Dimapur, December 5 (MExN): The Chakhesang Thinkers’ Forum (CTF) has asserted that the electorates of the state must take elections seriously “because the fate of the state depends on their electing good and capable leaders.”
“In participatory democracy, voters are sovereign at least at the time of voting. We decide the fate of our future rulers,” the Forum stated while appealing on the electorates to vote conscientiously and elect the best candidates.
“Take correct decision so that tomorrow you will not regret,” it added.
The appeal comes after the Forum held its first session in Dimapur on December 4 during which it deliberated on many burning topics on social and political issues confronting the Naga society today – one of them being, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC)’s clean election campaign. The forum during the meeting agreed to extend support to the clean election campaign, a statement from the CTF informed.
Viewing that the present corruption in society is mostly caused by the “evil practices before, during and after elections”, the forum held that both contestants and electorates are equally guilty.
“The contestants buy votes to win elections and the voters sell their votes willingly,” it stated and asserted that this “symbiotic relationship” must be broken if the Nagas wish to elect persons of integrity and principles.
While pointing out that there are enough laws against malpractices, the CTF regretted that they cannot be enforced “because our people are all corrupt”. Also, the government is both “unwilling and incapable” of enforcing the already existing stringent laws for some unknown reasons, it added.
In this regard, the forum maintained that there has to be a general awakening “for moral and spiritual reformation” of the people in order to have a clean election.
“Corrupt means can never lead to have a clean government,” the Thinkers’ Forum stated while reasoning that it will only elect people without principles or morality or love for the people.
“They will not sacrifice or give – for the welfare of the people, but take and exploit them, also their resources for personal aggrandisement and instant gratification,” it argued.
“It will produce breed of leaders without conscience as an end product. These breed of leaders will commit all kinds of abominable things without remorse or regret.”
“In short, we will be liable in electing the most immoral persons as leaders.”
Further asserting that a good leader is what our society needs today, the Thinkers’ Forum urged the electorates to research the background of every contesting candidate from any political party without prejudice and “confront them with what they have been in their life as a member of general public or even as MLA and ask them to state publicly what they will do for the people if elected.”
“Those who fail the test must be requested to leave the political stage for more qualified, with better moral standards and candidates with greater credibility,” the forum maintained.
