N Haisoyi Ndang
Lower Bayavu | Kohima
Nagas are inherently innovative but differently that the well intended idea seems never live up to see the light of dawn and this is what crippling the Naga society for thus long. We take pride in our faith and belief with holier than thou attitude sermonizing others for what they (Preachers) themselves never practice reflects our real being of today’s situation.
It was way back in 1989, the Christian forum of Nagaland thought that liquor was the root of all evils and invariably with the high hope of cleansing the Naga society the popular act known as “The Nagaland total prohibition act 1989 was put to promulgation where, sale and consumption of foreign made Indian liquor banned by the virtue of the act. However, ironically akin to dogs to bone the inflow of liquor seems unabated and thus the act becomes a big failure as was acknowledge by the NBCC who spearheaded the act. This is what we call supply and demand equilibrium for the fact that drinkers prepare their daily quota (Bottles) against unseen heavenly tickets. Similarly, in the face of high demand for FMIL, numerous bootleggers mushroom up in every nook and corner doing brisk business by charging sky rocking price for their spurious liquor resulted health hazard to the users but let the devil care attitude of the patronage (NBCC) had not gone down well with the law of humanity and Christianity.
Now, that total prohibition act of Nagaland is the elder brother and the younger brother “Clean election” is neither wiser, facing the same problem of demand and supply equilibrium in a dilemma.
Now, yet another younger brother is born and christened as “Mr.Clean election” hoping to make fair and clean election for 2018 assembly election under the spiritual guidance of the Christian society of Nagaland. However sadly, the immediate parents themselves couldn’t control the wayward behavior of their loved child as the electorate misled the child to their own whim and fancy.
Yes, under the clean election resolution no candidate should dole out money in the form of largess or in kind to entice the voters, however contrarily it is learnt that even before the nomination of candidate starts the ground works had kick started with ground shaking activities like distributing SUV vehicles, housing material and promising everything under the sky to the gullible voters. Besides that the rule said, no liquor should be allowed in any form but again some intending candidates were apprehended with huge quantities of FMIL speaks volume of failure before the kickoff.
Under such scenario, the grand project “Clean election” looks more of tinsel decked out to appease to the agitating minds of the electorates who, in other word thought that all the politicians are liar and cheaters, corrupted to the core who promised everything under the sky once in every five years never to fulfill their hilarious promises. Thereby, many voters chose money over a better candidate who doesn’t have enough money lost out umpteen time to the harden corruptive politician. As a result, there is very very slim chance for the fresh dynamic leaders to enter into the arena of governing body and the corrupt leaders will continue to bulldoze the public with their ill gotten wealth.
Therefore, churches as pivotal patronage for clean election in Nagaland should innovatively make effort with more stringent rules for the candidates as well as the electorate with such as; bond agreement signed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and also depute observers in every polling booth with do and don’t rules and regulation if election really take place.
