Kohima, August 6 (MExN): Two different teams of Kohima Law College final year students conducted a campaign on Citizen Rights & Duties with youths at the conference hall of Chakhesang Baptist Church, Kohima and at Rengma Baptist Church respectively on August 5.
The teams covered topics such as Consumer Rights, Food Safety & Standard Act, Clean Election, Public Service Delivery, National Food Security Act, Lokayukta, Environment, RTI, Human Rights, and medical negligence.
A press release from Kezhokhoto Savi, Professor-in-charge, Kohima Law College, who led the teams, said the team members stressed more on the importance of ‘Clean Election Campaign.’
It said that the members took a pledge that “we solely do this to tell the truth, to fight for the truth, to stand for the truth and to bring a positive change in our society.” Transparent, smooth and just governing system is a pre-requisite for progress, peace and all round development of any society, they asserted.
Election, the speakers said, should be understood as a time of choosing leaders “who would not rule over us but who would sacrifice their time, energy and their resources for the well-being of the society.” The essence of Clean Election boils down to the ultimate behavior of the candidate and the voters which are interdependent and complementary to each other. Both the candidate and the voters have to be clearly and openly committed to adhere to the concept of Clean Election, it was stated. “Voting for money or material gain which means selling our vote is one of the worst acts contrary to Christian values and principles as well as it is also against the Election Code of Conduct amounting to crime,” the students maintained.
Meanwhile, they pointed out that more than Rs. 937 crores was spent during the last State General Assembly Election, which is found to be the most expensive election ever in Nagaland. “A small state like ours with the sum of more than 937 crores our State would have developed in several areas such as roads, bridges, health sector, educational institutions, electricity services, public transport, etc,” they noted. “Corrupt election results in poor governance, increased poverty, crime and social instability which can lead to violence and wars.” The students stated it is not power that brings corrupt practices but the fear of losing the power. “Therefore, Clean Election should be practiced in order to safeguard and nurture democracy through educating the voters about the issue of corruption and inviting all to pledge and to refuse and not to participate in bribery and violence,” they affirmed.
Meanwhile, Professor-in-Charge Kezhokhoto Savi said conducting ‘Clean Election Campaign’ is nothing but a call to all the people of all background to commit themselves to consciously elect their leaders with integrity without being manipulated through corruption or other unhealthy means. “Let us admit that in the past we have placed money at the top and God at the bottom during election. Candidates have used money to woo voters while on the other hand voters demand money for their vote forgetting our vote is a God given right,” he said. Stating that as a citizen one cannot escape nor do away with politics as long as one lives, he said, “we all have the equal right in the decision making through this process of exercising our franchise.” It is “our” duty to exercise “our” right and pursue it irrespective of any difficult situation or circumstances, Savi asserted.
He appealed to take the right decision for tomorrow. “Let us be a part of solution and not a part of destruction… Let us all join our hands to make clean election a success so that we can make our State a corrupt-free state – let us rise up and rebuild.”
