Nagaland is a Christian state and about 90% proudly identify
as Christians. This suggests that we ought to be good, honest, holy, loving,
peaceful, and above all children of God. We find great pleasure in alleviating
and classifying ourselves as worshippers of the True Living God, King of Kings,
and Lord of Lords. One might imagine oneself singing and dancing amid thousands
of angels, exclaiming Hallelujah and singing Holy, Holy. Every Sunday, churches
are packed with beautiful and heavenly people, singing praises and offering
prayers to God. Life is full of bliss and divine. To them, the world may appear
nonsense, meaningless, fragile, insignificant and temporary.
Karl Marx opines, “Religion is the opium of the people.”
Amidst political blunders, suffering, and oppression, religion functions as a
social tool, providing comfort, peace, and hope beyond this suffering world.
Thus, hallucinating and silencing the oppressed community to remain mute
spectators while the rich and the powerful enjoy all the privileges. It distracts
people from addressing the root cause of their suffering and, the social and
economic conditions of the state. The ruling power often relies on religion as
their tool to garner the crowd. They shift their focus on religion, deviating
people from challenging the real political and economic structures.
Nagaland is generally perceived as a failed state. The
government fails to provide sufficient basic public services such as
infrastructure, health care, education, and social welfare. Nagaland is a small
state with less than three million people. However, it tops the chart in terms
of the unemployment rate. The road condition is deplorable and poorly
maintained. A road without potholes is not a Naga thing. Sanitation and hygiene
in towns and cities lack concrete measures. Therefore, citizens are losing
faith in the state’s ability to govern. Young minds are restless and distressed
as they find themselves lacking basic needs. Rich kids venture out to the
developed world chasing comfort and advancement. The poor remained jobless and
complied with blue-collar jobs for their survival.
Despite the huge and sumptuous sanctions of money from the
central government, we always end in deficit. In other words, Nagaland is a
deficit state. We still fail to utilize the resources judiciously. Corruption
and greed lead to diverting public funds. In Nagaland, ministers, bureaucrats,
and government officials are like demigods. They have the absolute power to
corrupt. Lord Acton says, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This occurs
when leaders hold too much-unchecked power and authority. Even great leaders or
good men may be tempted to misuse power if not vigilant. The more power one
holds, the more likely to abuse it.
Political honesty is adherence to truth, integrity, and
ethical conduct in the political sphere. It is acting in transparency,
accountability, and fairness. According to John Locke, individuals consent to
form a government, to protect their rights to life, liberty, and property. If
the government fails to keep public demands, the public has every right to
revolt and change the government. Honesty in governance is important because
any deficit violates the consent. Rule of Law is a key principle of political
honesty and must apply to all including those in power. Niccolo Machiavelli
believes, that “the ends justify the means.” Political leaders need to act with
honesty to maintain their status and power. John Rawls emphasises fairness and
transparency in the political process. Hence, political honesty is a fair
distribution of rights and resources in a society.
Aristotle says, “Man is a political animal.” Humans are
inherently political and social beings. One cannot live isolated and achieve
full potential. Every individual as part of the society is involved in public
life and governance. They engage in discussions and decision-making and
establish new rules. He stresses that any individual who does not participate
in political life is unable to live as a full human being. We need order,
justice and shared responsibility in society. These qualities make us different
from other animals. Therefore every individual is part of society and is
responsible for moral development and realise one’s full potential as a person.
We must strive to promote the common good and ensure a eudaimonian state.
Political leaders must be honest, and truthful, and must embody those virtues.
They must encourage trust and unity within the state.
Richard Niebuhr emphasizes, “Our faithfulness to the trust
placed in us by others and by God is the measure of our morality.” Individuals
from the highest to the lowest are morally bound to be faithful, truthful and
transparent. One must always strive for honesty despite limitations and resist
the temptation for selfish gains. In this way, Nagas can bring massive
development and changes to our people, land, and resources. Luke 16:10 says
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,
and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
John 14:6 says, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” As Christians, do we
have the audacity to declare the same as Jesus?
