Volunteers during the CCN ‘Campaign for Good Roads’ in Dimapur on May 14.
• Citizens take to the streets demanding good roads
• Seek Governor’s intervention on execution of road repairs
Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 14
The year was 2012, a year when Nagaland witnessed two unique events in the history of the state. Unparalleled in nature and intent, the two events carved a long overdue course towards constructive citizen activism while kindling a proactive and non-violent approach against government apathy and below par governance.
The first event was ‘Mission Potholes’, a concerted campaign that sought to draw the government’s attention to the poor road conditions. What started as mere “comments” in social media materialised into the commentators themselves engineering a symbolic protest.
The other was a convergence of the citizenry at the town centre (Clock Tower) in Dimapur following weeks of frequent and extended periods of power outages.
Reminiscent of the ‘Arab Spring’, albeit lesser in scale, it was a spontaneous response of citizens against the silence of the government, and the then Power Minister in particular, on the electricity crisis that gripped the state.
While actions undertaken by localities in taking it upon itself to patch up roads has become common occurrence, the two events unwittingly set a precedent for citizens here to put to use democratic rights.
Four years since, a campaign similar in nature is bubbling with a platform called the ‘Concerned Citizens of Nagaland’ (CCN) spearheading a ‘Campaign for Good Roads’ under the tagline ‘Good Roads, Citizens’ Right’.
The campaign formally took off on May 14 in Dimapur with the CCN members initiating a publicity drive to draw the general populace as well as the government’s attention. According to the CCN, the movement will be spread all around the state.
As informed earlier, volunteers assembled at the Nagarjan junction today and distributed stickers bearing the campaign’s slogan on vehicles of willing commuters. Volunteers in smaller groups were later spread out to other important intersections of the city.
One of the core members of CCN termed Saturday’s initiation as a “subtle move to create awareness.” The member chose not to comment further citing that the CCN has made its intention clear in the representation submitted to the Governor of Nagaland through the Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur.
The representation, while bringing the Governor’s attention to the deplorable road conditions, maintained that the CCN was the result of a group of likeminded individuals from different walk-of-life banding together through social media to start a peaceful people’s movement.
Stating that the campaign has received overwhelming response, the representation said, “We have received moral support and solidarity from the citizens and various organisations which signifies that an urgent desire for change in the condition of roads is strongly felt by the common people…”
The change in condition of roads must come with quality workmanship for long-lasting and progressive development, it stated, while adding, “We take this opportunity to further appeal to the Government to rescue the citizens through progressive governance in the interest of public welfare.”
It further sought the Governor’s immediate intervention to direct the officials in concern to execute road repair works “on a war footing.” “We are hopeful that the cries of the citizens would not fall on deaf ears and that the Government will heed this genuine desire of the masses and provide good and lasting roads to the citizens…”
