Jonah Achumi
It may sound like a dark sarcasm but it’s the truth. The only place the Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) has a place for the Nagas is after their death and that place is the Old Naga Cemetery. This line of dark joke goes along with one of the many comments by one angry youth over the growing resentment and bitterness gathering in momentum on this organisation. Scores of countless outbursts have been thrown out by the younger lot all over the social media during the last few days on the NCD’s room allocation of their new building at the Nyamo Lotha Road Dimapur. Flooded with questions like, “Is the NCD truly for the Nagas? What work has it done for the young Nagas so far? Are they to serve or just to make some money at the cost of the Nagas? Do the members of the NCD have any fore-thoughts or after-thoughts about our young Nagas and their plight? Does the NCD know why extortions and anti-social acts among the huge unemployed Naga youths are on the rise? Does the NCD know or care atleast even a bit about the growing rate of unemployment among the Nagas and is any step taken by them as a remedial measures being a mass based organisation?” etc. etc. seems to be floating all around in the minds and mouths of many young Nagas. The NCD must realize that the young Nagas are no longer naïve, dumb, blind to all the going-ons in their land as in the past. What our elders and leaders do from behind, they want it to be laid on the table and serve it hot and fresh. Things are altogether different these days.
The NCD, as a mass-based organization, was held in high esteem and was a respected one until recently. The aura it once held has dimmed recently by its boycott call on the ACAUT Rally. As if the dent on its image was not enough, the latest allotment of all its new building rooms to non – Nagas, a plethora of negative vibes and much ire has been spilled over the NCD by hundreds of Naga youngsters. They could have atleast done a 50-50 share of allotment for Nagas and non- Nagas. In this way everybody could have been well satisfied. The allotment of all the rooms to non- Nagas has been taken by a lot of young Nagas that NCD is the chief propagator and patroniser of the outsiders and doesn’t give a hoot for the indigenous Naga youths. The two actions of the NCD have made every Nagas started questioning on its image and credibility. The NCD, as an organization, was looked upon by every Nagas and other non- Naga organizations too alike as one apex umbrella organization in the cosmopolitan town of Dimapur. It was one few remaining respected apex body consisting of Nagas from every bloc, union or federation. Until recently it publicly came out with its decision to boycott the ACAUT Rally on the 25th August at the Supermarket – Market Dimapur. That was when the tinder box was scratched. Declaring their unwillingness to join the movement against corruption in the public domain set the windmill of queries churning which snowballed into a myriad of analysis which left many scrutinizing into their motive of the boycott call, especially by thousands of the young Nagas. What matter of internal discord or personal dispute might have prevailed amongst the NCD or ACAUT members, why go public in boycotting the rally? That seems to be the question of the moment. An avalanche of questions came rolling down in the likes of “Was it to demoralize, discourage and dishearten the ACAUT? Or just to dampen the people’s desire for a change? Can the NCD call a rally where they can match the number that attended the rally? Forget about half, even a quarter of the number?” Their boycott call and making it public about it sure didn’t go well with the Naga populace, both young and old alike. They should have rather maintained their dignified silence. Even the boycott of the ACAUT rally too seems to have not been received well by some units as they were not taken in confidence about its decision according to some reliable sources.
Many have started casting doubts upon the credibility and integrity of the NCD after this incident. Nagas no matter from what background or profession one maybe ,are ready to support a good cause today as many young Nagas have started feeling that the present mess they are in is not of their creation but has been created by the leaders and elders. Most young Nagas feel betrayed and consider themselves a generation wronged; and waiting for a change, which seems to be so elusive still at present.
On the allotment of all the rooms to non- Nagas, the NCD may have its own reason for doing so but it has sent a very wrong message to many unemployed youths and young Naga entrepreneurs who find no accommodation here in our own land that we call our own. From some unconfirmed sources, it was said the NCD took an advance amount for the construction of the building so it had no choice but to allot the rooms to them. But then again questions are being asked like whether the money paid by we Nagas are different from other’s money? There are many national and commercial banks also that are ready to dole out any amount to an organization like the NCD for construction purposes in a prime location like the present one. Nagas at the same time must also introspect why all commercial spaces and business complexes are preferred to be given to non- Nagas by owners or organisations. Maybe it is our attitude and the style of dealing with others that make others not wanting to let out their premises. Most common ones are the non-payment of rents in time, khushi-khushi- style, delay in clearing dues, start acting like the malik after being given the space etc. The reasons are aplenty which are obvious to all of us. Even if it is given to us, we sublet it to others and to earn some extra money. The best examples are the DMC Millennium Building and the Naga Shopping Arcade more popularly known as the Super- Market. So at the same time, it will be wise to look at the both sides of the coin.
NCD can do a lot better than what they are doing at present. Many would like to see the NCD doing some humanitarian works besides the others social works they undertake around the cosmopolitan town of ours like repairing of potholes, standing up against unabated extortion, organizing workshops on right livelihood earning or opening employment avenues at local level, opening up skill development centers for young school and college drops outs and yes, giving out its premises to our young Nagas who are our own children. Aren’t you their parents? Isn’t it your bounden duty to look after the plight of our own children when they are in distress? Or should we look the other way when a hefty amount of money comes our way? Isn’t it the bounden duty of any dutiful parent to uplift and uphold our own children’s welfare rather than strangers’ well-being just to earn some more cash? As leaders, we need to walk the extra mile and go any distance where the government cannot reach out. Reaching out to the masses and bringing solutions to the ever emerging concerns around us and confronting our everyday life should be our priority as leaders. If not, our motive as leaders is questionable and people have every right to cast their doubts the reason why we are sitting on the chairs and enjoying the privileges. The NCD if it wants to win back the hearts of the young Nagas, they should do some soul-searching .It is not only the district administration and the police who should do the round the clock vigil, but the NCD should question its own conscience why things like fuel adulteration, rice scam were taking place under their very nose when it could have acted like a Watchdog and could have prevented to atleast some extent in Dimapur. Maybe the scant regard of its existence didn’t bother the anti-socials but made some ‘famous’ citizens of Dimapur to carry out those broad daylight robberies for so long. Had the NCD acted in all its fatherly figure, acted as a guardian of the town, maybe such scheming and underhand dealings in this town could have been controlled atleast to some extend even if not all. But when we want to bask in the sun and enjoy only the fruits on our trees outside, things inside our homes start getting chaotic, disordered and rotten. With so many assets and ample revenue in its hand it is not too late for the NCD to bring some positivity for the denizens.
The NCD has filled up the only two water bodies in the hearts of the Dimapur town like the pond near the East Police Station, adjacent to the Zeme Baptist Church and the Hazi Park Pond for more construction purposes. Infact the NCD should have developed these water bodies to beautify the town as well as create atleast as a sort of a recreational parks for the denizens of Dimapur since it doesn’t have any sort of such facilities except for the two little film halls and the famous Mela Bazaars where ear-piercing blaring loudspeakers that comes along with it. NCD should focus more on welfare duties for the Dimapurians rather than becoming more like a construction firm or real estate agents which is more interested in building shopping complexes to mint more money and garner more revenues for itself. Dimapur with such narrow congested roads, they should have atleast build a parking lot for the shoppers and motorists. Everywhere around Dimapur, one of the most common thing we see is the sign of ‘No Parking’ or ‘Parking Only for Customers’ on every side of the road. In the ever busy traffic-jam area like that of the Nyamo Lotha Road, the NCD should have better build a Parking Lot in the ground floor so as to relieve the public by easing the congestion and at the same time earn revenue from the parking tax. Or doesn’t the NCD, comprising of seasoned and elderly leaders, sees this town in dire need or drastic requirement of a parking lot by any means? Many would like to see them more welfare oriented, future oriented and community friendly rather than money oriented.
The writer does not have any personal grudge against the NCD but as a concerned citizen is voicing out as one of many voices of our young Nagas and wishes the NCD make good start again and start acting like the dutiful father and a faithful guardian of Dimapur. Otherwise it will be like one of the many redundant, obsolete and the irrelevant organisations which have filled Nagaland and that people have scant regard of their existence no matter how much they try to prove themselves to be worthy.
