Thepfulhouvi Solo
At normal times, a Chief Minister vacating his or her Seat in the State for Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha Seat in the Centre appears an example of good riddance of bad rubbish by the Party. It is better political wisdom to sometimes vacate the Rajya or Lokh Sabha Seat for the well cushioned powerful Seat of the Chief Minister and not the other way. The Chief Minister of Nagaland vacating the Chief Minister’s Seat for a Lok Sabha Seat appears odd and puzzling. He must of course have his reasons more than we ordinary mortals can fathom.
Most recently, such a pattern happened to perhaps a possible Prime Minister of India being stowed away in the glittering Chamber of the President of the Democratic Republic of India. Chief Ministers usually prefer the spacious and thickly cushioned Seat of the State more than the cramped wooden benches of the Parliament, Parliamentarians vacating Seat at Delhi, for the Number One Seat in the State has recently happened in Bengal and that is the normal direction political animals move.
The question Nagaland wonders is: Will Neiphiu Rio be able to serve Nagaland better from the centre? In the State, he is the most powerful person and can do almost whatever he likes: in the Centre –if he ever gets the crumbs that fall from the great Indian cut-throat political Table- it will be only a dry piece of local bread without any butter. Here in the State, he is the Greatest Prophet, but in the Centre, he will be smaller than the least Prophets.
Is the Chief Minister of Nagaland running way from the Political and Economic Mess of the last many years? Or the CM is running after his own personal Interests? This is an unpalatable ugly question but is very important question to all politicians who ostensibly claim to work for the State as if they have no other personal Interests.
The Chief Minister is the best adviser to himself and by the look of things, he has advised himself very proficiently for the last many moons in the State. And if wealth is any measurement of the worth of a person in Politics, the Chief Minister has steered himself very adroitly in the widening Gap between the Haves and the Have-nots in poverty rich Nagaland.
My hunch is that the Nagaland Cow has grown old and now its milk drying up; so the CM is searching for a Jersey Cow somewhere which would give 32kg of Milk per day.
Sometime back, someone could have calculatedly and wisely leaked the Chief Minister’s desire for the Lok Sabha Seat to the New Media and his Party is reported to have dutifully shed the Crocodile’s tear. They dutifully expressed their undiminishing love for the CM and claimed they do not like to loose him from the State.
When this Writer read those News, he never believed they were expressions of Reality; the Writer expected the Party men would make a U-turn when the proper time comes and would strongly support the CM for the journey, ostensibly in the interest of the State. That situation seemed to have arrived to Nagaland now and everybody seems to enthusiastically support Neiphiu Rio in his decision!
The majority of Nagas is nice gullible people and follows the Shepherd unquestioningly. I sometimes feel angry with God why he has made so many docile unreasoning obedient politician Disciples but very few doubting Thomas’s; however, I fear I may be Irreverent to God I fondly believe, and so I simply stopped at that.
Nagaland’s young Chief Minister is gifted with ability to manage his Cabinet in such obedience and peace. The Sea of Galilee is said to sometimes experience sudden unpredictable Storm in the afternoon and People thought there would be storm in the political sea of Galilee at the time of Portfolio allotment after the over-doze of NPF success in the last Nagaland Assembly Election; the CM silenced the evening Wind in the political Sea of Galilee in Nagaland with consummate ease; he is considerably big hearted sometimes and his forbearance is admirable, he seems to have an innate acumen for Showmanship; I even thought he was fervent for the Lord.
But a Christian Chief Minister of so-call Christian State of Nagaland cuddling with the Hindu Rightist Party of BJP questions his principles for the Lord. The Chief Minister seems to be short in principles and long in ad-hoc Issues, seemingly selfish. The decision to allow Manipur Students to appear without any restrictions in the Nagaland HSLC Exam against the decision of the both the States was a show of rash decision; the attempt to buy the Manipur Rongmei Tribesmen living in Nagaland at the Cost of his own aboriginal Tribesmen of Nagaland; the inability to create Friendliness with the neighboring States, the unwise pampering of NGOs with Members from Outside the State; his consideration to keep certain Armed Naga Nationalist Group at improper distance, are some of Neiphiu Rio’s memorable mistakes.
As a Government Officer, the Writer has not seen much benefit to Nagaland for having joined the Northeast Council. Nagaland refused to join the NEC during Vizol’s time; Nagaland was put into the NEC during the President Rule against Nagaland’s wishes. Today Rio has become the Convener of Lip Service Regional Parties of the Northeast. Nagaland must co-operate with all the neighboring States but it must remain independently Nagaland: The Political Case of Nagaland is different from that of any other States of India, even of the Northeast States. Nagaland must remain pure of its political position.
