Some of those who voted YES had this to say:
• The Government of Nagaland is behaving like a big funding agency and is giving out funds according to the projects it likes. The donor of course if the Government of India. The donor does not seem to interested in knowing how its funding agency is utilizing the money. Since the Government of Nagaland is behaving like the funding agency, it has lost all semblance in the areas of governance and majority of the people are not happy at all. On the other hand, those whose projects are being accepted are delighted and will probably do anything to see that they continue to be the beneficiaries. The government of Nagaland cannot continue to behave like this. A government should behave like a government, not a funding agency.
• There has been a significant trend of an increasing chasm between the 'haves' and the 'haves not' in recent times. The mad rush for materialism has been a much sought after lifestyle. The rich are getting richer fuelled by favouritism and nepotism.
• Definitely. This top down development approach which is intended to have a trickle down effect is so minimalistic that it is posing to be an acute problem. Those at the top of the hierarchy are eating up almost everything that all the resources are being spent at the top, and nothing is trickling down to the people. It definitely is widening the gap between the rich and poor. In fact the poor are out of the equation. It is widening the gap between the rich and even those considered wealthy. So we now have a very few people who have become filthy rich, not just by Naga standard, but by global standards.
• Only the assets of the powerful are developed in Nagaland. The chori people's pig - houses are better built and developed than the poor people's home. it's not their money. all chor money.
• If we cater to the top end of the market in any thing then the root level development does not take place. Those who cater to the top end /connected people are deceivers and cheats.
• Yes, Neckbones of those on the top are too stiff to bend even a bit to see how are those living down there.
• It sure is, otherwise where do all those concrete structures, mechanical luxuries and opulent lifestyles get funded from when we are dearly slogging gratefully on the infrastructures developed during the British era, eh! So much ado about the rise in our literacy rate than our sheer ignorance about governance, democratic rights of citizens, functions of departments, meaning of public servants.... the blame spreads horizontal. Policies and programmes of the government have become a source of 'how much I'm going to get from it' for those in the right place. And for the rest, well, just some raised brows and to many, day dreaming at their way of life but life must go on....... Talk, see and hear no evil ....... something needs to give soon before the altar starts bleeding........
• Yes, poor are the ones that feed the rich.
• As of now, it's yes, because those at the top are almost always biased. Their preferences are only their own yes-man, leaders, partymen, close associates and other influential picks while the poor have to survive scavenging from pillar to post. It can be justified that this is due to lack of truthful, selfless leaders worth their salt or people of integrity. It'll go a long way to begin new systematic operational procedures after thorough deliberations in truth and justice for all.
• What can be done is practical implementation of development. for example I saw a lot of fine buildings in Mon town but what about electricity, roads, etc? It is also widening the gap between rich and poor in the way that this form of development brings out a very blown up picture which is not realistic. i do not mean to throw a wet towel on all form of development but if asked whether development is widening the gap or not realistic- Then Yes, it is. Unfortunately.
• The top-down approach is responsible for the ineffectiveness of our development system. Funds are wasted and the people who desperately need the assistance are left out in the cold. The people do not understand what the scheme is to really achieve. Output rather than impacts are monitored, leaving the door open for malpractice. Statistics are talked about, while the people about whom these statistics talk about are forgotten. Policies are out of sync with the needs of the people, and nobody takes ownership of these interventions. This, in turn, make the interventions short lived and non-sustaining. Oops, does it widen the gap? Yes.
• Apparently yes this trickle down theory policy is only serving the so called elites group of society.. silently killing our peaceful social strata
• Yes the rich get all the money meant for development. They use it up for self benefit which is obviously why they are rich. [sms text missing] There is sadly a gap Big enough that no humanly strength can ever mend.
Some of those who voted NO had this to say:
• Its nothing by sheer greed and corruption that is widening the gap between the rich and the poor.
• This is a temporary phenomenon with long term consequences. The government of India is pumping in lots of money in the name of peace. But if the ceasefire were to breakdown, the GoI will obviously stop this carrot and the stick policy and resume its military agenda. Those at the helm of the Nagaland government is aware of it and so they are hijacking all the money meant for the public in the name of development.
Some of those who voted OTHERS had this to say:
• I am not sure that the Nagaland state government even has a policy towards development. The ugly truth is that the Government of India is dolling out thousands of crores of rupees to Nagaland because of the current ceasefire and peace process. The Nagaland state government is the beneficiary of this money and they are spending it without any proper policy. An indepth study and analysis will show that they are spending it on themselves. There is mass scale corruption, but the Indian government is turning a blind eye, because their purpose of pouring in thousands of crores is to blind the money with greed so that the Naga people stop being concerned with the Naga issue and the peace process. Unfortunately, the Indian government is succeeding and having the last laugh because most people have fallen for this trap without realizing that the intention of the Indian government is to undermine the Nagas. Not guns, but money seems to have defeated the Nagas.
• To talk 'demand' appears somewhat harsh/irrelevant in one go because we should be in each others confidence, and they being our elected representatives should know us much more and make every effort to raise us to a higher level without injustice. But, that failure can, yes, force us to demand sooner or latter. Yes, our govt should realise the necessity of a bottom up approach to development wherever applicable with total transparency.
• The bureaucrats are solely to be blamed for ill treating the common Nagas. It is the bureaucrats who unwittingly encourage many to become militants. Legislators (except the corrupt ones) and the government policies cannot be blamed.
• With the central government’s 92% annual financial grant to 8% self dependent State economic for its 100% Annual State Plan Fund and besides State govt and its bureaucratic hierarchy overly infuse every sphere of Naga life through the common practice of pungent corruption, it’s the top who always call the shots and the under dogs who, as usual, bear the brunt.
