Appeal to the government and public in choosing our representatives in elections
Rozelle Mero: With elections at our doorstep sooner than we think, people should look at all the new candidates who want to join elections of the local bodies as well as the state level! Take a serious look at their backgrounds and contribution, just because your dad was a politician does not mean the legacy is to be handed to you with your stolen accumulated wealth.... people teach such candidates a lesson.. Most of these people who have never contributed or participated hands on in community interests nor come down from their high and mighty lofts as if they are above station of everyone else, who have no inkling of what it is for people to struggle on a daily basis, who have done nothing to prove their worth ever but suddenly they are experts who can make decisions for the region they represent or are laden with new found wisdom and energy to fight for the constituency... Watch out for these parasites! (Please understand that this really does not include those who actively participate and look after the welfare of the people for there are some good ones too)
Another thing that rankles me are the Heads of department who are about to retire. They already make plans to go into elections as soon as they retire and start creating a vote bank by randomly appointing hundreds of people as they leave office even though they know very well they are doing something illegal and also burdening an already debt ridden state with more salary addition. They very cleverly try to manipulate their current opponents position and the government to take the fall when such illegally appointed people are removed from office by blaming their to-be opponents. Such manipulative people should be recognised and never brought to power as you can only imagine what vengeful cunning behaviour they can get into if brought into power... and don't forget the amount of public money they may have siphoned off in anticipation of expenses for their political entry! That is money that should have been rightfully used to develop the state not to be hidden away as his or her private wealth!
GON please pass a law that prohibits people in Government Offices from going straight into elections as soon as they retire or are relieved of their Government run duties. Please make sure that they are prevented from it for at least 5 years after their retirement! Enough of stealing from one coffer and then jump straight into another one to divest whatever they may have left behind! Political entry should be a lifelong prepared career just like any other career at best and at worst only after they are given enough time to live as ordinary citizens. Please, Please any of our policy makers who know this to be absolutely true and are in this page or read of it, get this done before the next band of thieves decide to join other existing band of thieves and take our state back to a worse state than it already is! WE HAVE HIT ROCK BOTTOM and our greatest fear is anyone and everybody will start selling their very souls!
Wetsho Lasushe: Today, I believe in, 'See Change, Bring Change and Be The Change.' Politically speaking, look for someone who can make a difference, bring him/her to the system and we be the change. :) We need reformed leaders and not just political leaders.
Peter Molemshu: For those of us who are literate enough to read and learn the system, it is clear and understood how to act. Choosing a sincere leader and voting for them is easier. But I believe 50 percent or more voters are not so literate enough. For them, the election is time for bringing conditions to the candidates, who could ensure employment, or at least provide an instant assistance when needed. For instance, one who could give a 1000 rupee when asked or 5k or 10k and on. For people like me who vote along with my fellow rural area voters, it is a big challenge to make them understand. Good roads, electricity, schools, health care and others are just dreams they don't see happening. And according to me, the bigger challenge lies there. Perhaps this is the main cause for wrongly electing a representative. And the situation in urban, literate areas, I don't know, maybe they trusted the representative but the trust is broken. How should we tackle this issue at rural areas. I wish I could cast all the votes in my village by myself, which amount to some 2000 and more.
Victor Kevilhouthie: Nowadays even if a person is so intact in his personality and values and deserving to stand for elections, it is so difficult to support and encourage the person because we have experiences with many good and promising leaders who have failed us after winning elections. They all join the chorus with the other fellow politicians. This makes me to wonder "is politic a hub for grooming people otherwise"?
Is the election procedure so wrong that it tempts the candidate to choose unfair means later? Is the political environment or the political fraternity so unconducive and unhealthy that it challenges one's integrity and moral ethics? Or are all the above challenges lies only with the good judgment of the candidate himself/herself or all to do with the electorates for this menace?
But yes, good should overcome evil. So let’s continue to support the good and deserving candidates, after all if ever there comes a day of change and transformation in Nagaland, it will be all because of those few good ones (both politicians and laity) who will stand their ground firm on the principle of what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong.
Participation of youth in Election Process
Diku Zeliang: Article 326 of the Indian Constitution through The Indian Constitution (Sixty-first Amendment) Act, 1988 has lowered the voting age from 21 years to 18 years in order to let the youth take active part in electoral processes and elect your own leader – your constituency representative.
Youths of our Generation are mostly literate and wise enough to decide what is wrong and right. Wise enough to know the causes of social disorderliness in the society- socially, economically, culturally, politically and educationally.
However, it is unfortunate to learn that most of these young minds that are aware of the socio-political problems in the society cannot take right decision and do not participate or participate very less in making the society better in all the above aspects.
One of the most effective and reformative strategies to bring a drastic change in our society can be achieved through just and fair revolutionary movement of the youths who can sacrifice their own individual interests for the interest of the society.
In order to bring an overwhelming positive reformation in our society, we need to honestly exercise our constitutional rights of voting wherein, it implies that we understand who is to represent us and will voice out our concern in the government political decision making.
Election in Nagaland will hit again by 2018 and we should prepare ourselves to actively take part in the electoral processes and for this, we need to first enrol ourselves in our constituency.
Many youth of our generation thinks election is the time to make money and have fun doing it running around, boozing around and riding around in the name of election campaign.
It is high time we change our approaches to this phenomenon and strive – really strive to bring positive changes in our own society in particular and our area in general if not the whole of our state.
We, the YOUTH, can be the game changer, if we can honestly and sincerely practice moral politics in our times.
If the politicians can play their politics with us, we should start adopting our own policies to play with them and show them our generation is not a corrupted generation easily enticed by certain goodies.
Let us not be easily fooled and lured by the corrupted politicians, but with our honest and sincere political strategies show them the miracles of our generation.
If they can speak about their political propaganda for about an hour or two, we should show them that we can do more than they did.
Let us not embrace ourselves to suffer another five years of chaos, criticism, gossiping, worrying, hating which ultimately will bring enmity among us, but let us strive with sacrifices to see the positive change in the next five years after the election.
Let us together strive to build our society into a fine and civilised hospitable society where everyone lives in harmony and with no complaint like that of bad road condition, poor electricity services, corrupted government agencies or officers. Let’s stop the blame game and look into ourselves for bringing positive changes. It's a big challenge to change for better, but no challenges are too big to overcome.
GOD BLESS NAGALAND!
