHURCH: Is the church playing the spiritual role or is the church becoming more materialistic than spiritual? What concerns the church the most now? Is it the size, the facilities, the number, the calculable advancement or the soul? Is the church losing focus? Is the widow being ignored? Are we the Sadducees and Pharisees replacing God? Has God rejected us the Sadducees and Pharisees? I guess not, but we the Sadducees and Pharisees, have we realized like Nicodemus? When our living God is replaced by the perishable; the perishable shall perish, so shall the church.
When the demand is made on the Politicians and government officials beyond God’s inspiration, giving by compulsion takes place, that which is not by faith. Church is at the highest strata of the social hierarchy. Who wants to be rejected by the church? One would even steal and give a huge sum for acceptance! Spiritual reformation is the need of the hour. Can the church hear the bell?
ISM: Nagaland is a very small and yet so diversified and bifurcate society in all aspects. The demand for social action at all level is too much. Tribalism, communalism, area-ism, colony/khel-ism, clan-ism, etc. Everybody is connected here or there, as such the artificial politeness and respect for each other many a times over-rides the importance of checking corruption. How many years or decades will it take for us to understand/accept the meaning of larger interest?
THE STUDENTS UNIONS AND CIVIL BASED SOCIETIES: When we call a chief guest or guest of honour to attend our Annual Sessions or any kind of program(s), most of the time the primary focus is how much will he pay......? Most spent excessive amount on gifts and reception on borrowed expenditure, to squeeze out as much from him/her. The chief guest or guest of honour becomes the host of the program and not the guest. Too much of such responsibilities force them to do maximum adjustment from anywhere. Who is responsible for their action? We create excuses, but do we have a choice? Where is the alternative funding source?
Critical view of the success of checking corruption in Nagaland from YouthNet’s perspective: I have been part of an organization, YouthNet for the last 4-5 ye ars. One of our primary focuses is working on RTI (Right to Information). We have moved from sensitization to the practical use of RTI in the form of using information received, through social auditing and public hearings in different districts of Nagaland in the last 3 years.
As we are all aware RTI is a tool to be used to check corruption. So the pertinent question that arises is; how successful are we in checking corruption? People have been critical about YouthNet on where is the result of your work on RTI? It is disheartening at times on when we try to measure our level of success.
The question is whom do you start punishing when everybody is a party to corruption and corruption itself has become a way of life? Technically speaking, the officer concerned under whose supervision the wrong has been committed has to bear the brunt, but strangely in many places they have public support, politicians support, etc. Whom do you expect to be the sacrificial lamb? If you can point fingers at others, why not start with you?
The change of mentality is the need of the hour. Shall we start another revolution to fight this? We have come out of village independence only yesterday. In fact the village independence mentality is still very much engraved in us to accept the larger interest many a times when the issue concerns me and my comfort space. However, we now live in a generation where a bloody revolution is being replaced by ‘revolution of conscience’. Change is a gradual process.
I always remember a conversation with Mr. P. Talitemjen, the former Chief Secretary and Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Nagaland. When he was the then CIC, in one of the interactions with YouthNet he said; “good laws are meaningless unless understood by the people”. It is very true. Public education on corruption is a must by all of us.
HOW CAN WE BRING DOWN THE LEVEL OF CORRUPTION?
The day our dependency on the government is reduced corruption shall subside and people can openly check the Government:
North East is in the gateway to South East Asian countries. Therefore, this zone is viewed with great interest. Multi National Companies (MNCs) and Corporates wants to invest in this zone, but why would anyone risk their business/interest when the real or supposed threat persists?
Do all the stakeholders of the society know the wants of the youths? Leave aside all the issues or non issues, but the youths want good jobs, opportunities and good life, whereas, social and religious values and XYZ values are preached without visible practices.
The rampant level of corruption in the government cannot be checked, because there is no other source to rely upon. Not that the government is comfortable even if it be 100% grant from the Central Government in meeting the endless demands of the people. Everyone and all the organizations said to be representing the people should not stand in the way of the future of the youths.
Who can blame the youths for wanting good job and good life? The lack of opportunity besides the government is forcing the youth to break into the government sector by hook or crook style like the politicians. We are compromising our tomorrow. We can’t expect all the Naga youth to become self enterprising entrepreneurs overnight.
In the absence of MNCs and Corporate Sectors the sole social responsibility also has to be shouldered by the Government. For instance, if the Chief Guest or Guest of Honour in a students’ function does not give anything, which other source will give them money?
CONCLUSION: From the above discussed bottlenecks, if all the stakeholders of the society understand their role and try to mend ways slowly and gradually, and public education is taken as a burden by all of us in our limited humble ways, change may not be very far off, though easier said than done. We are aware that the Naga populace at largesse has become lethargic to change and expects miracle to happen. However, in a situation like Nagaland where corruption is far by pressure and less by choice; we the youths of today must realize that the real miracle is internal and it starts with self.
Are we all a party to corruption? How?
POLITICIANS: The practice of spending crores of Rupees during election by a candidate has become a normal phenomenon. The politician after winning election, to make up for the money spent embezzle funds by taking the so called ‘cuts’; which leaves less money for development. We’ve made our Politicians the most insecure people, but expect them to secure our future! They are unsure of their own fate in the next election, so, they try to hoard public development fund as much as possible, so that even if he lose, a part of luxury and lifestyle is not taken away from him. The result at the end is everybody suffers.
BUREAUCRATS (GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS): When Political bosses becomes overtly corrupted it encourages red-tapism in bureaucracy to an indigestible extent, because without the help of bureaucrats, politicians however high flown they are, are paralyzed to continue with their corrupt practice. In the process, the practice of ‘share of cuts’ become an unavoidable accepted norm; this results in poorer quality in all round developmental works and programs.
CONTRACTORS/SUPPLIERS: Like businessmen contractors/suppliers will not work unless they see profit. After paying all the ‘cuts’ of different kinds, most of the contractors’ putting also their self interest high above public interest find excuses to compromise too much on the quality of work they do. The kind of work we see everyday. Developmental works are washed away by one or few monsoons.
NATIONAL WORKERS: The once very revered set up has now fragmented themselves into many factions for whatever reason(s). Their bellowing in the local dailies against each other is no more viewed as news but dirt. Theirs ‘cuts’ among the ‘cuts’ in the public fund has become a daily talk. It not only hampers development, but also serves as an excuse to further destroy the Naga society itself. While acknowledging the sacrifices made by our National workers, have we come to a point where even many of our senior level workers are starting to feel, I have given my everything for this cause, so now it’s time for me to enjoy the fruit? What is our National cause? Is it to further the corrupt practices to kill the society itself? The commodity taxes by our National Heroes on the stockists and suppliers have become the major excuse for the stockists and suppliers to crush the very existence of the ‘right to life’ of the Naga populace. The taxation excuse or burden is put back on the public through exorbitant prices. Where is the society without the public?
THE NAGA PUBLIC (THE MAJOR PROBLEM): Who among the Naga public including the ones in the wombs and to be born of this generation is/are righteous? Let’s take a righteousness test below to see whether we qualify?
a. DURING ELECTION: Almost everybody takes money during election from the candidates. The excuse is they hardly do development before election and the same shall remain after being elected, plus ‘I’ as individual is not taking much. We fail to calculate the larger repercussion. For instance Rs. 2000 (two thousand) X 20,000 (twenty thousand) voters = 4,00,00,000 (Rs. Four crores)! Where/how will the politician make up for that loss? Some don’t take money and instead demands jobs, which promote favouritism, nepotism, backdoor-ism, etc which are the other forms of corruption. Is it possible that we have 1% righteous Naga public? I doubt. After spending so much a politician can’t risk the loss, so all forms of dirty techniques and tactics are used. Don’t we blame our politicians?
b. DEPENDENCY ON THE GOVERNMENT: The Nagas even the villagers are now hungry without the government. The once sufficient villages and villagers no more self sustains. The mentality has been perverted to the extent that whatever comes from the government is for free. For instance, no villager wants to work the whole day for a mere Rs.100/- under MNREGS unless the money is distributed for free!
c. In the eyes of the public, a not ultra rich government official is a social misfit. A politician or government official should be able to give many government jobs and also distribute money if not that person is a useless fellow, though his sincerity may be benefitting the larger society. Where is the source?! Nobody wants to be rejected by the society. Knowledge and wisdom can take the backseat when money speaks.
d. The Naga public has accepted corruption as a way of life, but still has not realized what we have accepted consciously or subconsciously!! Who will educate us? Who will lead us out of this mess? Can an individual or few people do it?
CHURCH: Is the church playing the spiritual role or is the church becoming more materialistic than spiritual? What concerns the church the most now? Is it the size, the facilities, the number, the calculable advancement or the soul? Is the church losing focus? Is the widow being ignored? Are we the Sadducees and Pharisees replacing God? Has God rejected us the Sadducees and Pharisees? I guess not, but we the Sadducees and Pharisees, have we realized like Nicodemus? When our living God is replaced by the perishable; the perishable shall perish, so shall the church.
When the demand is made on the Politicians and government officials beyond God’s inspiration, giving by compulsion takes place, that which is not by faith. Church is at the highest strata of the social hierarchy. Who wants to be rejected by the church? One would even steal and give a huge sum for acceptance! Spiritual reformation is the need of the hour. Can the church hear the bell?
ISM: Nagaland is a very small and yet so diversified and bifurcate society in all aspects. The demand for social action at all level is too much. Tribalism, communalism, area-ism, colony/khel-ism, clan-ism, etc. Everybody is connected here or there, as such the artificial politeness and respect for each other many a times over-rides the importance of checking corruption. How many years or decades will it take for us to understand/accept the meaning of larger interest?
THE STUDENTS UNIONS AND CIVIL BASED SOCIETIES: When we call a chief guest or guest of honour to attend our Annual Sessions or any kind of program(s), most of the time the primary focus is how much will he pay......? Most spent excessive amount on gifts and reception on borrowed expenditure, to squeeze out as much from him/her. The chief guest or guest of honour becomes the host of the program and not the guest. Too much of such responsibilities force them to do maximum adjustment from anywhere. Who is responsible for their action? We create excuses, but do we have a choice? Where is the alternative funding source?
Critical view of the success of checking corruption in Nagaland from YouthNet’s perspective: I have been part of an organization, YouthNet for the last 4-5 ye ars. One of our primary focuses is working on RTI (Right to Information). We have moved from sensitization to the practical use of RTI in the form of using information received, through social auditing and public hearings in different districts of Nagaland in the last 3 years.
As we are all aware RTI is a tool to be used to check corruption. So the pertinent question that arises is; how successful are we in checking corruption? People have been critical about YouthNet on where is the result of your work on RTI? It is disheartening at times on when we try to measure our level of success.
The question is whom do you start punishing when everybody is a party to corruption and corruption itself has become a way of life? Technically speaking, the officer concerned under whose supervision the wrong has been committed has to bear the brunt, but strangely in many places they have public support, politicians support, etc. Whom do you expect to be the sacrificial lamb? If you can point fingers at others, why not start with you?
The change of mentality is the need of the hour. Shall we start another revolution to fight this? We have come out of village independence only yesterday. In fact the village independence mentality is still very much engraved in us to accept the larger interest many a times when the issue concerns me and my comfort space. However, we now live in a generation where a bloody revolution is being replaced by ‘revolution of conscience’. Change is a gradual process.
I always remember a conversation with Mr. P. Talitemjen, the former Chief Secretary and Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Nagaland. When he was the then CIC, in one of the interactions with YouthNet he said; “good laws are meaningless unless understood by the people”. It is very true. Public education on corruption is a must by all of us.
HOW CAN WE BRING DOWN THE LEVEL OF CORRUPTION?
The day our dependency on the government is reduced corruption shall subside and people can openly check the Government:
North East is in the gateway to South East Asian countries. Therefore, this zone is viewed with great interest. Multi National Companies (MNCs) and Corporates wants to invest in this zone, but why would anyone risk their business/interest when the real or supposed threat persists?
Do all the stakeholders of the society know the wants of the youths? Leave aside all the issues or non issues, but the youths want good jobs, opportunities and good life, whereas, social and religious values and XYZ values are preached without visible practices.
The rampant level of corruption in the government cannot be checked, because there is no other source to rely upon. Not that the government is comfortable even if it be 100% grant from the Central Government in meeting the endless demands of the people. Everyone and all the organizations said to be representing the people should not stand in the way of the future of the youths.
Who can blame the youths for wanting good job and good life? The lack of opportunity besides the government is forcing the youth to break into the government sector by hook or crook style like the politicians. We are compromising our tomorrow. We can’t expect all the Naga youth to become self enterprising entrepreneurs overnight.
In the absence of MNCs and Corporate Sectors the sole social responsibility also has to be shouldered by the Government. For instance, if the Chief Guest or Guest of Honour in a students’ function does not give anything, which other source will give them money?
CONCLUSION: From the above discussed bottlenecks, if all the stakeholders of the society understand their role and try to mend ways slowly and gradually, and public education is taken as a burden by all of us in our limited humble ways, change may not be very far off, though easier said than done. We are aware that the Naga populace at largesse has become lethargic to change and expects miracle to happen. However, in a situation like Nagaland where corruption is far by pressure and less by choice; we the youths of today must realize that the real miracle is internal and it starts with self.
