In a sweeping statement for a young mainland politician visiting Nagaland state for the first time, Congress national general secretary and the party’s youth icon, Rahul Gandhi alleged that Nagaland government under the NPF has not been able to deliver the largesse handed to the state for the common people. Whether these charges are fair or not, it is for the people to judge. However one should not forget that successive governments in Nagaland have failed to deliver when it comes to taking the fruits of development to the grass root. The widening gap between the rich and poor is not just the legacy of the present but also the result of past failures. Yes the divide may seem more prominent now but this should be seen as a collective failure of the political establishment both past and present. Having said that the present NPF government should also reflect honestly on the charges made by Rahul Gandhi and see as to whether the amount of funds pouring in is commensurate to the development taking place on the ground. The reality as pointed out by Rahul Gandhi is the conditions of the roads (in Nagaland), the increasing number of population (70%) below the poverty line and the reports that the programmes and funds send to Nagaland are not reaching the people in the way it should. And so yes as mentioned by the Congress leader “corruption and incompetence” is there. But then this is not only found in Nagaland but across India. However corruption in Nagaland has become blatant and abusive. This is the difference.
Prospect for Nagaland Cong?
Coming to the visit of Rahul Gandhi and the prospect for the beleaguered Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC), it will be interesting to wait and watch. After quite some persuasion on the part of the Nagaland Congress leaders, a member of the Gandhi family finally came calling to the State in the form of rising star Rahul Gandhi. There is no doubt that Rahul is being prepared to take on more responsibility within the party set up. And the manner in which things are moving, the prospect of Rahul being projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the Congress party is we believe only a matter of time. So to have Rahul in Nagaland would have been a morale booster for the Congress people in the State given the somber mood within the party-set up following two back to back electoral defeat at the hands of the Dr Shurhozelie-Neiphiu Rio led NPF. And off course one should also include the Lok Sabha elections where both candidate of the NPF (Wangyuh Konyak & CM Chang) sailed home very comfortably. Whether the NPF is still popular or not, it will be interesting to find out. However the Congress in Nagaland despite the anti-incumbency factor of the present dispensation appears to be still short on many counts. We doubt whether the Rahul Gandhi visit would have helped the party in any way. The point is that the Congress in Nagaland will have to do something different if it really wants to return to power. At the moment whatever critics may say about the present NPF government, the leadership of Neiphiu Rio is widely accepted across the board and this is the biggest plus point for the NPF going into another election.
Prospect for Nagaland Cong?
Coming to the visit of Rahul Gandhi and the prospect for the beleaguered Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC), it will be interesting to wait and watch. After quite some persuasion on the part of the Nagaland Congress leaders, a member of the Gandhi family finally came calling to the State in the form of rising star Rahul Gandhi. There is no doubt that Rahul is being prepared to take on more responsibility within the party set up. And the manner in which things are moving, the prospect of Rahul being projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the Congress party is we believe only a matter of time. So to have Rahul in Nagaland would have been a morale booster for the Congress people in the State given the somber mood within the party-set up following two back to back electoral defeat at the hands of the Dr Shurhozelie-Neiphiu Rio led NPF. And off course one should also include the Lok Sabha elections where both candidate of the NPF (Wangyuh Konyak & CM Chang) sailed home very comfortably. Whether the NPF is still popular or not, it will be interesting to find out. However the Congress in Nagaland despite the anti-incumbency factor of the present dispensation appears to be still short on many counts. We doubt whether the Rahul Gandhi visit would have helped the party in any way. The point is that the Congress in Nagaland will have to do something different if it really wants to return to power. At the moment whatever critics may say about the present NPF government, the leadership of Neiphiu Rio is widely accepted across the board and this is the biggest plus point for the NPF going into another election.
