Kahuto Chishi Sumi
Hevishe Village, Khaghaboto Range
After the Assembly Election results were declared, and when speculation on the appointment of the various Ministers were rife; I had a conversation with my nephew who wanted to know how our Power-hungry Legislators were going to be accommodated, since The Supreme Court had nullified the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries. I told him that Advisors to the various Departments would be appointed. And lo and behold! That’s what they did. But at least they are elected Members of The State Legislative Assembly and, to my knowledge; do not enjoy the salary and perks of Ministers.
The People’s Democratic Alliance Government under Neiphiu Rio truly seeks to bring change to Nagaland. Rio, in his present tenure as the Chief Minister managed has set his sights on a new goal: - To scale the Heights of Nepotism. His attempt to appoint members of the public as Civil Servants of the rank of Commissioner and Secretary was shocking enough, but now he has exceeded all Limits of Parliamentary Propriety and Legality by appointing 13 (Thirteen) members of the public as Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State.
Parliamentary Democracy recognizes only one qualification for a Minister; the Minister, at the Centre, MUST be a Member of the Upper or Lower House of Parliament; and a Minister, of a State, MUST be a Member of the Upper or Lower House of The State Assembly.
An ordinary Citizen can be appointed as a Minister, ‘If, And Only If, He Becomes A Member Of Parliament Or The State Assembly Within A Period Of 6 (Six) Months Of His Appointment As A Minister’. So, technically, the appointment of defeated candidates and Party “Leaders” and sycophants is possible. The question is, “Do any or all of them intend to contest elections within 6 months? And if so, which sitting Legislators are vacating their seats for them to contest?”
And on the subject of Ministers of State, this political animal existed in the past. The term was used to describe a Minister, not included in the Cabinet, but who had independent charge of a Government Department. But our Power-hungry Indian politicians were not satisfied with being Ministers of State, they all wanted to become Cabinet Ministers; this led to the formation of Jumbo Cabinets with nearly all Legislators of the ruling party becoming Cabinet Ministers. To prevent this, the 91st Amendment to The Constitution was made which stated that the Cabinet could not exceed 20%, or 1/5th of the total Members of Parliament or State Assembly.
To circumvent this, Parliamentary Secretaries were appointed, who were essentially Ministers of State, but with a new tag. Now that Parliamentary Secretaries have been declared unlawful by The Supreme Court, Rio is attempting to revive an Illegal Institution. The appointment of the 3 Cabinet Ministers is, theoretically, possible; but the Appointment of the 10 Ministers of State is “Totally Illegal.”
There are questions every Naga should ask himself, “What has happened to all our Tribal Organizations, our Unions and Associations and our Student Bodies? Are we going to sit quietly while these filthy Power Mongers abuse the very Laws which uphold them in Office? Are we such a Base and Cowardly People that we sit quietly while they destroy Nagaland? Where is the Opposition? Is the N.P.F. Party waiting for a chance to come to power so that they may do the same?”
Nagaland boasts of one of the highest rates of Literacy in India, but we are a bunch of Literate Cowardly Fools. If this had occurred in any reasonably Forward-looking Society, all the Citizens would have been Up in Arms, shouting for a roll-back of these obscenely nepotistic appointments. But it seems Nagas are nothing more than Greedy Cowardly Sycophants, ever ready to lick the boots of those in power. Headhunters, my foot, we are Chamchas to a man; our Ancestors must be rolling in their graves. God Save Nagaland.
.JPG)
