While I was apalled by the ransacking of the homes and properties of the intending candidates to the Phek Town Civic Body; it got me thinking as to who was responsible. Was it the people who had carried out the act? Was it the people who had refused to withdraw their nominations? Or was it our state government?
Leaving aside this particular act of violence; every person should ask himself the following question, “Who is responsible for any act of violence?” Please let me be clear, I am not justifying violence of any kind, nor am I saying that people who carry out acts of violence should go unpunished. What I want to know is whether the person who committed a violent act is morally responsible or the person who provoked or instigated his act.
I am no prophet, but I knew that something of this kind would happen. We saw it the last time round when civic polls were announced. Though things did not reach the level of today, I was in Mokokchung when groups of young men stalked the D.C.’s Office to see who would file their nominations. Although nothing was mentioned, anybody, but a fool, could see that things would turn ugly if nominations were filed. I guess Ao candidates have more intelligence than those from other Naga tribes, because no nominations were filed. And the government of the day had enough sense to call off the polls; that it lacked the intelligence to address the concerns of the people is another issue.
But what we have now is a government that has neither the sense to postpone or call of the polls nor the intelligence to address the concerns of the people. Are we Nagas so stupid that we think the matter has anything to do with Women’s Rights or Empowerment? Do we really think that our legislators suddenly woke up, developed a conscience and realised that they had to implement the laws of the land. I have maintained all along that it was not a question of women’s rights or empowerment, but one last attempt by the government to get their hands on more money before the next general elections. If the government had taken time to address the genuine concerns of the Tribal Bodies and the J.A.C.W.R. hadn’t been so impatient, I do not believe that things would have come to such a pass. I, personally, do not believe women’s reservation in municipal bodies has anything to do with tribal laws or customs; but I, at the same time, believe that the Tribal Organisations are completely right when expressing reservations about sections of the municipal laws which are bound to violate tribal rights and customs. But with the impending general elections, the government could not afford to delay the civic polls on any grounds, whether real or imaginary.
And I cannot help but wonder at the role of the J.A.C.W.R. I would have thought that the fact that women could not file nominations in the vast majority of towns in Nagaland would have been more fuel for the fire of their militancy. I expected them to pressure the government and the courts to ensure that women, at least, were able to file nominations in all towns. But no, I find that the fact that women were able to file nominations in Dimapur and a few small towns of Nagaland is enough for them to become all lovey-dovey with the government of the day. Was the rights of the women of Dimapur, and not the rest of Nagaland, your target all along?
As deplorable as the violence in Phek has been, it is just a small symptom of the great rift that has appeared in Naga Society. Across Nagaland, and spanning Tribal boundaries, we have managed to let the greed of a few pit father against mother and brother against sister. Now, Mr. T.R.”Water Cannon” Zeliang has found out that dousing and teargassing innocent teachers demanding their rightful dues or bullying those who would fight for our right to eat with the same tactics is not the same as facing an angry population ready and willing to take on anybody or anything to protect their rights.
So, who is responsible for what has happened and who will be responsible for what may happen? The answer is,” All those in power whose insatiable greed for money has turned Nagaland into the cesspool of corruption it is now; and all those who would seek power through the municipal polls, inspite of the repeated calls by so many to reconsider.” So, buy more water cannons and more teargas cartridges for you will need all you can obtain to suppress the voice of the people. But remember, it is the dry season, so, apart from Dimapur, in all the other towns of Nagaland, you’ll have to buy water too. Now, don’t you wish you had thought of providing us a decent water supply system.
