The Paradoxical Odities in the State

The Naga in Nagaland quietly take the Indian army as its ancient enemy and occupying force, but unemployed Naga youths seek army recruitments with zeal! The Indian army eulogizes its voluntary soldiers as if no other citizen in the country is more patriotic than a highly paid Indian army officer dying in the Indo-Pakistan border wars, it decorates them with great honor. A Naga soldier in the Indian Army fighting in one of the Indo-Pakistan border wars was killed, and consequently in the rare military burial, paradoxically not only the close relatives of the deceased but other Naga crowds of much wider circle beyond the immediate family attended the military funeral. What little odd paradox was that the occasion fell on a Sunday and despite the Sunday church service clash of timing, the Naga in considerable number attended the spectacular funeral as a sacrifice for India! A certain government officer of some standing, was found to have stashed away a large sum of money in cash in his house. The police made a surprise check and, cash in terms of several mIllions of rupees were said found spread in the bed and in the ceiling of the house. The officer was suspended and an enquiry was conducted against him. He confessed some of the money belongs to him but most belongs to the highest minister in the State! Surprisingly oddly, the government soon after revoked the suspension order; re-instated the officer and promoted him! The writer was glad a Chief Minister excluded a rogue MLA from his ministry, but oddly, a very friendly former Minister, but famously tainted is inducted into the present ministry, seriously dashing the widely hoped beginning for a new Nagaland and raises the worried question: Do the government care about the quality of governance in Nagaland?! When a Naga crowd collects in some size on a common social ground, it assumes the majority of the august legislative party. Then, comes the testing of strength on the floor of the august house, as is wont to in any democracy and the assumed majority vanishes like Genies of Aladdin’s Lamp! In March 2015, the Naga community in Dimapur created an incited mob that attacked the government jail and lynched a rumored innocent meya Shopkeeper alleged to have raped a local girl acquaintance riding the man’s bike together into a hotel in the town. He was done to abhorrent mob actions worst than crucifixion and so far the government could only do no more than change the Enquiry Authority. Nagaland must imitate earlier british administration standard of governance in the Naga Hills, based on: honor, respect, strength, decisiveness, law & order, uncompromising justice and quiet concern for the people. And when everything of many other things still remaining; election is the mother of Beelzebub in Nagaland! The NBCC has been routinely fighting for ‘Clean Election’, and if I may, this time, the NBCC may seriously convene all its constituent Church Associations and decide every Church ring the Church’s good news distinctly in no uncertain terms, that God ordained The Democratic Principles of State, and that the Church would unwaveringly stand: i. To discourage church workers and theologians from joining party politics, stand as independent candidate. ii. To strongly impress upon the political parties face to face specifically not to favor party ticket to any ex-member of Naga armed group, iii. To strongly dissuade the political party’s issuance of party ticket to candidates with police records, known liars and immorals, iv. To discuss, dissuade with every village council not to officially support any candidate of any political party as the village candidate; v. That the Right to Vote is God given personally, individually, privately to every person and God does not interferes in the right given. vi. The right is not to be given away to: i. Parents, ii. Brothers or Sisters, iii. Relatives, iv. Clan, v. Khel, vi. Village, vii. Tribe, viii. Church, ix. against Ssle or exchange for favor, x. To prevent it from theft. xi. It is not necessary to ask God to whom to give, it personal freewill gifting. xii. The right is one’s personal duty or vocation in ordaining the State. Thepfulhouvi Solo. IFS Retd Retd. Principal Secretary, Nagaland.