EMN
DIMAPUR, JULY 28
Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) has thrown its weight behind the demand made by the Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) to the state government to justify the non-implementation of the 25% job reservation policy.
“The demand for “Justification Report” from the State government by the ENSF is thoroughly justified. It is a serious concern for all right thinking citizens to how a simple matter of clear-cut 25% job reservation for our eastern Nagaland students can still result in shortage of eastern Nagaland tribes in government jobs despite job reservation being in force since 1977,” an ACAUT press statement said.
The only viable explanation for this gross injustice points to rampant manipulation by the bureaucratic elites and to an extend politicians, it went on to state. “In short, since no posts will vanish into thin air, it’s as clear as daylight that most posts meant for the poor and deprived eastern Nagaland students have been manipulated and filled up as backdoor appointments.”
The ACAUT stated that while it has become the norm to whip politicians for all the wrongs, it’s the elite bureaucratic class which wield the real powers, albeit without accountability, and thus the most manipulative and corrupted lot.
“The 38 years of deprivation experienced by our eastern brothers is to be viewed against this background and therefore, the angst of selective discrimination raised by ENSF is not to be taken lightly by the state government,” it reasoned.
The state government, it said should ponder deeply, “sans prejudice and that condescending attitude”, as to why the demand for Frontier Nagaland surfaced in the first place. “At the end, corruption cannot be sustained as a way of life for the long arm of the law shall prevail no matter the circumstances, even after one’s retirement.”
It is interesting to note, that, in the case of misappropriation of Rs. 2 crores in the Nagaland Flood and Irrigation Department resulting in the jailing of a former Union Minister PK Thungon, also, the former CM of Arunachal Pradesh and his 3 other associates, namely, Tali Ao, C Sangsit and Maheshwari in Tihar by a Special CBI Court, it came about after almost 22 years, the ACAUT reminded.
“That a corruption case which occurred in 1993-94 should continue to haunt the accused resulting in conviction in 2015 should send shivers down the spine of powers be in the state and the case is far from over yet.
“The rest of the 5 charge sheeted persons, including a former Naga Minister and the department’s former top bureaucrat, will probably face the same fate of conviction in Delhi trial court. It is probably the first instance since Statehood where anyone from Nagaland has been convicted on corruption charges by the CBI.”
While welcoming the CBI Special Court verdict, the ACAUT stated it was convinced that times have changed and Naga bureaucrats and politicians can no longer indulge in corruption with impunity without the long arm of the law beckoning them.
