The incident involving Nagaland Home Minister at the Kathmandu Airport could have been averted had the Minister taken necessary precaution to know the dos and don’ts while traveling abroad. While no doubt the Minister need not be haunted for what happened, nevertheless the incident has caused embarrassment for the people in the State besides putting the present DAN government in poor light. This incident though not related comes in the immediate backdrop of another equally embarrassing moment for the State when a government employee was hauled up in Assam for carrying some Rs one crore in his vehicle. And in fact what the Home Minister was reportedly carrying i.e. Rs nine lakh should not be such a big surprise. Even if the argument is given that he should have carried his credit card, the amount of Rs 9 lakh (in denomination of Rs 1000/-) can be easily carried in a small polythene bag. At face value therefore the only fault of the Minister was that he did not know the rules and was ignorant about it. This is a good lesson for all of us and not just for the Home Minister. Here in Nagaland we think that we can get away with things. We have this kushi kushi attitude. Wanting to get things done our own way according to our whims and fancies is a chronic problem that present day Nagas are known to possess. This is especially true of our political class or those who think that they wield considerable power so much so that they think they are above the law. Hopefully such incidents when we get into trouble will be both a humbling experience and also a time to introspect our moral failings.
It is important that as leaders, we use our time and God given opportunity with gratitude and also with great fear. Our Ministers and politicians must honor and respect the enormous responsibility given to them by the people. There is nothing wrong in enjoying power or being powerful only that we should not become drunk with power or attempt to become omnipotent as though we have become God. Today you may wield considerable power to do everything that you ever wanted in your life—wealth and pleasure to pursue. But know that these are only temporary. We should be careful not to cross our limit. Carrying money, whether they are small or big amount is not a crime as long as it legitimately belongs to you. After all everyone needs money to pursue life and to take care of our wants. But this should not become an excuse for swindling public money and that too blatantly. But then again our system does not have proper checks and balances to mitigate abuse of power. There is no respect for the rule of law. Here it is worth mentioning about a recent development in Angola where a public probity law has taken effect. The Public Probity Law relates to moral governance and deals with unjust enrichment as well as the abuse of power. It is unthinkable for us to have such a legally binding instrument to fight corruption and manage public money because we simply do not have the will. And this is the tragedy we are faced with as a society. Right now the rule of law does not apply, only our kushi kushi attitude.
