Z Lotha
Kohima
“He refused to stoop, and therefore could not conquer,” Winston Churchill had written these words on George Nathaniel Curzon, Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905. Humility is important in public life. It is a must for those in authority and people’s faith and thus also the course of history. Naga politicians have failed the younger people. There are many reasons to say so. Our focus today as we bid adieu to the year 2022 is different. Do people want a real and genuine alternative political arrangement and system? We can be optimists, provided we lay emphasis on change. But who can bring such an alternative system? The established political parties in Nagaland – namely the Indian National Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), NDPP and NPF – all have failed. If someone says they conspired to fail the common people; such a critical observation will not be wrong. The common Naga people and especially the youngsters are thus now looking for a genuine alternative.
One option could be launching a new party. Well, we have RPP – the Rising People’s Party. One may not subscribe to everything RPP and its young leader Joel Naga is doing; but his sincerity can be easily appreciated by all Nagas. This brings us to the question about the ‘Second option’. This could be to bring in a national party with idealistic aims and genuinely sincere political philosophies.
This reminds the undersigned about Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. A civil servant-turned-activist-turned anti corruption crusader, Kejriwal is today the leader of the AAP. Making a humble beginning as a political new entrant, Kejriwal has come a long way and today AAP has its own Government in Punjab and Delhi. The recent performance in Gujarat – a well known BJP-ruled state – was highly satisfactory. Today, AAP is seen as a genuine alternative to the BJP at the national level. This is an opportunity for the youths and people with fresh ideas to make use of AAP’s general goodwill in the state of Nagaland. According to popular news magazine ‘The week’, “...the journeys of Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal have been disparate even as their paths crossed and their fortunes intertwined”.
Many young and old people residing in Delhi have the ‘good experience’ of Kejriwal’s administration in Delhi. The undersigned have interacted with many such people in the national capital and they say, if tried by sincere and young Naga leaders, the AAP can do well.
Another argument is that as of today, no party in Nagaland (among the parties NDPP, NPF, BJP and Congress) can come to power on their own. They all are each other’s “vote cutters” and hence no Naga is taking the pre-election scenario in Nagaland sincerely.
If we say Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his party, NDPP, have failed and they were corrupt; the two supporting parties NPF and BJP of Narendra Modi too cannot wash off their hands. In these arguments, of course, with no MLA in the present House, the Congress is not even being counted. On the other hand, the AAP has a solid record of writing political obituaries for Congress in states such as Delhi, Punjab and also in Gujarat.
The rise of AAP in Christian-dominated Nagaland and also other northeastern states can actually prevent the rise of pro-Hindutva BJP. The Aam Aadmi Party and its leader Kejriwal are thus answers for the people of Nagaland; and AAP in Delhi will be also keen to play their politics with fresh and young people.
Can we take a few names who can work for AAP in Nagaland and north east India? Yes, this writer can share the details of such Naga young leaders; but this is not the occasion to do so. Finally, before one bids adieu to the year 2022, we must note that elections in three northeastern states and some big states such as Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh will create ground for the most crucial battle of 2024. In that scenario, who can counter PM Modi? Of course Arvind Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi will be the two most prominent leaders vying for the position of ‘Prime challenger’ to Modi. So, why not Nagaland plays a role which can contribute to Kejriwal’s national stature! Kejriwal has entered politics in an effort to reform the system. Who needs the ‘reform’ more than we Nagas? Other regional parties such as Conrad Sangma, Mamata Banerjee, and even Nitish Kumar have made their intention clear. They may try to emerge as an alternative to BJP’s highest vote catcher Modi; but they all have shown limitations. The AAP and its leader Kejriwal are genuine images of ‘alternative politics’. Nagas have an opportunity to show their political maturity.
