A Sincere Appeal to JCC, NTAC and the Government of Nagaland

We live in a society where we depend on the Centre for more than 90% of our resources. A small number of citizens depend directly on those, while the rest majority of the population indirectly depend on them, by way of business establishments. We are a state without resource generation sources, and a considerable number of population survive hand to mouth.

Since November, the demonetization has crippled families where the small income families who rely on cash honorarium were hit the most. For our state, the current imbroglio jumped in right after, which continues to this day. Thus, overall this is the 4th month that the common citizens are bearing the brunt of issues which the leaders promises, is for the betterment of the society.

Any problem of differences which arises calls for a solution within a shortest possible duration. The longer an issue id dragged and stretched, the messier and more entangled it becomes. The result? It is the common people who continue to suffer the worst, besides the fear psychosis and the unpredictability we are drowning into.

We are, but a small group of deeply concerned women trying to share a jist of the ground realities. A small group, yet we believe we serve as a voice of many citizens affected by the crisis. Through it, we wish to make an earnest and a sincere appeal to all the stakeholders, to come to an amicable solution at the earliest :

• We have students appearing their exams under verbal abuse and unexpressible psychological torment; students who have to sweat and walk to their exam centres due to unavailability of public transport, when it is indubitable that a student needs a peaceful and a calm environment to concentrate on their studies.

• We have the other students whose class have been paused for a while now. It is evident that the teachers would struggle to finish the required syllabus on time when the classes resume.

• We have the low income families, struggling to pay for the admission fees, books, uniforms, etc., of their children.

• We have daily wage labourers, small business owners in a fix over where to find a source to feed their families.

• We have sick people, unable to buy medicines on time, unable to freely commute to the hospitals, clinics, for treatment.

• We have students halted at different universities across the country and beyond, whose monthly allowances, house rents, college and hosel fees, etc are delayed because their parents are unable to wire them, or in some cases, their source of income is blocked.

• We are now in a digital world where dependency on the internet is on the rise. The bandh called by the civil societies, coupled with a virtual bandh by the state government has brought life to a standstill. The internet blockade has also been affecting the public in an innumerable number of ways : students appearing exams solely on their books, educated unemployed youths missing out on the job applications, families unable to access the online banking facilities, students taking online courses, digitally employed youths, small business owners running their start ups via internet, etc.

The above is a small highlight of the untold hardships the public are facing. And as mothers, our primary concern continues to be our innocent children – the students – due to which our points focused more on them.

There is a time for everything. A time to break down and a time to build up. A time of war and a time of peace (Ecclesiastes). A time to fight, and a time to forgive, heal and work together again, in Christian spirit.

Thereby, we make a sincere appeal to all stakeholders to consider the grievances of the public, and lift the bandh, including the virtual bandh. It is our humblest prayer that our leaders would put aside their differences, and begin working towards a solution which would benefit the society as a whole, as well as ease the public from the hardships. The citizens have been bearing the best we could, but it has now come to a point where it is a matter of survival for many.

As we also express our gratitude to the honorable Governor for his relentless contribution, we also appeal that he would continue to initiate dialogues with the leaders, to restore peace in our society.

We also make an earnest appeal to the women, to begin joining hands again, to bring back the needed normalcy in our society. As women, our priority remains a peaceful environment for our family, which is the smallest unit of a society. And it’s time to work towards achieving peace in our households, for our society.

We also urge all citizens regardless of age, gender, background, to join hands towards the healing of our society, as a family. Bringing our society to a standstill is only leading to an economic breakdown, and a fiasco which would take a long time to heal, or maybe never if an amicable solution is not achieved at the earliest.

1. Veselu Swuro
2. Zakie-u
3. Renchumi Namgi
4. Alemla
5. Netsutsolu Nyekha
6. Orenponi Humtsoe
(orenponi1@gmail.com)