Vitho Zao
The political imbroglio that has been going on in our state does not speak ill of our political leaders alone but reveals the blunder of voters as a whole. We have elected leaders we deserve. None of us can deny that our leaders procured their leadership and thus these leaders do not regard the might of public franchise. Wherever and whenever a leader buys his way to leadership ,the first and foremost priority to serve the public is lost and such system of leadership can only bring corruption that leads to class system of rich and poor. Leaders chosen from might of money and muscle power can never be a selfless leader, the office he or she holds will definitely be dragged into partiality, injustice etc and that is where we are today.
Recently, in a Facebook post an MLA from Assam was photographed carrying a bag of rice on his back to help the flood victims! He is RUPJYOTI KUMAR, MLA of Mariani Assam. The post quipped, 'Can Naga MLAs do like them?' I commented, "Never even in our dreams". At the most what I can imagine of our MLAs in such a situation is; get down from a car worth Rs. 25 lakh and above, door will be opened by someone, walk under the shed of an umbrella held by someone probably a chamcha, dark glasses, will walk around few steps for a while, utter some measures to be taken and forget or distribute some articles with news flash in all dailies next day. Dimapur is under flood in many localities, bridges have collapsed, some on the verge, landslide here and there! Have the local MLAs visited these affected places? Have they convened meetings to discuss ways and means to tackle these situations? It's the duty of concerned departments to extend help and support but it is the bounden duty of local MLAs to highlight the plight of localities. If MLAs can't prioritise at such calamities he is not responsible enough to represent the area and the people. The lifeline of Dimapur, the Dhansiri Bridge between Purana Bazar and Burma camp is not reliable. If you happen to stand or halt for a while when vehicles move you will feel the bridge shake! I don't think it is technology? Beware! All the political instability that is going on in our state is a blessing in disguise. All these years public have been literally blind, dumb and numb but after the tamasha our very own MLAs have awakened us and we should be grateful to them for revealing their true colour. The recent tussle of MLAs must have reminded everyone our childhood days of siding and quarreling to gain numbers, I have to thank them for bringing back memories of yore.
Regards the episode of taking shelter in Kaziranga, this is the most foolish thing our MLAs have shown us in this century. If our MLAs think that Kaziranga is the right place to make decisions why not remain there and serve the people of Assam (but I doubt they need you). If they think that evading forceful confinement or avoiding pressure from one group was the reason, they are the cowards of this decade. Nobody can forcibly make you side a party if your conscience is clear and you stand by principle but if you know that you are fickle and accept the truth that you can be bought or coerced, you may run away and for that I pity you. But if I were an MLA I will still avoid Kaziranga and instead take shelter somewhere in the constituency where elected! In conclusion to Kaziranga episode you have created history and for information the resort where you spend your running days the very resort is well inside the Kaziranga National Park which is a world heritage site and is under pressure to be shut down. And Kaziranga holds 57% of the world water buffalos....avoid adding one and be a part of them!
Coming back to our state politics, the 12th NLA have become the most confusing and most students in future will struggle to answer GK questions and posterity will remember this batch of MLAs for all odds. This NLA MLAs have also done the greatest injustice to Dr. Shürhozelie Liezetsu. We all know that this seasoned politician have partially retired from active politics and have not contested the last election. He had neither the ill intention to fragment the party (NPF) instead have saved twice the crisis of breakdown when tussle of leadership arose. As we all know he was not an elected member but to save the ministry from crumbling and to bring normalcy at that point of time accepted the request to hold the fort as CM. I don't think he was overjoyed to accept the hot seat when the streets were burning and innocent bloodshed and the whole state was explosive! Yet he accepted the request to save the ministry and to save the situation. But the most unceremonious thing that happened was the very MLAs who mandated him to the chair backstabbed him after public upheaval subsided. No human is perfect and the veteran politician might have also committed mistakes but it is more shameful when the MLAs used his service when needed and discard him when they found greener pastures! The opposing group has used high sounding terms of nepotism, autocratic way of functioning etc but have not made the public known the mistakes he has committed. To my laymen understanding the fear of accountability, probe into the infamous Pillai scam, SK oil, rice scam etc could be valid reasons for the backstab. The other reason is luring gullible MLAs with fat portfolios and greener pastures.
However, one blunder our CM committed was alleviating his son (ex MLA) to the post of Advisor to CM with cabinet rank and status. The ex MLA have also later refused the post but the damage was done. The very instance of a son becoming an advisor to the father finds no place in our Naga society nor tradition and this could be the igniting factor of the fall. Whoever has convinced the veteran politician to take this step has made a very costly blunder.
But whatsoever, uncle Shürhozelie, I for one am so happy that you made those cowards run helter skelter like bitten dogs with contracted tails between the hind legs! For now the game is numbers but come next election the public are a wiser lot. Let every Naga who have brains and don't want to further suffer realize that choosing selfish, opportunistic leader is no one's fault but our fault. It is time we call a spade a spade. Let us vote for change - awake Naga youths! Enough is enough. It is time for change, let us be the factor of change! Quo vadis?
