Dimapur, July 23 (MExN): The Langpangkong Kaketshir Mongdang Clean Election Campaign Committee (LKMCECC) undertook a week-long tour on Clean Election from July 18 to 21 with an aim to reach out to people at the grass roots and educate them about their electoral rights and benefit of securing fair and free election. LKM is a range students’ union under Mokokchung district.
During the interactions, people expressed their deep anguish against the present state of affair about the pathetic conditions of roads, poor health care services, education, power and unemployment problem amongst the youth.
“I am now 46 years old and I was never allowed to cast my vote. I’ve not seen ballot paper and Electronic Voting machine in my life. I don’t have experience of voting in my life due to violence and corrupt practices during past elections,” one church leader said during discussion hour on Clean election.
“We have realized only now that Clean election campaign is much more than casting vote on polling day. It opened our mind to understand the power of electoral rights and consequences of selling votes and holding undemocratic election,” another village council member said.
While attempting to identify the area where people are losing their entitlements and benefit of welfare state, the LKMCECC members questioned whether the muddy and dusty roads give dignity to the people. It also asked if it is honourable for us when poor parents receive notice about defaulting to pay their children’s tuition fees in private schools instead of getting quality education free of cost in government schools.
Is it right for the people as they are compelled to go to outside of Nagaland for medical treatment despite their poor economic condition owing to non availability of minimum health services in the state, the LKMCECC posed.
Is it morally right on the part of the government as well as parents to let our youth suffer and be humiliated at the hands of their employers in different cities of India as they work as waiters, private guards and spa workers for meager amount and irregular payment of wages owing to bankruptcy of leadership to explore the employment opportunities for them in the state, it further asked.
The LKMCECC reminded the people of the adage that “the government we have elected was the government we deserved,” and maintained that the people in general must also take its own share of blame instead of playing blame games. “If the blame over the present sorry state affairs is shared between the electors and elected, the electors (people) would have got bigger share,” the LKMCECC insisted.
As the people listened to the message of Clean Election during the campaign, more and more came forward to commit themselves to put the principle of “one person, one vote” into action and resist the temptation of selling votes.
LKMCECC also appealed the people to pray for God fearing, morally strong, cultured and patriotic and man of understanding to be their candidate to restore our land and secure our future.
The LKMCECC during its first phase of grass roots tour program visited Tzüdikong, Kangtsüng, Kangtsüngyimsen, Anaki, Anaki ‘C’, Wameken, Asangma, Kelingmen, Merangkong and Nukshiyim villages. They have formed local action committee in each and every village and town they have visted for implementation of Clean Election principles.
The second phase of LKMCECC Clean Election tour to remaining villages is scheduled for last part of August 2017.
