Monalisa Changkija
Nagaland’s overall development-deficit is unique ~ as most things are here. The reasons are also unique. The simplest explanation for this deficit is, of course, corruption ~ but the corruption here is also unique.
I always hesitate to invite people to Nagaland because even I don’t want to travel on what has been passing off as our roads for almost over two decades. Yes, cosmetic repairs are done particularly before the famed Hornbill Festival but soon the rains and the heavy vehicles wipe away the cosmetics of our roads unceremoniously. What exactly is the problem here since it doesn’t rain only in Nagaland? You see, the same reasons pertain to almost all other sectors such as health, education, etc.
One of the primary reasons for such deplorable development-deficit here is administrative-and-governance-deficit. But obviously this is not really an issue with our people because the same people are elected over and over again. If one looks at the sharp divisions in the ruling party, which has been in power for almost fifteen years, it’s the same old same old. With a few exceptions, the same old people have been elected in the past three consecutive state Assembly elections ~ despite non-performance. How do we explain this phenomenon? It would be too simplistic again to cite factors such as tribe, clan, etc. While these factors are very real, I would also cite factors such as the low level of awareness and education of our people ~ never mind that we have one of the highest literacy rates in the country. As a sub-category, I would cite the proclivity of our people to talk and believe all kinds of things without studying and analyzing whether there is any grain of truth or logic in the talks, especially about politics. We live on the rich diet of rumours, suspicions, assumptions, presumptions, accusations and allegations, which are all taken as the Gospel truths. In this atmosphere, clearly persons with social standing by way of having been elected before or now, or serving/having served in Government service, even a driver or peon, card-carrying members of political parties, NGOs, members of constitutionally-recognized traditional bodies, moneyed people, non-state players, etc., have the advantage of totally colonizing the minds of the people. Then, there is the sub-category of most of our people becoming politicians, political analysts and commentators, even political scientists come elections. As history has proved, it is very difficult not to be swayed by persuasive tongues, especially of those who hold office or have a high status at any level of society. But, I’m not sure whether being simple is the same as being gullible.
Another factor is the complicity of voters in corruption. It is very difficult to anyone to say no to a politician or bureaucrat, who has helped get you or a member of your family jobs in Government service through the backdoor. In fact, backdoor appointments, a huge issue here in the last couple of years, are done with the sole objective of political returns. Nepotism inevitably transcends to the political domain. So yes, it is often the refrain here that because we sell our votes, our elected representatives are corrupt and get away with murder. While this true, it doesn’t explain why our politicians forget their oath on the Constitution. But being unique, who amongst voters remember and remind our elected representatives of the Indian Constitution?
The other factor is our skewed perceptions and perspectives of development. As far as we are concerned, as long as we get what we want in terms of education, jobs and make enough money to better the Jones, we are not bothered about our neighbours, much less about our roads or the state of health and education. The very practice of proxy teachers and nurses and the increasingly growing private practice of doctors underscore self-prioritizing at the cost of the greater good of the greatest number of people. This is actually astounding considering that as a tribal community Nagas had prioritized the collective over the individual ~ at least in our foreparents’ days. What has made us so individualistic and self-absorbed? What has made us stop being our brothers’ keepers? The forced transition from a subsistence economy to an alien form of capitalism ~ and now liberalization and globalization? Or have these merely provided the latitude for us to be our natural selves - individualistic, self-absorbed, now that capitalism, liberalization and globalization have contributed to weakening tribal bonds?
Nagaland is also perhaps the only state in India that is totally politics-and-Government-centric. Without political and Government patronage, nothing can happen here ~ not even a concert, a fashion show, a beauty contest, a student union’s or a church programme. Politicians and bureaucrats have total financial control over all spheres of human activities, which is one explanation for the almost non-existence private sector and non-flow of investment into the state and the non-existence of tourism, one of the most revenue-earning sectors in states like Meghalaya and Sikkim. True, these states don’t have insurgency issues or ILP, etc. But see how cleverly these issues are used and abused to justify Nagaland’s overall development-deficit? Despite worse insurgency issues in Assam and Manipur, development activities to a certain extent have not stopped in these states. Manipur has an international airport, while we have just two flights a day. Nagaland is the only state that has no direct flights to Guwahati in the Northeast. What of the Act East Policy then ~ how far can this Policy be realized without smooth communications within the Northeast? One major factor for the development-deficit here that has been regurgitated endlessly over the decades is the insurgency issue. Our powers-that-be repeatedly “exhort” that peace is a precursor to development ~ the connotations being: once the Naga issue is honourably settled, development will inevitably ensue. This does not explain where funds from the Centre have disappeared, the emergence of crony capitalism, emergence of the small but very fabulously affluent and powerful class that indubitably controls the maximum wealth of Nagaland and the increasing impoverishment of the ordinary citizen. Our unique concept of democracy is another factor that must be addressed especially because evidently dissent of “mainstream narratives” is still not tolerated.
Perhaps the most unique reason for Nagaland’s development-deficit is the absence of a value-system in our society. We have erased the line between right and wrong, true and false, good and bad ~ worse still, successfully defeating right with might, now we live by the axiom “wrong is right”. Surprising for a state that proclaims “Nagaland for Christ” ~ but then as we no longer seek wisdom in the “fear of the Lord”, development-deficit is inevitable. A value-system and wisdom are intrinsically linked ~ because we have abandoned both, we cite numerous political, economic, social, cultural, sociological factors and analyze them through the prism of local, regional, national and global trends at an intellectual level so while change is our favourite topic, it certainly isn’t our favourite action. Salvation comes only with change ~ based on a value-system and informed by wisdom. Change comes only when we concede we are human ~ and our inability to be human like everyone else on this planet is another unique factor for our development-deficit.
(The Columnist, a journalist and poet, is Editor, Nagaland Page) (Courtesy: Assam Tribune)
