The unfortunate events currently taking shape in Nagaland calls for calm and cool contemplation with matured wisdom, if we are to avert further disaster from happening all over again. By now it ought to be sufficiently clear to the State Government that the people have determinedly crossed the river of no return. The situation has become extremely volatile because the subject, rightly or wrongly, revolves around a sensitively guarded Traditional Customary Laws and Practices that is protected under Article 371 A. Enough has been debated on it with varied legal interpretations and does not require repetition. Instead let us take a dispassionate look at our ground realities:
1. The agreement signed between JCC and the Government of Nagaland represented by the Chief Minister and his Home Minister in the presence of NBCC as a responsible third party witness, on 30th January 2017, was a very serious undertaking for all concerned not to childishly be trifled with. It should have honourably been upheld. Without doubt reneging on this agreement was the spark that set Nagaland ablaze. The beleaguered Home Minister trying to find that proverbial straw to save his drowning Government and his bearded face by saying: (Quote): “On the hindsight, the lapse on the part of all participants was that it was not discussed as to whether the postponement shall cover the entire State or only those towns/municipalities where the people were protesting against ULB election” (Unquote)[Nagaland Post February 10, 2017] is nothing short of a poor pathetic explanation that does not convince anyone. The need for the above hair splitting exercise was absolutely unnecessary for those with gray matter because the very basis for this coordinated meeting centred on temporarily suspending the ULB election process for two months. The fact that it was ‘not discussed’ was for the obvious reason that the subject covered not part but the entire State as a matter of a principle problem across the board. If Chief Minister and Home Minister were really confused as to whether the agreement covered partial or whole State, the responsible thing to do was to have it clarified from the JCC first before arbitrarily taking such a hasty action without honour and vitiate the atmosphere by tactlessly failing to perceive the foreboding current sweeping the shores even at that time. In this, NBCC as the third party witness ought to also explain their understanding of this agreement for public clarity.
2. Chief Minister was a party to this agreement. It was obligatory on the part of his Cabinet to abide by his decision and not vote against this agreement under the principle of “Collective responsibility”. Technically speaking therefore this was as good as a “no confidence” vote against him. If for nothing else CM should have honourably and gracefully resigned on this one count alone. Reclaiming the endorsement of his Legislators for his continued leadership is of no real consequence when the talk is about “Moral responsibility” for all the unfortunate incidents that had been perpetuated under his watch leading to the death of our three sons. Remember what Mr. David Cameron, the Prime Minister of England, did after losing the Brexit plebiscite that he was campaigning against? He (not being a power/money hungry Naga), accepted the moral responsibility as an honourable man with principles and gracefully resigned on his own volition despite the full support of his majority Party MPs in the House of Commons and had every right to legally continue. That is what decent people term as a respectable sense of ‘honour’. If there is any “Honour” left in Nagaland we the people must stand together for a change and do the best we can to salvage it from the cesspool where it presently resides...before it finally dissolves.
3. The most glaring aspect in the present trying situation is the non-functional status of the Government machinery which has practically come to a grinding halt for the past 10 days signifying a clear breakdown of law and order situation that has spun out of Government’s control with no immediate end in sight. Coordinating interactive consultations and discussions with the traditional infrastructure including the Tribal Apex Hohos is the urgent need of the hour. However, judging from the determined stand taken by NTAC/JCC with the full backing of all the Tribal Apex Hohos, this is not about to happen as long as MR. T.R clings on to his rickety chair. Ignoring the traditional time bomb with a short ULB fuse that he has arbitrarily lit is going to make normal governance impossible from this point onwards with potential chaos in the making that could very well cause additional loss of lives in the event of his effort to make the Government machinery function. We are witnessing a full-blown Constitutional breakdown. This is perhaps more than sufficient a reason for the Governor to consider his prerogative and independently recommend PR based on the dangerous ground reality that is waiting to spiral out of control further if nothing tangible is done. Time is dangerously ticking by.
