Akangjungla
2022 is here as the New Year. The approach of anything new is a blend of ambiguity and uncertainty, and yet full of expectation. The year 2021 witnessed many unwarranted incidents, as the prolong pandemic left the whole world struggling to survive through the chaos of the virus and deal with the mental whiplash it brought along. Among the many eventful occurrences in the previous year, though the virus seemed to keep a low count, some of the issues that have been prominent are likely to continue in 2022.
In the political front, the formation of an opposition-less government changed the political narration, as many are left speculating what it would mean in the next general election. The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) and Independent members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly unanimously resolved to adopt the nomenclature of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) for the opposition-less government in Nagaland.
The Nagaland Chief Minister in a tweet announced that “The nomenclature of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) for the Opposition-less government in Nagaland has been unanimously approved by the legislators and party leaders of NDPP, BJP, NPF and Independent MLAs.” The move came a month after the Opposition joined hands with the government in Nagaland.
In a public poll carried out by this newspaper in August 2021, a total of 67 % of the respondents did not support the idea of having an opposition-less government in Nagaland. The actual manifestation of this per cent will be confirmed only during the next Nagaland Legislative Assembly election scheduled to be held in 2023 to elect all 60 members.
The Oting massacre undoubtedly drew the main attention in 2021, as 13 innocent villagers were killed by India’s security forces in Oting village in the Mon district of Nagaland on December 4, 2021 and another innocent civilian was killed in Mon town the following day. It sent shockwaves through the country and the rest of the world. Cries grew louder for the withdrawal of the draconian Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act (AFSPA) 1958, as many were reminded of the past human rights violations meted out on the Naga people under this Act.
Amid the protest and condemnation, as the Naga people continue the journey for justice and earnestly wait for the report from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Nagaland government, hopefully, one of the potential outcomes would be repeal of this infamous Act. However, just a week after the Government of India set up of a special panel to review the enforcement of the AFSPA, which is expected to submit its report in 45 days, the Centre’s decision to continue the enforcement of the controversial law across Nagaland for another six months has been considered as “a calculated sign that undermines human dignity and value while the Konyaks are crying for justice.”
The formation of three new districts, viz. Tseminyu, Niuland and Chümoukedima, bringing the total number of districts in Nagaland to fifteen, was an unpredicted affair. It made the year 2021 more eventful as within no time, many took the announcement as banter, while others intensified their demand for similar administrative units. For those waiting the 2023 general election, the speculation and prediction have added more details.
As 2022 begins, along with these issues, expect some other side matters to carry over as well. It is impossible to foresee everything the next 12 months have in store and therefore, leaving no predictions here for the future, moving forward one can only hope that the past year has been a learning experience and given birth for a renewed fit of optimism, spirited with more resilience and courage.
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