Wati Longchar,
Hualien, Taiwan
Nagaland would have been one of the most developed states in India if grant from GoI is used justly and judicially. Corruption has made Nagaland the most underdeveloped state in India. North East, especially Nagaland, is known by others mainly due to insurgency movements, bandhs, strikes and corruption. It is the democratic right of the citizens to express their resentments and displeasures peacefully by organizing bandh, road blockage, picketing and demonstration. Instead of responding to people’s demand by speeding up the development of infrastructure, the Government has been responding to people’s protest by lathi charge, arrest and water cannon in the name of maintaining law and order.
A press note from the NTC informed that during the last one year, from April 2016 to March 2017, “not less than Rs.2355 crores, 38 lakhs and 64 thousand was drawn and utilised fully by 11 departments purely for public distribution and infrastructural projects excluding departmental and establishment expenditures.” Where is the development of infrastructure? Where has the public welfare scheme gone? Corruption is deeply rooted and institutionalized in all fronts that we are not able to question the corrupt practices.
In a state where corruption is deeply rooted and institutionalized, organizing Bandh alone is not sufficient. In fact, people who are affected most by bandh are the poor people. A random call of bandh does not help. It should be carefully plan and ensure that it makes a lasting impact and result into positive outcome. Bandh should be organized to motivate people for continual struggle and commitment to transform sinful social structure for common good. Two levels of action is necessary. First, bandh should aim at to raising consciousness of both the victims and perpetrators by exposing the unjust structure - how political leaders and corruptors abuse power and the consequences of corruption should be exposed. Pamphlets/posters campaign and speeches by citizens involved in different walks of life should be organized in different places during bandh observation. Raising awareness will provoke people to take critical stand against unjust practices and motivate them to take up responsibility for the development of the whole society. Secondly, bandh should be organized mobilizing collective justice action groups of all religions and civil societies. Though Nagaland is a Christian dominated state, we should collaborate and strategize collective action groups of all faiths to intensify justice movement. People should send a strong message to the corruptors that we cannot tolerate corruption and people should press Government to implement the Lokayata bill passed by the Parliament and demand resignation, suspension and appropriate action to those corruptors if found guilty as per the law of the land. Since Bandh is a collective action demanding for justice, we need to go beyond tribal, village and clan mindset. Nobody should protect the corruptors and manipulators while speaking the truth.
Corruption and manipulation goes hand and hand and it takes place in various forms. Corruption exists not only in Government but also in the church and other public sectors. Sometimes religion glorify corruption and give religious justification. The church gives praises and invokes God’s blessings even for corrupt donations like during the medieval period. Upholding prosperity theology, all blessings, including corrupt money, are considered from God. If a person gets a job where there is “side or out income” (a popular Naga vocabulary), family, friends and community consider it as an enviable job. Pastor is invited to bless the person. After getting a job through backdoor or bribing, we give thanks to God. Proxy employment is well known and we accept it as a blessing and heroic act. For example, if we say proxy employment is corruption, then the normal reply is “he or she is jealous of me”. Imagine how many underground workers, church workers, government servants have proxy workers. Some people even draw pension or salary even if the person has gone to heavenly abode long time ago. Strangely, many still consider those practices as blessings, but not as sinful act. If a minister or a government official manipulate and misuse public fund, he or she is applaud as a hero. We publish their names in newspaper and church bulletin. Some churches and institutions even write their names in golden plates and fix on the walls though some of them have donated stolen money. The ministers or officers who cannot donate a huge sum money are considered as stingy and not an able public leader. Today even to move a file, we have to pay bribe. We live in a world where “no money no work” society. This culture helps and nurtures corruption. We should know that the church and church workers who honour and pray glorifying those corrupt ministers and officials looking at the donation is not only doing corruption, but also abusing religion. We are not praying to God but domesticating God for our selfishness. In this way, we are indirectly encouraging people to worship money and power and the corrupters to do corrupt practices. A popular saying goes, “If you are helping someone and expecting something in return, you are doing business not kindness”. So also, if we invite an officer expecting money beyond his or her means, we are encouraging corruption. Money can make people silent and blind to speak the truth.
Corruption is not only misuse of public money and property, but it also involves misuse and abuse of power. We have been experiencing abuse of power by army, by the so-called freedom fighters and forced collection of multiple taxes. In the name of protecting our culture, sometimes we treat women as second-class citizen and do not give due rights and privileges. Some churches even refuse to ordain women and we do not want to speak about equal opportunity in ministry. These are all institutionalized corruption. This is our society. We cannot run away. It is here that different hohos, churches, student’s forums and civil societies need to speak out justice for change. Our bandh should aim at dismantling the existing systems and institutions that perpetuate systemic injustice to many people. It is not just one or two days bandhs, but it should create movement to struggle against the misuse and abuse of power. Organizing protest movements, non-cooperation movements, campaigns through peaceful means is what we need today and it is the democratic rights of the citizens.
The church has a greater role to play. Some church workers feel uncomfortable to preach about corruption because of material benefits they enjoy. We must preach to offer honest offering; honest offering of Rs. 100 is more valuable than Rs. 1000 corrupt money. If we do not have sufficient money to do mission work outside of Nagaland, then do not do it. It is wrong to do God’s mission by the stolen public money. God will not bless such work. The church also needs to maintain austerity and speak against lavish throw away consumeritic culture for simplicity is an integral part of Christian spirituality. Let us pray and preach the truth to make Nagaland corruption free state.
