Dhobinala – Signal (Angami) – Thahekhu area road campaign.
It’s almost two months since the media Campaign for Dhobinal – Signal (Angami) – Thahekhu area road has ended and the enthusiastic response from the concerned authorities to construct the road immediately after the budget session have died down slowly. The other day, while driving through this road I saw some truckers unloading gravel along the road side, I could barely hide my joyous smile and even gave a thumps up to my co-passenger hoping that it was finally happening. I even sent some text messages to some of the well wishers of the media campaign (especially to the media house – Nagaland post, Eastern Mirror &The Morung Express who have sacrificed huge sum of revenue in advertisement in order to make this campaign successful).All the laughter, smile and thumps up came to an unexpected end when we learned that the area locality donated the gravel for temporary repairing of the road for school children. Such hoax and practical joke have become a part of our life with the government unresponsive toward our media campaign. In our quest for answers to our problem, we have received contradicting information that the road survey has been done by some joint venture company and will start the road as soon as possible(which seems impossible without even a single gravel laid along the road). While another source has confirmed that the road project has been sent to DONER under priority list. We are not so enthusiastic about this either as DONER seems far too away from home to understand the gravity of our problem. And I’m not sure if the Government has made sure to include the intensity of pain, suffering, loses and hardship that we have projected through the Campaign. The response of the authorities doesn’t seem to be urgent and positive if these information are to be taken into account. Now, discontentment is simmering in Dhobinala – Signal (Angami) –Thahekhu Area over the pathetic road condition, but the government’s strategy to remain tight-lipped despite Massive Media Campaign may prove to be the last straw. Despite passing of the fortnight-long Media Campaign aimed at creating awareness and political consciousness on the sorry state of affairs of Dhobinala – Signal (Angami) –Thahekhu Area road, the state government is yet to give any official statement. Ignorance is not always bliss, and perhaps it is the ignorance of the state government that a protest threat against government apathy is once again looming over the city. The common man has come of age in understanding protests and agitations. There is the realization that such movements will always have its consequences and it is the public who ends up paying the price. To avoid such unpleasant outcome, other intellectual means of appeal such as Mass Media Campaign and Awareness Drive highlighting the deplorable condition of the road (Dhobinal–Signal (Angami)–Thahekhu area) have been adopted, which are perhaps one of the most intellectual and subtle forms of protest. The government should pay heed to such kind of appeal. But the government’s attitude has all along been irresponsible and lukewarm. It looked down upon our appeal and now the entire atmosphere has got vitiated. The public is perplexed as to why the government is flirting with the idea of inviting protests and agitations. The public knows too well that it’s a course better not taken. The Nagaland government would risk galvanizing the movement further if they keep turning a deaf ear to the public’s genuine appeal. With patience running thin, it’s time for the concerned department to take cohesive measures and for the state government to come forward and provide the funds required to build the road. The onus solely lies with the state government as funds meant for Dhobinala-Signal (Angami)-Thahekhu areaRoad have often been mismanaged. The government’s response to the peaceful Mass Media Campaign will be the final verdict on how serious the government listens to the voice of general public for their basic amenities and make us believe that they are people’s government.
