The Nagaland Political Gapha

Z. Lohe Not much of political necessity but more of academic interest I give this piece of observation on the prevailing political ‘gapha’. The word gapha may not be found from any of the Dictionaries of Webster or Oxford or Cambridge. Yet the meaning is this: Early nineties, an aged Nepalee ran a vegetable shop in my house at Kohima. He began his business with a mere single sack filled with vegetables brought from Dimapur. Luck would have it, within no much time his shop attracted sizeable number of customers. Whereas, he was a loner with family in Nepal, and he had to do everything by himself. Thus, he finally found himself to be a very busy vegetable dealer in that locality. After all, business first being a businessman, he had no time to prepare morning tea at the cost of disposing his vegetables to customers not to speak of breakfast. With such heavy schedule from dawn to dusk, his usual tea, lunch and dinner used to be all the desired ingredients in one. The milk, the Dal, the Rice and either the Salt or the Sugar cooked in a pan was his usual diet. Similarly, when the ingredients of any variety of vegetables with rice and also with or without meat are boiled like stew is known as ‘gapha’ in Chakhesang.Nonetheless, ‘gapha’ is nutritious food. It is particularly good for patient who is advised against intake of solid food. A patient under extensive time of medication in empty stomach is advised to start with ‘gapha’ before resorting to solid food. The political arrangement of today in Nagaland is like ‘gapha’ as we look at its ingredients. The Congress and the BJP are sworn opponents to each other and they had never come together except this time in their respective histories. The leadership tussle within NPF which resulted into two infamous camps ultimately prepared this ‘gapha’ for the people of Nagaland to taste it. As of today, the governance of Nagaland is fit for entering into Guinness Book for the most maximum governance of any modern State without governance. And still people of the State are contented with it believing that Nagaland has been on the path of right direction and progress with land of festivals to the land of governments with no government literally. For the people of Nagaland, whether the ‘gapha’ is tasty and nutritious or not is not the question I am interested to ask anyone. It is more interesting to understand what characteristics each of the two ingredients, Congress and BJP, have exposed now. Firstly, we came to know that the four BJP MLAs staged a walk out against the election of Honble MLA Mr. Imtikumzuk, (Congress) as Deputy Speaker on 21.7.2015. What difference does this token protest vindicate when the four BJP MLAs, with the consent of the rank and file of BJP, have all been accommodated just as Congress MLAs by CM TR Zeliang in the ministry? I am ignorant of the nitty-gritty of BJP politics and yet such tokenism was for mere camouflage. The so called walk out reminded me about the habit of an elder who used to prattle that he does not eat fish. Whereas, his wife used to taunt her husband that he is fond of fish curry soup. In the same fashion, BJP shows that it does not eat fish (Congress) but it has been enjoying the soup of fish(Congress) curry prepared by CM’s wife. Now comes the characteristics of Congress, the other ingredient of ‘gapha’ may be more interesting. Being in the periphery, my collections are more of common bazaar material than from horse’s mouth. This is subject to correction, and yet I just overheard that AICC General Secretary Naransamy in-charge of Nagaland directed the 8 MLAs to support Kaito-Noke group on the eve of floor test on 5.2.15. However, the logic of the 8 Congress MLAs was perhaps that the rebel Kaito-Noke group was co-spearheaded by Nagaland BJP unit along with three BJP MLAs. It was therefore sacrosanct for Congress MLAs from joining hand with Kaito-Noke-BJP camp. On the contrary, CLP decisively voted for TR Zeliang. The consequent repercussion from Naransamy was serving Show Cause Notice to all 8 Congress MLAs followed by suspension and rejection of formal explanations of all of them. The drama is yet to end as it appears that Naransamy tends to expel all Congress MLAs who are not Deputy Speaker and even to the extent of disqualification. Without legal knowledge but with mere layman’s view is this that Naransamy might have considered the action of 8 Congress MLAs as defying his directive for which harshest disciplinary measures be taken against those disobedient Congress MLAs. My question is whether the AICC General Secretary Naransamy in-charge of NPCC considers that 8 Congress MLAs with BJP in Kaito-Noke faction would have been acceptable as per the principle of his party? Whereas, Congress MLAs with BJP in TR Zeliang ministry is against the principle of Congress for which their participation is considered anti-Congress? The other question is how Naransamy disqualifies Congress MLAs for being part of coalition government? Has the General Secretary established prima facie on attempt of defection of his MLAs? Not being lawyer, I am confused whether the 8 Congress MLAs’ refusal to join Kaito-Noke-BJP group of his choice is the valid ground for disciplinary actions. Poor Congress MLAs, had you voted for Kaito-Noke-BJP as per the directive of your General Secretary, you would not have been in this mess.