Khrietuonyü Noudi
It is said that democracy as a form of government and a societal system originated in the city-states of ancient Greece. But for many centuries the world did not pay any regards to the idea and practice of democracy. And military conquests by violence and bloodshed, monarchy and dictatorship remained the order of the day in most parts of the world. But beginning with the American Declaration of Independence in 1776, democracy as a form of government has steadily but undeniably come to gain a foothold in almost all parts of the world. Today democracy is the most popular form of government and its description by Abraham Lincoln as the “government of the people, by the people and for the people” is now forever etched in the consciousness of mankind.
In a democracy, it is said that the people are supreme and the real power lies with the people. People can change the government peacefully through elections. And in a democracy, since the people are the real authority, every action, mission and project undertaken and pursued by the government should be people-centric. In order words, the sole mission of a democratic government is to look after the welfare and betterment of the lives of its citizens. Thus it is no wonder that modern democratic governments are labeled as ‘welfare states.’
If we look at man’s life, we can broadly divide the lifespan of man into three parts; the initial part (birth and childhood years), the middle part (adult years) and the sunset years (old age). And one best way through which democratic governments can enhance the life quality of its citizens is by ensuring that all these three stages of life are secured and cherished. The government can do this by ensuring that every child is born into a reassuring world, that everybody is given the opportunity to work to fend for himself and pursue his dreams and aspirations and then die peacefully with dignity and honor without having to worry about the basic needs like food, clothing and shelter in the sunset years of his life.
In the middle phase of a man’s life, he is young, strong and capable to fend for himself and his family. So as far as for the man in his middle phase, the government needs to provide only the opportunity for the people to work.
But in the initial and sunset years of a man, a man cannot fend for himself and he is totally dependent on others to survive. So, it is pertinent for our governments to set in place the needed arrangements for its citizens when they are not in a position to look after themselves.
As for the initial years, it is the bounden duty of the so-called welfare state to ensure that every pregnant mother is guaranteed free or at least easy access to the modern medical facilities to ensure that the child is born into a healthy, hygienic and promising atmosphere that would enable him to grow and develop properly. To enable this, it is essential that our governments set up the required medical apparatus with efficient medical manpower in every nook and corner of the land where people live. And after the birth of the child also, it is the government’s duty to provide the needed facilities to ensure that the child grows well not only physically but also emotionally, culturally and educationally.
Now let’s come to the sunset years of a man’s life. A person who reaches the age of 65 can be categorized as having reached the beginning stage of old age. By this time, his physical prowess would be significantly reduced and he would no longer be in a position to do things which he was able to do without effort in his younger days. And in alignment with this his visits to the clinics and hospitals will also increase significantly which we all know would entail huge expenses. And he would need constant assistance and backing in all spheres of life, especially in the financial area.
Therefore, if our governments are to really live up to the label of welfare state, it is fundamentally pertinent that they do not turn a blind eye towards these needs, hurdles and challenges that man faces in the sunset years of his life.
Earlier, under the Old Pension Scheme, government servants were really fortunate as they were entitled to benefits like GPF, leave encashment and gratuity upon retirement. Besides, the government retirees under OPS were also entitled to monthly pensions with yearly increments till the day they bid ‘goodbye’ to the world. Besides, under this old pension scheme, the retirees were also entitled to pension loans in case they desire to undertake any projects/ missions in their old age.
All these benefits and amenities were so comforting and soothing for the govt. servants who were in the twilight years of their life after dedicating their whole life to public service. So, when the government was providing all these comforting and reassuring benefits to its senior citizens, the government was really living up to its label of being a welfare state since it is really offering welfare and compassion to its citizens in their most needed times.
But now, ever since the government has scrapped the Old Pension Scheme and replaced it with the National Pension Scheme, government jobs, though still very alluring, can no longer provide the comfort and soothing it used to provide to its retired employees in their old age. When the government of the day who calls itself a welfare state cannot provide comfort, security and solace to its senior citizens in their most vulnerable years, something is certainly amiss here.
The main reason the government gives for doing away with the old pension scheme is that it entails huge financial liabilities and burden on the state exchequer.
Ever since Nagaland became a full-fledged state in 1963, the Indian government has been pumping crores and crores of rupees into our land. Most of these funds are being used for developmental works. But one thing to ponder here is that all these so-called developmental works are carried out by destroying or at least disturbing our natural resources like land, forest, minerals and water. So, more developments actually mean more destruction to our land and its natural resources which would obviously have adverse effect on us sooner or later.
Our government of the day is also really busy and engrossed in improving the connectivity of our land with the outside world. This is why the government is focusing and spending so much on railway projects and air connectivity. But think about this, if railway tracks reach our hitherto unexplored lands, it would mean that outsiders would find it much easier to penetrate into every nook and corner of our land. We often make a big deal about the undergoing railway connectivity to our state capital. But in a way, pursuing these projects is like inviting more outsiders (including illegal immigrants) to our lands. This is serious matter when we remember the fact that we are already facing a losing battle in our efforts to contain and restrict entry of outsiders into our homeland.
So, instead of using up all the funds in these self-destructive projects, I feel that our so-called welfare state should invest more into ensuring that our senior citizens find comfort and peace in the twilight years of their lives. And why just retired government servants? The government should think about providing pensions to all senior citizens (including non-government servants) if they are not in a position to fend for themselves in their sunset years. What is the logic behind undertaking massive projects that are only going to harm us in the long run - leaving our most beloved and vulnerable senior souls to worry for their basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, medical bills etc in the sunset years of their lives.
Besides, it is also common knowledge that most of these developmental funds are not judiciously used for its intended purpose as they end up in the individual coffers of the ministers, top govt. officials and contractors. Therefore, it would be much nobler and desirable that these funds graciously earmarked to us by the Indian government are used to provide comfort, solace and peace to our grey haired ones who are no longer able to fend for themselves.
These are the reasons why I feel that the Nagaland government should also revert back to the Old Pension Scheme. States like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have already reverted back to the old system. And states like Karnataka and Telengana are also contemplating it. Therefore, there is absolutely no reason why the Nagaland state government should also not follow suit if it is to really live up to its label of being a ‘welfare state’ and a people centric entity.
