Corruption has made some people very rich while some as poor as ever and this is not healthy for the general social well being of a society in the long run. For instance, Nagaland has 1:6 car-population ratio mostly concentrated in Kohima and Dimapur while in some remote corners; there are still villages yet to have roads. The union finance ministry highlights some years back mentioned that Kohima comes under the category of rich small towns in India. As per state annual budget outlay 2016, it is Rs. 3924 crore, yet hardly development comes to the villages. It mostly ends up in the coffers of people in high places only. If this money is divided equally to every man, Rs 19,812 will come to each person, and then a village of 3000 population will get Rs 59.4 crores per year. Perhaps people should vouch for direct allocation of funds to the village for its development rather than route the other way round as is the practice, after all it is their money. There is no mechanism or social obligation for this neo-capitalist to reinvest their money in the less developed hinterlands so as to facilitate equitable distribution of wealth which doesn’t augurs well for the future cohesion of our society. Because of such gross economic disparity the western world saw the rise of socialism/communism including revolutions and wars is history.
As per employment exchange office record, 75,000 educated unemployed youth are in the state today. And 45% of population is under 15 years (Nagaland HDR 2004). Apart from severe lack of avenues, the only well meaning employing agency, i.e., govt. is woefully infested with illegal backdoor appointment not in terms of hundred but thousands denying all chances of fair level playing field to the deserving because of corruption. Thousands union exist in this small land of associations yet hardly one to take the culprit to task, and organisation like NSF whose first duty should be to fight against such corrupt malpractice has no word leave alone taking the cudgel. It will be only a matter of time before a new parallel all Nagaland students union comes into existence unless it takes corrective measures. One reason why corruption of this sort has come to wrought us is because of the imposition of foreign democracy wholesomely upon us without considering its implications.
This western imported democracy has been in existence for centuries in western countries and they have reached a mature phase with continuous reformation and refinement down the ages. Indeed western world underwent tremendous wars and upheavals to reach the present level. For example at one point of time, English democracy too was extremely corrupt; rephrasing the commentators of the time when the East India company was colonising India, ‘the ministers and even the king was heavily bribed to manipulate things in the parliament.’ For Nagas to reach the level of mature democracy of the west, a lot of mud shifting and slugfest will have to come about if it is to take its natural course of evolution. But Nagas can achieve this other way round by taking a cue from the experience of others while drawing inference from our own traditional democracy to create a unique fusion in our own right.
To checkmate this corruption, its pertinent to transform the system. Nagas need to go back to tradition, revisit its values and mores and draw inference as per the needs of the present. Corruption has aberrated out culture and perverted our values and without facing it head on, it will not simply go away. Following measures may prove handy;
• Electoral reforms: Election is the root cause of corruption and until electoral reform completely prohibiting the use of money in election is stopped, to end corruption is a far cry. I once came across an elderly man advising a wannabe candidate that election is all about money where you spend Rs 100 and gets Rs. 200 in return when wins. It shows how deeply the vicious practice has come to deeply perch in the psyche of the common man. Perhaps a South Korean model of electoral reforms could portend well for Nagas too. By simple logic, a candidate will always try to recover the spent money in the last election and accumulate for next election as long as this system of vote buying exists. In the last general election, some candidate spent an average of Rs. 15-20 crore, supposing if that money of a crore each was utilised for development in every village of the constituency, all the villages will be shining by now. Without electoral reforms, to wipe out corruption is a foregone conclusion no matter what. No amount of clean election campaign will suffice until an electoral reforms come.
• One government, one tax: as long as perversion and aberration of multiple taxation of NPGs exist, corruption will thrive. There is nothing saner than to vouch for ‘one govt., one tax’ as the ACAUT espouse. This then draws a clear distinction between nationalists and factionalist. This will bring sobriety to Naga nationalism and dispel the slackness that has come to rack the movement per se. Without this, society cannot only thrive but the movement will be damned in the long run. This sobriety will resurrect the Naga cause and thus all true nationalist should support this stand. Roman Empire collapse because of corruption where the rulers lost connection with the ruled while unmindfully living on the extorted money in luxury at the expense of the masses. Only time will tell if the NPGs would severe the ultimate connection by oppressing the ultimate voice of the people or resurrect the same by realigning themselves accordingly in tune with the pulse of people. But any callous move may set a spark to the drying hills.
• Lokayukta: a strong anti-corruption law needs to be developed where complete transparency and accountability can be monitored and maintained. All backdoor appointments should be completely banned and all recruitment be done through open competitions solely on merits. Strong legal sanction to persecute the violators should be installed too.
• Oath taking: tradition has it since time immemorial that those who swear false oath or trespass the same, calamity and misfortune befalls, which is palpable even in today’s Christian society, something beyond the explanation of science. Nagaland is a society of villages and if corruption is neutralized at this grassroots level, society and government in general will become non-corrupt eventually. Therefore, a system of oath taking after the traditional practices should be incepted in all the village councils not to indulge in corruption in sync with other paraphernalia of the office. All elected village leaders should be made to swear upon the Bible simultaneously during this oath taking. This practice should also be extended to schools, colleges, church, etc, to pledge oneself to honesty. All newly recruited state civil servants should be mandatorily made to take this traditional oath before being sent to the field. Who knows this trend may not only stop corruption but set a new dynamics in the culture of Nagas in the due process where the rest of the world may even draw inference.
Corruption hydra can only be stamped out by taking on war footing at all layers of society, beating them down wherever it rears its ugly head. The chimera can be only be exterminated by adopting methods more than ordinary. No matter how many laws exist, there will be always loopholes, hence inculcating a culture of honest values with social binding and obligation is indispensable. Once such tradition gets institutionalised, it will permeate a vibrant culture. Most importantly, a vigilant society alone can keep the government on its feet. Great change can come only with great sacrifice. As Martin Luther King would say, “Let us be the change we have been waiting for.” Until then we can only pray God Saves Nagaland.
Zhokusheyi Rhakho, PhD.
