The Naga are an ancient people, but new to the modern world and its concepts, faiths and ideologies. Our Educated think that education is the means to obtaining a government job; not an opening up of one’s intellectual capabilities to the uncountable ways to make a good living without being corrupt. Our Legislators run for elected office without any clue that their purpose is to make laws that benefit and regulate society; not to jostle for ministerial positions. And the few that occupy ministerial offices see it, not as an opportunity to build up society; but a chance to suck their various departments dry. Our Government Servants think that they are Government Owners. Our Theologians serve The Unholy Trinity of Men, Money and Mammon instead of serving The Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and our Freedom Fighters seek sovereignty under the banner of Socialism; in a land where everybody owns something, no matter how little, and every inch of land and every piece of property has an owner.
We are a people displaying all the Forms of Modernity without an iota of Substance behind the various forms we seek to project.
The past few months have seen events unfold; unlike anything in the history of Nagaland. And I am of the firm belief that it will shape how The Naga advance into the future. Allow me a brief recap:-
- All tribes of Nagaland united under the banner of the Joint Coordination Committee against Issues and Policies of the State Government. For the first time ever, Nagas were not divided along Tribal Lines, but United on Issues. It was The People versus The Government. Despite the countless endeavours of many, to split The People along village, range, tribal, political and personal lines; we endured; and still hope to endure and overcome the evil machinations of those that would seek to destroy us in their blind greed.
- Our Legislators, once again, showed that their sole purpose was hanging on to their precarious grasp on power. Their game of Musical Chairs has ended with the Puppet and The Puppeteer, exchanging places; and the remaining Marionettes salivating in the background; while worrying their hairs grey about their possibility of snagging a ministerial or parliamentary secretarial post. At the time of the writing of this letter, the Cabinet is yet to be formed, but we need not wait with baited breath. It will be some combination or the other of the self-same, self-serving spineless parasites that We, in our greed and stupidity, have elected to lead us.It is no longer an issue of, “Old wine in new bottles.” Whatever Wine there was, if there was any to begin with, has turned to Vinegar; we are merely watching them pour the Vinegar from bottle to bottle.
- The Naga Hoho and N.S.F.; once considered the torchbearers of Naga Society have proved, once again, that they serve themselves and others rather than the people they claim to represent. as happened with the Nagaland Tribes Action Committee suddenly springing up to spearhead the people’s movement; and the Dimapur Sumi Students’ Union and the Autorickshaw Drivers of Wokha ensuring that students appearing for their board exams made it to their centres.
So, where does that leave the ordinary Naga, men and women? I ask you to be of good heart; for out of chaos grows order. And it is incumbent upon the survivors to ensure that such things do not occur again. I am sick of the whiners of our society grumbling; in the privacy of their homes and the freedom of the internet, without ever suggesting any means of overcoming the numerous problems we face. So, to give them more reason to complain and whine, I venture the following suggestions:-
Until the day Nagaland sees a New Breed of people seeking electoral office; people who aim to serve the people, not lord over them; people who understand that their purpose is to legislate and govern, not to grab everything in sight;
we have to make do with the corrupt lot we have now, and in the foreseeable future. The different parties and ideologies are just eyewash. I guarantee you that even if all the Voters of Nagaland refuse to take a single Paisa for their votes; and we conduct the cleanest election in the history of the world; those elected will carry on in their rutted path of corruption and nepotism.
So, the road ahead is now clear; the Tribal Organisations must take on the role of Watchdog for Nagaland and its Peoples.
We are no longer living in independence in our villages; we have formed towns and a State; a State for all Tribes and People of Nagaland, and no single person,party or Tribe should be allowed to gain or advance at the expense of the other people or Tribes of the State.
