Dr Asangba Tzudir
In the recent episode of “The Alobo Naga Talk Show” featuring MLA Azo Nienu and Imlibenla Wati in the hot seat, MLA Azo was asked to give his thoughts on Clean Election in Nagaland during the course of the talk show. He candidly replied that it is “next to impossible” without any hesitation. The past experiences attests to the fact that Clean Election in Nagaland has become a very difficult proposition.
Even in the lead to the last General Assembly election, the 18 point agreement inked for Clean Election between the seven political parties and the NBCC did not deter the ‘candidates’ and ‘voters’ from ‘buying votes’ and ‘getting bought’ in spite of signing ‘not to buy votes or bribe voters with money or materials.’
The ‘palm greasing’ and eating from the favored plate are certain factors that come in the way of Clean Election especially for those sealed within the ‘give and receive’, and those at the mercy of the politicians. This is just the tip of the many problems.
While a new opposition-less govt is formed, with the larger objective of pursuing the Naga Political solution collectively, the days following may reveal whether there is a divergence from the objective. However, to put MLA Azo’s pointed comment again regarding his views on the opposition-less government, he has said that it is “distant dream.” Be it time bound or otherwise, it seems to be a difficult proposition in Nagaland. Same thing goes for clean election.
However, Clean Election is a very noble idea which is the need of the hour and has now been started. But it is in need of assessing a pragmatic position that it is difficult to erase all the dirt but a calculative process should start in the right earnest. It looks impossible to restart Clean Election on a war footing within a blanket operation but it needs to be applied within ‘workable’ limits.
If the ‘will’ is there, certain villages should start adopting Clean Election as a principle to be followed during the election while at the same time being sensitized about the challenges of making such an adoption. First and foremost, when it comes to voting, it is about consciously expressing ones integrity and principle. A truth attitude needs to be developed based on the premise that the end result is not about winning that is desirable or losing that is undesirable, but that, truth and Clean Election stands irrespective of the end result.
This calls for a collective responsibility in the process of voting and central to it is the right to vote, the exercise of which begins and ends with the voter. The onus is on the voter to vote clean and not one that is already sold-off cheaply or costly. By clean voting, the voters also pass the ownership of democratic voting from the electorate to the politician. In this way there will be a power shift where people will come to own the election which in turn will create a process of voting collectively for the right people. Within the limit of operation, religious institution too, can only persuade to act upon certain moral and Christian principles based on a value system for the well-being, and for the larger communitarian good.
Along with the Christian lens, a moral and a political right stemming from a form of responsibility having a sense of collective belongingness and ownership should be the basis of clean election.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir writes a weekly guest editorial for the Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
