A village elder’s take on elections in Nagaland
Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 27
As polling progressed in a village on the outer periphery of Dimapur district on February 27, The Morung Express got into a conversation with an elder of the village. The elder, who also happened to be the headman of the village, which falls under 4 Ghaspani I AC, was watching the poll proceedings at the village primary school while armed security personnel stood guard.
A well-spoken man in his 50s, he was asked to remark on the clean election campaign juxtaposed with the use of monetary incentives to woo voters. As a church-going Christian used to hearing sermons about right and wrong, he was asked whether it pricks his conscience by allowing electoral malpractices (vote-buying and proxy voting) in the village.
He admitted it is wrong and there is always the sense of guilt in him, which according to him has been a constant struggle. The admission was not bereft of justification.
Justifying his position, he reasoned that things would remain the same even if one votes by accepting cash or not at all. “Election time gifts (cash) from candidates will be the only ‘development’ we would get in five years. I am very certain whatever may be the result, the winner will not bother to inquire about the well-being of the village and many others like this.”
As a person with authority over the village, he said that candidates normally try to make contact with him as election time approaches. There have been times when they simply leave cash and go, he added.
Asked what he does with the money, he said that every family in the village is given a share and whatever that remains goes to the village treasury. It has normally been the trend in the village, and many others like it, to ask the electorate of the village to vote for a consensus candidate. “But this time we made it open,” he said, adding, “We ensured all the candidates got a share of the votes here.”
He though chose not to disclose how much the village received in cash from the candidates this time. Prodded further, he said that each family was given a few thousands.
“As an elder, I have also an obligation to help and see to it the polling process passes off without any untoward incidents,” he said. According to him, the village has not recorded a single instance of election-related violence in the entire history of electoral politics in Nagaland.
“None of the candidates came to campaign in the village and it has been a trend we have come helplessly accustomed to whether we like it or not.” He did admit that there always remains a wish that the attitude towards elections prevailing in Nagaland would change for the better. “Maybe the upcoming generation, our children would think differently and be decisive enough to overhaul the system.”
