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Some of those who voted POLITICIANS had this to say:
• The change process must begin with politicians. In Naga culture the role of leaders are important and people look up and emulate individuals in leadership positions. I strongly believe if leaders can lead the change process, the common people will follow.
• Politicians because they hold the highest platform for influence and power.
• Those who are in the best positions to influence and enforce. Therefore the politicians and the church must change the way they run their business. Then public and the bureaucrats will fall in line
• For change one must have excess to power and must know how to exercise the political power. In Nagaland, the individual and the public do not have political power and so no matter what they do, they do not bring any change. I vote for politicians because they have the power to change things.
• Politicians, they are accountable. The bureaucrats should just follow orders.
Some of those who voted BUREAUCRATS had this to say:
• For changes in the society it cannot just depend on one person. It requires institutional change. Politicians come and go but bureaucrats are the ones that actually hold the real state power. Very often they shy behind the politician but they are the ones responsible for making policies. In most cases the politicians are only signing policies drafted and made by bureaucrats. For change our bureaucrats have be more honest, sincere, transparent, committed and must assume responsibilities rather than passing on the blame to politicians.
• Bureaucrats. They should bring forth new schemes and amendments making the politicians realize the folly.
• It is the only bureaucracy that can bring the change as they don’t have ‘Self Interests.’
Some of those who voted CHURCH had this to say:
• The Church is the highest moral and spiritual platform in our society. Majority of us are Christians and the Church is one of the most influential bodies in our context. Church must lead the change process.
• Those leaders should show exemplary life.
• I don't know exactly from whom to begin in the first place. But I believe our Church and the believers can do a lot here because we Nagas are all Christians and we give due respect to the Church and the people associated with it. It is to be noted that the START is not going to be easy but CHANGE will surely come if we do it whole-heartedly.
• Only church.
• Everyone on the list including I, is responsible for bringing about change to the rapidly declining dysfunctional state we call home. Having said that, primary duty should be the “church” provided we are in agreement that we are conversing about church as an administrative body which seems to the case here in the poll rather than church that we all are called to “be” and called to participate “in” when we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour into the body of Christ. God has called the church to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Unfortunately its now relegated itself to self -styled guardians of the moral DNA of the Naga people without the word of God as foundation but rather based on “rituals” “traditions”, “Naga society rules“ and “power for themselves”. Hence the immense decline of the Naga society. If the very people who are to be in the light are operating from a place of darkness what hope do we have for space to create even mini ripples for change. One may argue “we are all responsible for our own morals” but I counter, “if morals are being abused as a means to gain power by the very people put in place to teach and guide us how can we “do” differently. Faith is action based on Gods truth, Gods mercy, Gods forgiveness above all Gods love. The time has come for the “church” to replace their hard hearts of false love for God with the true knowledge of serving an Almighty God and start serving God and not their ego. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. I cannot even began to comprehend the incredible transformation that would take place within the heart of our people the Nagas if we were led by a bible based, Gods will pursuing church ! We will for Gods glory be crafted into stellar exemplary state amongst the nations of the world! As an Before Christ and After Christ state. Politics will no longer be a game of thieves but rather a game of developing the best the world has to offer for the state and its people and the term “Nagaland for Christ” would finally be justified. Bureaucrats would become lions of Judah upholding the structure and foundational base of development with truth, justice and love. Individuals and the public would become lambs serving God and with prayers send up to uphold those in power to their faith. As for others they would see and experience the subtle but powerful workings of God in our state and would turn to God. I believe God is already preparing His people to rise up against the darkness that has pervaded every cranny of our hearts. The fact that this poll exists is example of the few that’s akin to gathering database and equipping themselves to finally go to war! And rise up as children of God, for God and by God.
• Change involves power and without power there can be no change. In our Nagaland, the Church is a constant origin of power and so I feel it must begin from the Church.
Some of those who voted INDIVIDUAL/PUBLIC had this to say:
• A society is a configuration of individuals. If individuals are well-informed, democratic, and proactive then change which we make a hue and cry for is in the offing. It is not really a political solution or economic growth as the 'solution', but enlightened citizens. We all have a responsible (at an individual level) to take voluntary step to walk out of darkness to light. Our traditional shawl is vibrant and beautifully designed because each thread is intricately crisscrossed in sequence and order. Each one of us has a part and responsibility to better Nagaland.
• No tribalism.
• We complain about this and that but when election comes we sell our votes, fight among each other and lick the politician shoes asking for favors. So if we want change for a better Nagaland, the process starts from the individual/public
• For any change to be brought, we need to change our individual's mindset first. It starts with one person, one family.
• Individual, we have the habit of taking everything for granted; our attitude of "moi Laga problem nahoi itu, tai khan Laga person problem asay" will doom us all someday. We turn blind eye or sit and complain but never provide the solution, the bureaucrats, politicians, church, society all constitute of "Individual" if the individual change so does the society.
• Individual, as it is directly proportional to all the others mentioned (if I may apply the little of mathematics that I can vaguely remember from my school days).
• The power is in our hands, if someone is not in right position to hold the elected member we should thrown away the person and we must elect the new and capable person.
• The foremost is the individual and secondly the Church.
• Individual/public has the power to vote. That's a big one.
• Individual, because it is individuals that constitutes a family, families that constitutes a community and communities that constitutes a state. Adam and his wife Eve lost the delight of Eden garden not only because of their failure but because of playing the blame shifting game - Eve blamed the snake so also Adam blamed Eve for the sin that they have committed and the result was lost of paradise. Let us accept that the real change will begin only when individuals are changed first.
• It's obviously the individuals and public, for when the public or individual has a right set of mind and attitude only will they choose to bring about the changes in the society at micro level and also choose the leaders capable and equally committed and responsible to lead them but Nagas live in a Dog eat Dog World - where everyone is for themselves and unfortunately even God is for Sale! If the price is right!
• All the above...are made of individual so definitely it must begin with individuals and everything will fall in its own place.
• From you and me.
• It should be public and every individual no matter how bad or good is our society
• All of us. We are all responsible (in our own respective departments). It has to be a concerted effort.
• Individual, cause changes begins with you and me.
• Every matured individual.
• If and only if an individual/public change their mind set the rest will automatically change.
• For our State, Nagaland to change for a better is in the hands of very individual/Public in our state. All the politicians, Bureaucrats, church members etc are all individuals who went into those profession. If an individual thought for a better change to be brought by him or her taking up the responsibilities then, one can become the required profession. Every individual has the right to speech.
• The mass should be educated and empowered at a basic level before they head to all the shallow idea of popular rights. We as a people should know how the government is required to function and how we as the public can keep it in check while at the same time be performing our duties as a citizen which will require us to follow the rules, something many Nagas cannot adhere to as our leaders. But yes, Nagaland will need a mass based change, a bottom up approach for any change to be processed. it is also complicated though, because the vicious cycle of corruption has infiltrated to a level that we will need people from the political, bureaucratic, church and the public to work out a change together not alone.
• Changes must come from the people, as it is for the people themselves. Who else will bring the change for us? A people build its own country. For instance, if public is paid in advance for votes than who is corrupted in the first place?
• We are the one who decides the circumstances around us. We don’t complain or protest when something is not right in our society. We should learn to demand our rights. We all end it up as a jock, which is NOT. We should learn to trust each other also.
Some of those who voted OTHERS had this to say:
• Right now our roads are being held to ransom by big corporate companies and local contractors. For change to come to Nagaland, our roads must improve. This means the big companies and our local contractors must start delivering the goods. They cannot take the people for granted anymore.
• Politicians and Bureaucrats.
• All mentioned.
• "Dystopia" is not going anywhere. It is going to stay. Is Naga Diaspora even a thing? American Nagas ...save us!
• Everyone! Start from home then the rest will follow...
• Start from the kitchen. Our diet speaks lots.
• Clean within to see CHANGES on the without....
• Change process must begin from good people in all the mentioned above.
• You and I will have to change period...
• I think I should say that, the way Nagas view money should change first; because money influences everything (politicians, bureaucrats, church, individual/public). Nagas have always been dependent on the GOI financially. So for any change to take place; the way people view money should change first. As the saying goes "Everything is money.”
• Individual or public, first we need to change our mindset. The change should be started from within our kitchen only that we can change our society.
• Entire Naga National Political Groups. Without extortion and tax collection, Nagas can crawl back into the system of honesty. That's all it matters. Nothing can be completely curbed but, maximum impact can be resulted if the above mentioned groups behave and co-operate with the public to clean the system.
