H. Apise Sangtam
From the inception of the statehood democratic form of government has been in existence in this part of the world. Democracy signifies that the people as the power base. Its representatives have to work out according to general will. Both the politicians and the people have their own rights; however, those rights have to be accountable with a sense of responsibility. Therefore, those rights can be called a balance right. A good for one’s self and also for the well being of the society in the long run.
Nagas are fighting for the cause of sovereignty, and when the goal is achieved, the value of the right to vote will be fully equipped with its citizen to see a change in the fast changing world.
During an election the adult franchise is given to its citizens irrespective of sex, cast, or even educational status, etc. Election is termed as “public democracy” by the writer of this article. This right is not enjoyed by any other aliens even if they may be renowned person.
During this public democracy period, the right to vote becomes a cliché because those powers are used as a mere right. We let partisan spirit, money, and wine control all our entire being. And the people, specially, the Nagas also used to realize its utmost importance. Perhaps, that realization comes on the day of counting the ballot paper.
We Nagas as Christian voters want to let a new chapter begin in our history. Yet many of us have great desire to see other change and a self excuse is very obvious in our land. In order to bring back democracy into a right shape, are we depending on Indian government? We all may want to term our democracy as a shapeless hat because that hat has to been used by many.
Rather, in an airy of self righteousness as a good citizen, forgetting that we have been the ones who give helping hands to build that shapeless democracy. This democracy will linger on and on as a sort of neo-colonialism in our village and towns.
Let us have a little time to glance at our past record page by page. It is shameful and embarrassing to flip through those past deeds. Election expenditure is one of the highest expenditures of the state. The concerned candidates are forced to succumb to public demand because this is public democracy. Very long lists of demand are given and those are urgent and immediate ones, taking advantage of the election time as though tomorrow will never come. Even adults behave like abnormal over-grown babies.
After the public democracy is over the cries of the pubic are very much pitiable. Lists of their wants are too long. Along with different organizations and even as individual they may cry out for their rights. No proper development is done. Demands of the people are not met, and people complain about their leaders of severe short comings. Well, it is always good to raise public voice; however, it is better to see the past root cause. But this does not mean that this writer is in support of what the politicians are up to in this regard.
If the public demands are high and the election is over, “politician democracy” begins. Those who win from the public democracy they have time to do their own calculation about the recent election. So does our system need to be blamed? Perhaps, both the politicians and the public instead of finding out the solution, we blame only the past which has become only a skeleton.
During the politician democracy instead of finding the avenue as a leader chosen from sixty constituencies, probably, they also blame the past and fail to be true to themselves. During public gatherings, be it social or religion, many of them speak against corruption, about peace and reconciliation, and even about God. Well, many are very good in exhortation and they themselves are too far away from those things in their own daily lives. And in their homes and vicinities, they probably need another fix before they lecture their own people as a leader. As a leader, today, are they sacrificing a little bit more than their predecessors? A spiral of corruption from before and later as leaders of this land, the politicians themselves become the protagonist of that spiral corruption.
As a leader one usually see these leaders having a surprise checking in their concerned departments. Yes sirs, these things are a good example of a leader to the next-generation, but if CBI or some high investigating agency have a surprise checking in those concerned leaders’ offices, probably the worst administrative mishandling will be unearth. The state politicians are shivering and the word CBI is an allergic to them. And yet many of them live as though they are corruption free people like our present Prime Minister.
As a responsible citizen and as a leader we all have to find another a venue than yesterday, so that our land can see at least a little bit of change and discipline. Well, if the public wants to see a god leader, careful and healthy public support will produce dedicated leaders. In a democratic state such as ours Nagas have been living in a similar sort of democratic form for many centuries. Along with our leaders we have to labor and toil together. We have to rise above from our cocoons.
Among the prospective leaders during an election we have to choose at least the best among them who have plus points. Let us have a good beginning from our own respective constituencies and on any sort of election system, so that we can also expect good result. If the people do not have a good beginning today we must be ready to see something worst in future. In return the politicians also will have to see that during their leadership period some worst things should be expected, because every action has its equal and opposite reaction as Newton’s third law of motion said.
Today, if we realize that our society is ill and sick, it is not because some other forces did it. But this is our own creation and even to recreate we have to take this challenge. We have accepted all kinds of governance under the so called democratic form of government as a good form of government because we have adopted a lickspittle attitude. We have to say “No” to bad government in our past and even today.
Nagas have suffered a lot because they have failed to work together. May be, we are all too individualistic. Having a good baggage of this attitude we are very proud to call ourselves Christians. May be, today, we have failed to examine ourselves, our families, and even others. And we are so passive even to explore our own resources to our advantages. Are we not depending upon others too much specially the Indians and even the west and other developed nations? Therefore, this dependency, only leads us to accelerate our internal problems more. We have forgotten the good ethics of hard working. All these are the creation of elderly people not by the children, and together with the youngsters they suffer the consequences.
In this competitive world, when the tough gets tougher, only those who are brave can face this world. Nagas are no exception in this matter. Along with our leader’s we have failed in the test. May be we are so self-contented with what we are today. Are we refusing to learn from others and the past history? We have to accept the reality that Nagas need another fix in every aspect of our lives. Honestly speaking, we must confess that we are getting late.
The future generation and the world will laugh at us. We could be exiled in our own land where we were born. In a very subtle way we have hatched cobra-like systems in every areas and walks of our lives. These systems can kill the whole population like the terrorists’ acts. May be today is our time to recreate, restructure, and to rebuild. Today we might perceive that the days and time are bad and evil, but tomorrow may turn worse than what we are now.
Today is the day to rise, and if we let this opportunity and time to escape from us, tomorrow may never come, because separate time is not created for the Nagas. We have to think deeper cohesively than what we were yesterday. Even our morality is at the lowest ebbs. We all have a good share along with our spiritual leaders.
Christianity without disciplineship is not Christianity at all. In our homes, schools, colleges, office and in market places many of us have forgotten God. We have to pray and be willing to toil and to sweat for the people. Yes, we have to acknowledge before other nations that many Naga Christians have become fruitless. We need another revival in this part of the land.
With a positive outlook upon ourselves and having a greater confidence among us we can erase a related tribal neo-colonialism among us a great deal. If we have a new beginning today by taking a little risk and sacrificing a little bit today; a little bit of push-ups for positive points, then we are gaining height day by day. Even our God honors those whose work is done for his people’s welfare. We have to rise in coalesce for this beautiful a praxis democracy which also leads to spiritual, social, political, and economic welfare. We should transcend the constitution which prescribes about the democracy, and as the people of God, Christ should be seen by others in our practical lives.
