Moa Jamir
The recent discovery of fuel adulteration across Nagaland has belatedly jolted the state government out of its slumber by instituting a Special Investigation Team to probe the matter.
Ditto some of the leading organization who choose to speak out against the same after almost a fortnight since the story first broke on June 27. Were they waiting for the matter to turn into a natural death, as is the usual case in Nagaland? One can only assume.
The rejection of the Special Investigation Team by the ACAUT Nagaland and the rejoinders by the ruling NPF Party and Police Headquarter (PHQ) and by an Additional Advocate General is curious, to say the least.
Are they the spokesperson of the government? But such methods are expected from the present government who justifies the short duration of state Monsoon Assembly by holding a longer press conference than the assembly itself. Literally, "Adulteration" is a legal term meaning that a food product "fails to meet federal or state standards.” But in Nagaland, it applies both in physical and metaphysical realms.
Thus, the mid-day meals are worm-infested, the fuels are mixed; education substituted; development works for all sectors muddified, and government’s responsibility withered.
The Chief Minister press conference also confirms two important questions in people’s mind. That, hordes of the state elected representative (MLAs) in the Assembly are simply there just for the sake of it without any iota of concern for public welfare and governance.
“We have asked MLAs to put question if they want clarification. When they don’t put the question the government cannot raise the question,” the Chief Minister clarified.
Secondly, since the government has no issue that concerns them, the CM lovingly asked the public to file RTI “if they feel important issues were left out” basking in the thought that it is the most “peaceful assembly in the country” and people of the state should rejoice.
Incidentally, he had a terse but ominous warning for all those employed under the Central Service Schemes like SSA, RMSA lots who has been complaining, and rightly so, about non-payment of salaries – they might be co-terminated when the schemes end - implying that the state government has no plan B for them.
Cynicism apart, the callous approach of the elected representatives is the utmost manifestation of the adulterated state Nagaland is in.
Things get ironically and desolately clear when the ruling NPF responded to the allegation of “deadly silence” in the assembly by the State Congress.
The NPF said the duration of the first day was only 15 minutes because the business of the day required only 15 minutes to be tabled and “the legislators and party functionaries were literally burning the midnight oil” to retain power next election. Adulterated or non-adulterated, one might humbly pose.
But why blame the government when the society itself is adulterated with corruption, nepotism, favoritism, tribalism etc.? The moral fabric of the society is at its lowest ebb.
“Immorality is the new gospel,” a reader of The Morung Express had written in a weekly poll. Thus, the “interested interests” propelled by all selfishness, greed and abject concern for common welfare, has manipulated both the state machinery and mechanism for their own benefits.
When will this adulteration stop!
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