The January 30th statement signed by the Convener JCC, Gen.Secy.NBCC and Home Minister Nagaland wherein it is stated “.......JCC needs two months, with effect from 1st February 2017, to educate and to dialogue with different tribal bodies...At the consummation of the two months..JCC will ensure people’s participation in the conduct of a peaceful ULB election in the State as stated above (with 33%women reservation)” clearly states that the JCC has given up the ‘fight to stop the Government from implementing the 33% reservation’, stooping further down (for reasons unknown) they ‘request the State Commission to give them time to ‘educate the public.’ This indicates that the JCC and NBCC has taken up the mission to educate the public towards conducting a well-informed Municipal election and this makes one wonder as to why almost every Organization in Nagaland has to become the Ruling Party’s election agents. The statement again shows of one bereft of hope or knowledge around him for it unwittingly has insulted the learned, the intellectuals and the elders who in these months have sincerely and unceasingly contributed their knowledge, ideas and have updated the issues regarding the pros and cons of Municipality Government and Women Reservation through the Social Medias. The leaders in the JCC need to ponder over their statement and make their stand unambiguous. Going beyond what our School Students studies i.e the ‘Advantages of Municipal Self Government’ some analytic, interesting and well-informed writers have even pointed out, how the Municipal governing system would infringe upon our face saving ‘Special Provision for Nagaland 371A. Of this, in an effort to downplay the Article the NPF Youth went out of their way calling the writer ‘ignorant’ randomly instead of going back to Part IX - 243M and Part IXA -243T of the Constitution and the Assembly Act 1978 and 2001 (of which we really need to know before we comment or enter the debate). The people are learning their lesson, no matter how shockingly rude and painful (even at the cost of lives), it now is time for the leaders to get educated though learning indeed, seem to come slow.
The looseness and Vulnerability of this statement again seemingly allowed the Government to go ahead with the Municipal Election in some areas of Nagaland. Whatever, if the Communiqué issued by the Chief Minister’s office that states, ‘Nagaland Government agrees in principal to defer ULB elections” be true, then the irresponsibility of the present Government has truely reached its peak; to have allowed election in some parts of Nagaland and to have the audacity to say ‘I still have the majority of elected member’s support’. In this age of information, where not even an illiterate or grandparents can be fooled, the Chief Minister of a State trying to fool his own people; not giving a hoot of what they say sure is nothing but an extreme flagrant abuse of power and an arrogance that can easily trigger the outrage of the people. In trying to fool the people, two precious lives have been sacrificed and several grievously injured.
Somewhere along the line, we have given the wrong signal or misstepped; if it was for wavering in our decision and for being slack in our hold it was us that had let the flood rush in. It is however good to see the Civil Organizations despite their differences, come together to put up a unified voice and becoming more sensible and reasonable in dealing with sensitive issues, particularly, after the incident of that fateful Night. After all how long can we remain oblivious if we are to know who we are, where we stand and what we should seek for.
