Dr. Asangba Tzüdir
Clean election has been a much mulled over topic for some time now and it has generated mixed feelings, divided between optimism and pessimism. Like a huge pressure relieved off the feet of NBCC, the Langpangkong range under Mokokchung District pledging for free and fair election holds much substance and can possibly be taken as a ‘working model’ by other communities to substantiate and expedite the process of clean election. Though a work in progress, the resolution ‘adopted’ ways through which a process of ‘democratisation’ in the election process can be injected and one highlight towards this end is the resolution to create a common platform for all the intending candidates to ‘speak.’ This is an integral dimension if clean election, and of being free and fair, has to produce the desired effect. On a cautious note, we are outstanding in coming up with new things but fail in its objective sustenance.
Thus, our bases need to be covered and this calls for re-examining the notion of clean election by starting with a break-up.
The words ‘clean’ and ‘election’ needs a break-up and addressed separately before bringing the two together. First, we need to understand what it means to be ‘clean’ and how to pursue towards being ‘clean.’ Besides other considerations, being ‘clean’ should find its right place within our ‘moral selves.’ And for morality to manifest, our moral selves needs to be awakened within a framework, a sort of guiding principles that will help strengthen our morality, strengthened by clear notions of what is ‘good’ and what is ‘bad’ and what is ‘desirable’ and what is ‘undesirable’ through our faculty of ‘practical judgment.’ Side by side ‘weakness of the will’ is there to play its own deceiving game but such morally guiding principles within our moral selves should shed the selfish mentality that leads one to compromise one’s morality especially when it comes to ‘material’ considerations.
Secondly, a very clear idea about how an election should be needs to be well defined within constructive parameters including the identification of the right candidate. We always lurk in the danger of falling into the same old systems trap and thereby the need for a new process of election. It is high time that the prevailing system of muscle and money power be condemned and work on a new process based on a renewed morality.
Only when both the words are clear, they can then be brought together for envisioning and to strengthen and concretise the objectives of clean election. Clean election is often taken as a right. But rather than a right, it is a responsibility. So the question is about how we translate our morality to responsibility knowing that morality gives impetus to be responsible. Looking at the general psyche, what has been the trend is that the masses is quick on critics but hardly respond to questions concerning responsibility. One can see this trend clearly even through the morung opinion poll questions. The one on 33% reservation attracted lots of comments while responses on clean election were very few and this tells a lot about the people’s psyche.
Having said about the morally guiding principles, a collective responsibility within the larger project of a ‘coming community’ is thus paramount. We need to broaden the horizons of our moral compass in understanding the ‘moral ought’ and the predicament that makes each of us a human being – a moral being. This can provide the necessary impetus to be responsible. Secondly, Nagas need to shed the attitudinal trend of selfishness, only then, talk of a collective responsibility can begin in right earnest.
For the ‘dream’ of a ‘coming community,’ the communities need to come together having a sense of a value-oriented community, a community where each individual understands what it means to be a human – as a morally responsible human that seeks to embark on a mission towards a peoples’ government and for the collective good of our society. The idea of the good and the desirable should then get linked within the larger communitarian principles and moral worldviews which is further developed through everyday life experiences.
As an epilogue, clean election is not a ‘right in itself’ but a ‘responsibility’ and therefore the questions confronting clean election is whether we are we willing to come together as a morally renewed community, and thereby the ‘coming community’ with a pledge to be responsible.
(Dr. Asangba Tzüdir is Editor of Heritage Publishing House. He contributes a weekly guest editorial to the Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
