The continuing war of words between the ruling Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) and the Opposition Congress over the prevailing law and order situation is turning out to be another spectacle similar to the Office of Profit circus, which ended with both political parties failing to register any points on the score-sheet. The latest missives over factional violence and the continuing media bite to stamp their political positions on an issue that actually would have demanded a collective effort only goes to show the poverty of ideas of the political class. While the respective party campaign on the issue only gets louder, for those in the audience (the public), the message is getting shriller and more confusing with each passing day. Everyday brings forth new clarifications, condemnations, castigations so much so that the two political parties are reducing their self-worth to the lowest level of political depravity.
It would be much more advisable for the two political party to actually address the problem of factional clashes—whether one terms it as law and order or political problem—as it has come to impact on public peace and social order. While the Opposition Congress party should not merely criticize but come out with positive suggestions, the ruling NPF party likewise on its part should stop defending its political prestige on something which is indefensible—the security and life of its citizens. Even if it is accepted that the Naga underground issue is a political problem requiring political intervention and resolution, over-ground politicians cannot in any manner willfully allow lawlessness to continue and thereby disturb peace and order. The NPF should realize that factional clashes have now become turf wars with a visible presence in civilian areas as a result of which it directly affects peace and order in populated areas. This is the crux of the present problem—the infiltration of armed violence into civilian areas.
Both the Congress and the NPF will do well not to politicize the current factional clashes so as to avoid further fragmentation of the political landscape. As elected representatives of the people, their first call of duty should be to respect the sentiment of the people and this without doubt means restoring peace in a divided land. It is therefore of outmost importance that sincere efforts be made to bring the warring underground factions to a common platform. For this to happen, the political parties must also work within a common framework on this particular issue. The stalled Joint Legislators Peace Committee should now be given a chance to work. The sincerity of the Opposition Congress to partake in such an initiative will also be on test here.
Whether one calls it law and order or political problem at the end anything that infringes on the Right to Life must remain a matter of serious concern. To avoid Zunheboto like situations even in the future, the crux of the problem has to established first and appropriate measures taken. In this case, the problem arises because of militarization of civilian areas. Both the Congress and the NPF should jointly take up with New Delhi, the laxity in the ceasefire mechanism and put pressure on the concerned authorities to take precautionary steps to ensure that armed cadres are moved back into their respected designated camps and in the process help in demilitarization of public inhabited areas.
