Thepfulhouvi Solo
[dropcap]A[/dropcap] YEAR ago, the world looked with enthusiasm and great hope at the Arab Nations, wriggling out one after another, from their rigid restrictive political skin into the free world of Democratic fresh air. Despots were deposed, dictators discarded and revolutions for Democracy stirred the rigid Arab Authoritarian States starting from Algeria to Yemen. Lofty Sadam Hussain was unceremoniously dragged out of a crude underground hole in Iraq and hanged leisurely; the imperious Muammar Gadaffi of Libya was poked out of a culvert in a highway and shot dead in glorious haste; the most ancient and apparently the most durable of the Authoritarians in volatile Middle East—Hosni Mubarak of Egypt—was forced out of power from the Tahrir Square of Cairo and jailed for overstaying more than 30 years of authoritarian rule; the minority Sunni Royals of Bahrain are tenaciously protecting the Royalty against a restive Shia majority subjects and Assad of Syria is now in serious trouble spot Number 1 of the world.
The rigid, authoritarian Governments of the Arab Countries seemed to be phasing out of History and Democracy appeared dawning in the vast horizon of Middle East Nations. Very surprisingly, very unexpectedly, the Arab Spring Revolution apparently for Democracy seems to be fizzling out and things are not what they seem now.
The old Authoritarian Rulers have been deposed but Democracy has not come. The Seed of democratic hope did not germinate; instead, various forms of weeds and wild plants are appearing. None of the so-called liberated Arab countries seem to have in common the art of cultivating Democracy. Free Elections did not give birth to Democracy; the Election replaced only the old Authoritarian Rule with a new one without Law and Order and with complicated messed up situation seemingly no better than the previous Iron Law.
Do Nagas also have the materials of what it takes to run a country to modernity in economic progress, democracy and peace? The qualities they have so far shown indicates, what they have do not measure up to the Mark. There appears to be no perception of reality, no perception of the foundations of economy and no seriousness for Law and Order which gives birth to Peace—the mother of all round progress.
But there is no hard political will to have Law and Order; ‘Show Business’ is pushed up harder above ‘Hard Work’. Ensuring availability of Electric Power and Road Communication are the key stone to the foundation of economy in the Plain Areas: in the mountains, it is the life line arteries of the economic life. Except for its Fund size, there appears to be no seriousness in Road communication constructions. A discerning American is said to have remarked: ‘Why does nothing go right in Nagaland?’
My foolish view is that the ACAUT, in a quarter of the Year, has done more to Cleanse the Naga Public governance than the Government in two full Terms. The Nagaland Police have done very commendable job and deserve encouragement from the Public for their good actions. None of the Legislator, however, seem to be seriously concerned for the State except for a scramble to approve and say ‘Yes’ to whatever the Leader says. This is obedience for personal self-interest, not for Public Interest.
The functioning, of the Civil Societies, the Government, the State Political Parties, the Naga Hoho, the Tribal Hohos, the Naga National Groups and sadly enough, even the Church and its Organizations, would indicate that Dictators will find no difficulty to germinate in Naga Organizations.
Many modern educated Nagas, politicians, bureaucrats and even many in the faceless Public seem to have lost the precious fibre of quiet Independent character their uneducated rustic Nagas in the Village had. Many exhibit superficial covers than precious inner fibre of quiet confidence. This is due to lack of value principles of life and the decisiveness to hold it.
Nagas feel hesitant to take the jump to lasting big Principles of Democracy. Like the Taliban, they tenaciously hold on to age old narrow traditional pretty safe principles of status quo. They prize modernity, even imitate it, but they do not seem to have the guts to take bold jump for democracy.
Some of the National Groups still show they care for the Naga National Political Interest but today they are more involved in breaking Alcohol bottles in public places, perhaps to please the Christian Majority in Nagaland, catch prostitution, control of HIV in the State, care for drug addicts and of course, of all, to maintain their Taxable Business Jurisdiction for which one Group is prepared to give its life to extinguish a Naga life of another.
The barrel of the gun has become the Dictator in Nagaland and a dictator usually turns the entire Society into Cowards; this is what Nagas seemed to have become today. Elites are supposed to develop Principles and Ideas to save the unthinking majority in the Society, today some elites are reported to talk of Selection of Representatives, a better System for Governance than democratic free will Election and some are even reported to prefer the Republican System better suited for the Nagas.
If the present Selection of the Office Bearers in the Naga NGOs like the Naga Hoho and the Tribal Hohos are any indication, this writer fears the selected President of the Naga Hoho may become the President of the Nagas for Life and Presidents have an unconscionable habit of becoming dictators!
Never have Nagas ever been one People; there were no Kings or Emperors, every tribe lived its own separate life. There were never any political confederations even within the Tribe except the Konyaks with gradations of Anghs to Chief Angh. Every Village had its jurisdiction where its writ ran and the people in one Village neither elected nor selected neither leader nor any King for themselves. Early British colonial Chronicler recorded: “Every man lived according to what is right in his own eyes.”
India was never a Nation before the British Colonial power laid the main structures for modern Nation State of India. Modern India is held together by Democracy and secularism. Some Indians may think the Power of Hinduism would make a better rope to bind diverse India together better to greater glory. This is an Idea not supported by experience.
The persecution and bombing of Shia Mosque by the Sunnis or vice versa in Muslim countries of more than one, and if the serious incompatibility between the various sects in a Muslim State is any indication, Religion does not create peaceful democratic Nation. Hindu Kings invited powerful Muslim Rulers to invade the country and eliminate their neighboring Hindu rival King.
Some Nagas today seem to think financial parity would bind them together into a new, better and stronger State. It is not for Economic benefits that made the Naga Consciousness of one Naga People separate from Indians. The modern idea of Free, Secular Democratic, and Principles were evolved from Christian principles of Equality, Justice to every People, Christians or not. The precious Consciousness of a Naga People came out of the Democratic Principles of Equality and Justice to every People. If Nagas do not uphold the secular, democratic Principles of Equality, Justice above their individual traditional, customary principles of the Tribe, they can never be united together by any financial, economic, racial or tribal Interests.
