Kahuto Chishi Sumi
Akukau, Hevishe Village
I start by emphasising the point that no matter how dirty Elections are in Nagaland, “WE MUST KEEP HAVING ELECTIONS!” Human History has shown us that Democracy, based on a Multi-Party System, with Universal Adult Franchise, is the basis for the freest and the stablest form of Government. India is a fledgling Democracy, and Nagaland is bumbling along with the rest of India in our Experiment with Democracy. The British took centuries to develop their Parliamentary System of Government. They went through Civil Wars, multiple Political Parties, The Suffragist Movement, protests, strikes, boycotts and voter inducement through cash and kind, before things settled to the present state of Relative Normalcy and Cleanliness. We are crawling, and we have to learn to WALK before we can RUN. Our Dirty Candidates, combined with our Dirty Electoral Process, have some of our supposed Intellectuals suggesting that we need, “The Solution” proposed by our “Freedom Fighters”; but that is the last thing any sane Naga needs. I’d rather be ruled by a bunch of crooked, corrupted people, elected through dirty means, who can be replaced periodically; than live under an indefinite Dictatorship of our “Freedom Fighters.”
There are many reasons why Elections in Nagaland are the way they are, but the root cause is that Nagas do not understand the Concept of, “The Rule of Law”. The Concept of The Rule of Law means that the person in the seat of power is immaterial; that no matter who occupies it, The Law Reigns Supreme and that he is bound to follow The Law. But we Nagas break all Laws to gain unfair advantage over others, the moment we occupy a position of Power; no matter how petty the position may be. This leads to a wild and unprincipled grab for the Reins of Power. We support our Contending Legislators by any and all means possible, including the willingness to take up violence at the slightest urging from our “Leaders”. Our unstinted support for our Legislators during elections is undertaken with the understanding that once he is elected, he will break all Laws in favour of his supporters; whether it be backdoor appointments, promotions, transfers, awarding of lucrative contracts, etc. That is why it is so important that the Legislators we elect to be from our village, area, clan or tribe. But if the Elected Legislators function in accordance with the Law, instead of breaking it, it will not matter what village, area, clan or Tribe he or she is from; for the Law is designed for ALL to get their FAIR SHARE of the benefits of the State.
We have to understand that our Politicians are working for their personal and familial benefit alone. The fact that one or two members of our Tribe gain personal benefits through appointments, transfers, promotions and contracts has no appreciable benefit on the Tribe, as a whole; rather, it builds up resentment in the minds and hearts of the people of other tribes towards ALL MEMBERS of our Tribe. We are like dogs at the feet of our Politicians, begging for crumbs, when in actual fact; we should be sitting at the table as equals.
I have voiced my objections to the NBCC’s Clean Election Campaign time and again, not because I believe that the concept is wrong, but because I believe it favours the Corrupt Rich, presently holding the reins of power in Nagaland. Nagaland has become a dustbin which needs to be emptied of accumulated filth.
To clean up the Electoral Process in Nagaland, a multi-pronged approach is necessary. The NBCC’s Clean Election Campaign must be complemented by creating an inducive atmosphere for Clean Candidates to contest Polls. This must be strengthened by eliminating bogus/proxy voters and multiple registrations of voters in separate constituencies. My friend, Kevitho Kera has started a Petition to the Election Commission of India, in The Naga Discussion Forum, on Facebook, seeking to link biometric data with voter registration. I cannot think of a better way to start cleaning up the Electoral Process, not only in Nagaland, but across India, than that. My only fear is that Politicians, across India, and spanning Political Parties; who all practice proxy voting, will fight tooth and nail to prevent this linkage. May God Strengthen his Petition.
Only Clean Candidates will understand the Concept of The Rule of Law; and Clean Candidates can only win through Clean Electoral Processes. So I suggest that the NBCC should support the linkage of Voter Identity Registration to the Biometric Database. If any of the Members of the NBCC object because of its connotations to The Number of The Beast; they can always insist on Driving Licences and Passports.
I end with the suggestion that the NBCC should look into excommunicating, from the Church, all those who excommunicated Candidates for contesting the recently concluded Polls. If the NBCC turns a blind eye to this aspect of Electoral Malpractice in Nagaland, I insist that it follow the Words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 22:21, of The Holy Bible, which states, “..Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” and forever hold its Peace on Electoral matters. God Save Nagaland
