Our Correspondent
Kiphire | February 19
At a time when pre-poll violence and cash for votes has become the obnoxious norm in most pockets of poll bound Nagaland, a remote village in the outskirts of Kiphire district claims to be in the making of setting an example by adhering to the NBCC call for clean election by the book.
With only 338 voters, Langzanger village under 59 Seyochung A/C and located around 45 kilometers away from Kiphire district headquarter may be insignificant in terms of population or head count, but its intention appears honorable.
In May, 2017, the entire villagers led by its elders organized a citizens meet and adopted a resolution to austerely stick to the clarion call made by the NBCC on clean election.
This meant strictly no monkey business and putting the clean election pledge into action by every single member of the village. Now, with just one week left for the polls, the village asserts it has not succumbed to the money being thrown around or to the muscle game at play.
This is a big thing actually considering the number of hypocritical clean election pledges made by hundreds of villages across the state and then openly flouting it in public eye.
“Adhering to clean election is not an easy task. There are temptations galore… money is pumped like water. But we are happy the entire village is still sticking to the resolution. I can safely say thing are going in the right direction,” a village elder told this correspondent during an interaction.
Things were quite different during the 2013 general election. Intrigues, money, violence and political gambits dominated this village. However, the village elder asserted that this time around, the entire village is peaceful and there is no law and order problem.
Most importantly, social relationship in the village circle has not been affected like in the past. “The first impression of the consequence of election is that it takes its toll on social relationship. Fortunately, this election, with the village strictly adhering to the clean election code, the environment is very peaceful,” the village elders commented.
On post-election expectations from the elected representative, the village elders are wise. “Whoever wins the election we all are a part because in a democratic society we are exercising our vote and it does not mean we are against each other and anyone who gets the chair will be representing all of us.”
The women in the village are also happy that they do not have to worry about their husbands and sons getting into trouble, beaten up, hunted down etc which is a usual practice during election. The youths in the village meanwhile opined that the village's endeavour to uphold clean election is laudable and others should follow suit in the coming years.
It may be mentioned that in May 2017, Langzanger village became the first village under Kiphire district to adopt resolutions on clean election. It had resolved not to establish youth camps, shouting slogans, insulting each other taking the name of candidate or party, not to use money and intoxicating objects, not to employ weapon & muscle power etc during the entire election process.
It had also resolved that any citizen(s) of Langzanger who sell/use money during election, he/she shall be prohibited to cast his/her vote in the election.
The resolution was adopted in line with NBCC call for clean election and also to encourage the inhabitants of the village to practice ‘real democracy’ by exercising one's franchise during election in choosing the right leader for progress and development.
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