Moa Jamir
The outcome of the recent Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF)'s Central Executive Council on November 29 is clearly interesting in many aspects. Still convalescing after a series of internal strife in recent times, the major Party in the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) came out blasting salvos in all direction against all its detractors.
The target, intensity and timing of attack, however, are conspicuous. The Party is playing an urgent electoral gambit given the impending polls in urban local bodies due early next year. Consequently, the Governor and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), incidentally a partner in ruling DAN Government, were prime targets.
Given the electoral consideration, predictably it employed the cheapest tricks in politicking to up the ante – the debate on the role of governor and religious polarization.
According to media report, Nagaland Home Minister Y Patton slammed the Governor PB Acharya for his statements in the media that the incumbent government was corrupt, maintaining how he would be able to address the Assembly saying “my government is corrupt”?
"The Governor should not be allowed to go to villages without invitation and check implementation of centrally sponsored schemes, specially MGNREGA and Mid Day Meal,” Minister for National Highway Nuklutoshi censured, according to a PTI report.
Over the years, Acharya’s stand on corruption, despite his occasional foot in mouth statement, have been consistent. Most recently, he expressed concern that corruption has “diluted the rich fabric of the Naga society.” The Governor has also been touring all the districts of Nagaland to gather first hand information on various issues particularly the implementation of Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), inviting consternation from the state government.
Belatedly, NPF also resolved to appeal to the central government not to impose “Good Governance Day” coinciding with Christmas (December 25) “as the day is most revered by the Christian community.” The Home Minister also alleged that “Raj Bhavan was becoming a place for RSS and BJP.”
Seldom had the Party responded to issues with such acerbity. “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows,” wrote William Shakespeare in The Tempest. Nowhere, it was deemed more appropriate than the alliance between NPF and BJP. However, cracks in the DAN coalition came to the fore recently when the latter submitted a memorandum to the Governor in November highlighting “injustice and mis-governance of the DAN Government” maintaining that it cannot remain silent while the people in the State undergo “utter misery.”
Whether action was necessitated by axing of one of its parliamentary secretary from the government for alleged “anti-Government activities” is beside the point. The NPF’s combative salvo against the Governor must be interpreted in this context.
Politics apart, the NPF’s commitment towards fighting corruption was most found most wanting when one of its minister at the same meeting lamented that some ‘unrecognized’ NGOs, fighting against corruption and government’s incompetency, are acting more powerful than the recognized NGOs and ardently called for their derecognition.
Corruption in Nagaland is a vice which everybody loves to hate, but too feeble to resist its overarching tentacles. The ruling NPF’s stand on the issue, besides politicking, are both dismissive and retaliatory and does not engender any assurance.
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