Rev. Fr. George Rino
Assumption University, Bangkok
Is the backdoor appointments and non-availability for job opportunities the epicenter of the problem in Nagaland? Yes, there are backdoor appointments in many of the Departments or even appointment of three-four persons against a single vacancy. It is a sad thing to ponder about. But such practices may continue till the inmates change the attitude towards ‘Work’. In this connection, allow me to share my personal views as to why are all these happening. The desire and attitude to reap bountifully without sowing the seed is the root cause.
Many of our youths loiter in and around Kohima in the Government offices.The question that puzzles me with the thought is, ‘are there no jobs available in the state for them to do?’ When people say, ‘There is no job’, I question myself, can that be true! The teaching of Frieda Mendelsohn on ‘Demand, Supply and Equilibrium’ says that where there is no demand, there won’t be supply either. If there is no work in Nagaland, how can there be a sea of people flowing to Nagaland from other states! The Home Department may be able to give a clearer data as to how many non-tourists job seekers are sneaking into Nagaland daily.
Looking at the vegetable vendors, auto drivers, hair dressers, cobblers, vehicle repairers (workshops), masons (building constructors), workers in stone quarries, newspapers sellers, paddy cultivators etc., we hardly see any Nagas engage in it. This scene starts from the State’s Capital to farthest corner of the state. That makes me wonder with a thought, are all these worksnot employment? Those who earn through the so called “Menial jobs” call us Sir/Madam/Malik/Uncle/Aunty/ Baba, etc., with a lot of respect but their regular daily earnings and monthly wages are fatter than our earning of once in full moon or our unpaid handsome Government’s Salaries.
Even in the banks sector or teachers in the private schools, we see more faces from other states. The question that comes to my mind looking at these dramas is, if they can earn their living and have surplus by doing these works, why not we? Many Educational Institutions, Tuition Centers and 101% Sure Success Coaching Centers are run in the name of some Nagas but they tap the inflow of money and we take the glorious name. In all these, the rubber-stump partnerships of ours, pave the easy four-lane roads for them to suck and suck our brother’s and sister’s money. In this way, we use our Christian charity to steal our own people’s treasury to fill other people’s pockets. And yet our only chorus is ‘there is no job opportunities in our state’.
How many shops are run by the non-Nagas in Nagaland? If we ask the shop keepers, the general reply is, ‘there is no profit due to this and that’. The question is, are all the shop keepers doing missionary works and running some charitable institutions here in Nagaland! If there is no profit, have they madly fallen in love with our ‘dry-season-dusty-roads’ and ‘rainy-season-muddy-roads’, that enabled them to leave their comfort zones and home towns to stay with us? The bakeries are another place where we get all our favorites items with no bargaining power. The products of their kitchen with the label written in bold, made somewhere outside Nagaland, is tastier even if it is costlier. But we hardly see any Nagas running such fat milking bakeries and shops.
Few of the areas where our people need to urgently learn and re-learn to change the mindset about work according to me are: First, the government jobs are not the only works known as employment. The oxford dictionary describes the meaning of the word ‘employment’ as any work done to earn money for livelihood. Second, there is no shame to do any job, if that can earn one’s livelihood. Third, the willingness to work hard and the spirit of perseverance need to be nurtured and cultivated in our society. Here, the parents have a bigrole to play. The children can be helped with different works such as cut firewood, carry firewood, do gardening and field works, everyone to wash one’s own plates and cups, sweep one’sown rooms, arrange the beds, do the laundry etc. By engaging in such activities, the children will learn to be independent and self-sufficient in future. Besides, doing some of such physical activities, the suppressed stresses can be vented out and thus one can feel lighter, study better and be physically healthier too.
