Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 25
On Friday, thousands of people heeded to the call of the Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland, to join the public rally against corruption, in one of the largest demonstrations witnessed in recent years.
Organized under the theme “War against Corruption, the battle to reclaim the Land,” the whole stretch of the venue- Supermarket area, Dimapur turned into a sea of people, who had turned up to exhibit their disdain against the rising scourge of corruption that has left the State in shambles- a consequence which has to be borne by the ordinary people.
What was more conspicuous was the overwhelming turnout of the younger generation joining the rally, with banners and placards. “This is the beginning of the turbulence that the discontent young generation will echo across the states, corrupted leaders, beware!,” Tokhavi, a septuagenarian who had arrived to attend the public rally from Signal Angami remarked.
The speakers at the rally did not mince words. The first battle cry was given by Associate Pastor, DABA Rev L Lima Jamir who pronounced the customary invocation. He declared that churches are equally responsible for corruption in Nagaland.
Same with the NGOs, who are more inclined towards playing politics instead of working for the welfare of the societies, he stated. The Naga Political Groups (NPGs) were also a major contributing factor for corruption, standing only for family not the nation, the Reverend further remarked.
ACAUT chairperson Joel Naga, in his welcome note, vowed to reclaim Nagaland from corruption and said time has come for Nagas to turn from head hunters to “hunters of the corrupted.” On the setting up of the Nagaland Lokayukta Bill, Joel lamented that it has been two years and the government keeps extending the tenure of the select committee created to look into it.
N Hotongse Sangtam, who spoke on behalf of the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organization (ENPO) compared the position of the state with the sitting of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), which hardly lasts for minutes and never discuss development.
Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) president Lentinokdang pointed to corruption plaguing departments; leaders and bureaucrats, and called for setting up a timeframe of one year to cleanse corruption from the state.
Pointing out that corruption in Nagaland has become chronic and entrenched, the Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC) vice president O Shilu Jamir called for every sensible Naga to support the fight against corruption for the “sake of the coming generation.” The rally is not against any political party or leader but against corruption and injustice, he added.
Giving a brief on the state of affairs in Nagaland, Thepfulhouvi Solo, IFS (retd) said the Nagaland Government has become a machine only to cheat the Naga people. “Another similar machine, according to Solo was the NSCN (IM) taxation to buy arms and business which in turn threatens the Nagas.”
While supporting the ACAUT as well as CNTC and NTC, Solo urged the leaders not to become habituated with the ‘lifafa’ (envelope) system. “To change Nagaland cannot come from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) or the Chief Secretary’s office but will come from the public,” he remarked.
Z Lohe said every industry in Nagaland has failed, citing the example of the Sugar Mill and the NPPC, and alleged that Nagaland’s only thriving industry is the “industry of corruption- which is run by the 60 legislators of the NLA in connivance with the bureaucrats and technocrats.”
In his keynote address, Khekiye K Sema said the Nagaland Government should bring in the CBI to investigate all the scams that were pestering in Nagaland. He said if the government did not heed to the demand, the same situation of what occurred in connection with the ULB election could be witnessed again.
Sema, while lauding the decision of the six NNPGs to exempt taxes from Naga entrepreneurs, however suggested that taxes should be doubled for those Non Naga businessmen who had benami accounts in the name of Nagas. The retired bureaucrat also termed the action of the Naga Council Dimapur in deciding not to attend the public rally as a disgrace and said “NCD voted for corruption” with their action.
Representatives from AYO, Rengma Selo Zi, Lotha Youth Hoho, IBAPO, IMTN, MTLT, ZTYO, Phek Town Youth Society, MCCI (Mon), KCCI (Kohima), AKMWP, DUCCF, Peter Rutsa, V Swu, PSAN convenor also addressed the rally. Poem presentation was heard from C-Edge College, The Naga Blog, Hope Academy, while Coloured Keys, Octet School of music, Aloto Sumi, Nogheli Z Muru, Meren Tzudie, Abiogenisis, Maong Aier, TIME, Alinou and Candy Jam presented special songs.
Call for inclusivity in Naga political talks
While the war against corruption formed the central theme of the public rally, the Naga political issue and the need for an inclusive solution by taking on board all the NPGs before the settlement of the final agreement to the Naga solution found its way into the speeches of the different speakers.
ACAUT chairperson, Joel Naga contented that if there is no inclusive solution, corruption would continue as both NPGs and the State Government will keep on playing the blame game while the public would be the loser.
The NTC president meanwhile voiced concern that even though the Naga public has been urging for inclusive solution, so far there has been no response from the Government of India.
In the same vein, Z Lohe, questioned why there was still no solution even after the NSCN (IM) and the GoI had been carrying dialogue for 20 years.
Khekiye K Sema while questioning the Framework Agreement of the NSCN (IM) without the other NPGs, said the Naga people should demand that the Government of India officially invite all the NPGs and include them in the talks before any final settlement is made.
“We are all equal people and the NSCN (IM) is no greater than the rest of the NPGs,” Sema pointed out. He further expressed apprehension on the Framework Agreement being reached exclusively with the NSCN (IM). “This message must reach both the GoI and the NSCN (IM),” he stated.
