Lately, the state has been witnessing the tussle between the State PWD (R&B) Department and the Nagaland Foot Hill Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC). The bandh recently called by the Committee was viewed by many as an unnecessary harassment to Dimapur and to all others plying to and fro. It even led to injury of many volunteers involved in the bandh. Did the bandh really serve the purpose?
At this juncture the role of the NFHRCC (which I presume was set up to oversee the smooth progress of the foot-hill road) on the foot-hill road issue have become blurry and confusing (even sinister). Years ago people were demanding for the foot-hill road within the state so as to ease the harassment faced by those who traverse through Assam to reach home. The state government responded to their pleas and started the foot-hill road project. Now NFHRCC seems to have made a complete U-turn and changed its colour. Their demands have veered slowly towards personal and financial gains. The NFHRCC demands for contract works to be allotted to contractors who hold high ranking posts in the name of Committee is unimaginable and extremely selfish. If the Committee is protesting, because the government is not delivering or did not provide quality work than that would have been more genuine and appealing to the public. But now the priorities of the Committee have changed and now they want to convert that necessary into their âgolden gooseâ.
It is surprising to note how some organization reacted to this issue and how some chose to remain silent. The Nagaland Contractors & Suppliers Union (NCSU) who has been demanding for transparency in allotment of government contract remained a mute spectator when NFHRCC opposed R&B Department for floating Open Tender and awarding the work to the most eligible contractor. On moral grounds, the union should desist from making any protest after the aforementioned incident.
Apex Naga bodies such as the Naga Hoho, NMA, NSF and NPMHR made an appeal to both the NFHRCC and PWD (R&B) to focus on the â greater benefits and interestsâ of the Nagas and not to politicise it or drag the issue into âtribal linesâ. I am sure the department of PWD (R&B), government of Nagaland exists for the sole aim of providing âgreater benefits and interestsâ to Nagaland, where else would it put its focus on if not the home state. I donât know how the PWD (R&B) Department is politicizing the issue but if anyone is doing so it has to be NFHRCC who have gotten into the habit of stressing the point that it represents 10 tribes which is not so and is highly regrettable. Just because one or two from a particular tribe is a member of the Committee they can not claim to represent the whole tribe.
With active participation from the Naga Council, Dimapur (a unit of Naga Hoho), Dimapur Naga Students Union (a unit of NSF) in the recent bandh called by the NFHRCC, would it be fair if someone were to ask the Naga Hoho, NSF and NFHRCC not to drag the âFoot-hill Roadâ issue on tribal lines just because their leaders happen to be from the same tribe? As Apex Civil Bodies, it is your moral obligation to clearly identify and define what is right and what is wrong. As it is, we are already plagued with factionalism and related problems, we should not let Tom, Dick & Harry Committees hijack the government least it ceases to function for the âgreater benefits and interestsâ of Nagaland. The NFHRCC has lost its face and ground and therefore, in the greater interest of the Nagas the Committee should be declared illegal and banned for instigating communal conflict. There is no doubt in the mind of the Nagas as to who or which community the Committee belongs to.
Martin Yeptho,
Agri Forest Colony, Kohima
