The elections in Nagaland has reached fever pitch with supporters clashing, some pelting stones, one abducted here another abducted there and also alleged faction involvement, etc. etc. I was somewhat surprised to read that election violence erupted in Wokha on February 16, when in practice, it is usually her neighboring district- Mokochung who face the brunt of electoral violence during election seasons. I hope this is not a precedence that is to follow….
I have collected some news items which have been highlighted during the election campaigns while skimming through the newspapers and other media-related information. Perhaps this could be an update for those of us who have not kept up much with the ‘election fever’ this year:
i) One crore rupees seized from NPF candidate, one mister Nyemli Phom contesting from 49 A/C Tamlu (Longleng district) on February 16, 2013. Caught red-handed when he was alighting from his helicopter at Longleng district without permission.
ii) “Nagaland Home Minister arrested” on February 18 and under Wokha police custody (we haven’t received information whether he has been released on bail) with Rs. 1.10 crore, and five illegal 7.65 mm pistols in his possession too. He was ‘intercepted’ by the 17 Assam rifles near Longsa village check post in Wokha.
iii) 84 candidate crorepatis contesting for the elections this year as per details provided by Nagaland Election Watch (not affiliated with ECI). Of these, 40 candidates are from NPF, 24 from INC, 17 independent, 2 NCP and 1 from UNDP. K.L. Chishi of INC from Dimapur-I constituency has the highest estimate of an asset worth Rs. 50.19 crores. Neiphiu Rio, NPF contesting in Northern Angami II constituency with an estimate 30.07 crores (reported, Rio has not given information related to value of deposits in 5 bank accounts and 3 insurance policies), and so on and so forth.
iv) Reported, still, a total of 230 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have been deployed to the state to ‘ensure a peaceful assembly election’. That is an up from 180 companies since the last assembly elections.
Those are the updates so far, as far as my own interpretation or assessments. But, we have also seen a string of ‘celebrity’ politicians in the state recently including Union Home Minister Shinde’s visit to Khuzama village. We have also been visited by the neighboring state chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Nabam Tuki. BJP, on their part have also roped in ‘star campaigners for Nagaland’ this election season including party president Rajnath Singh. According to BJP sources Sushma Swaraj will be campaigning for the party’s solo woman candidate, Rakhila Lakhiumong contesting from 54 Tuensang Sadar-II A/C. And Varun Gandhi, Rajnath Singh or Nitin Gadkari will be campaigning in Mon district (news report from Morung express, Feb 4).
I guess a layman may sum up by asking, “What else is new?” But, yes, there has been an increase of security personnel with the deployment of 230 companies from CAPF which is a new development, and a heavy one too. Also, ECI- Election Commission of India have managed to keep a tighter check over all the candidates this year regulating that the total amount spent by candidates for travels, campaigning, food etc. should not exceed 8 lakhs of rupees. Sonia Gandhi during her election campaign rallies in Nagaland critiqued the present government for having ‘siphoned’ huge amounts of money, funds sent by the UPA government to the state. She, however, gave an incorrect estimation of the funds used for and in the construction of the cricket stadium at Sovima village which an official statement from the NPF later corrected. The NPF have also been taking jabs at Congress for their lofty promises and ‘sacred commitments’; while, BJP seem to be prancing around unsure which side they should really take.
Basically, it’s political bickerings set in the backdrop of what is the election season this February. However, a question did pop up in my head as I was reading through the news headlines; why was the 49 A/C Tamlu NPF contestant not detained because he had landed the helicopter without proper authorized permission but rather the spotlight seemed to have highlighted that he carried 1 crore cash rupees in his airbag instead (under party authorization)? Also, can a Union Home Minister of India take, in my perspective, a personal if not a personal-political-party jab at a state political party under the aegis of his party and perhaps his position of power in the centre? Would it be considered abusing his position of power especially when he is holding office in the government?
Is it a political game?
The vexed quandary of the Naga political issue, Eastern Nagaland’s state and ‘welfare’, development for the state and education (I’m hoping quality education) have been discussed, sometimes exploited, on the table. I hope these issues are not being thrown up in the air by all or any political party without finding some solutions to our society’s problems –to the people’s problems. Because, whatever political party come, or go, we will still have these problems in our society. The issues that have been presented or brought up are complex indeed but I am still positive that once we start somewhere, perhaps, we will get somewhere too.
How should a voter vote?
That is another difficult question for us citizens to answer. The Naga political, issue, corruption, lack of inspiration or deplorable state of development –in the form of bad roads, underdeveloped and ‘backward’ rurals, or a poor healthcare system are issued which perplex and also frustrate the society. But in that discourse, our indulgence in election seasons or bias voting are equally guilty if not part of the bigger picture too. However, citizens have also been used as pawns or criticized (….if the system is not being criticized at that moment) and in the foray an opportunity to exploit (the situation) arise. Are the citizens to blame then? Are they to blame for the system? Is it central government’s fault, is it state government’s fault? Where can one draw the line? Where can ‘change’ or perspective come to us?
