Moa Jamir
Pughoboto/Tseminyu | August 3
‘Clean Election Campaign’ (CEC) in Nagaland is no mean task. Apprehensive but undeterred, 33 students from Oriental Theological Seminary (OTS) completed a one-month mission taking the CEC’s message to the grassroots.
While modes of transport were often pick-up trucks, it also involved six hours on foot as the raging monsoon restricted vehicular movement.
A summer internship project, students of 2nd Year Master of Divinity along with some graduates from OTS divided into five groups and kick started the mission on June 20 covering Tseminyu and Pughoboto areas. When they completed their mission on July 20, they had traversed through 48 villages and towns.
While the primary objective was ‘conscientising people,’ it was not their sole mission briefing. It entailed spreading the CEC message, analysing the ground realities, observing practical challenges and findings ways forward.
Besides meeting, door-to-door campaign, holding interactions with various stakeholders including Gaon Buras (GBs), Village Council Members, and member of Hohos, they also met other ‘important persons’ including agents involved in politics, youth and women.
The OTS endeavour was enabled by the active support from two Church associations - Council of Rengma Baptist Churches (CRBC) and Sumi Aphuyemi Baptist Akukuhou Kuqhakulu (SABAK). The mission centres served as the nerve centre from where the logistics for the students were planned.
On July 19, The Morung Express travelled along with three OTS faculties who went to meet the students on their final day. When the group converged at the respective base camps on July 20, the students were exhausted but were also enriched by their experiences.
The preliminary challenges and feedback presented by the students are relatable to other places in Nagaland.
Apathy, Skepticism - unlearning the present conception
While students received great hospitality from all the host churches, it was not the case regarding the ‘CEC.’ Many were apathetic, skeptic and could not imagine a situation beyond the existing one.
During many meetings, people simply said what they wanted to convey and walked out without listening, the students reported.
“We already know,” was a common refrain.
“CEC is akin to a person trying to stop the flow of Brahmaputra,” one Pughoboto team was told. “The pre-conceived idea and abused knowledge of Election was the mental block to change people’s idea about Election,” observed a Tseminyu Team.
An elite exercise?
In the interior areas, the exercise is not trickling down and often saturated within the circle of pastors and church workers, a Pughoboto team member said.
Many are yet to see the CEC messages and pamphlets, and grasp the idea why we need a clean election, he added. In Tseminyu area, some villagers thought OTS was a new political group, bringing lots of money for them. Some villagers also doubted whether the Clean Election manifestos the team was distributing come with a price.
Women’s participation and role in Election were also limited and often decided by the male member of the house. At the grassroots level, capacity building and skills are yet to bear fruits.
The biggest challenge – are the church workers taking the message seriously?
Clean Election versus Clean Candidate
In most cases, election is a time when the populace tries to make maximum benefits as the elected candidate usually play truant afterwards.
The root causes of the mess in the Naga society are the Ministers, officers, and other government employees, a villager told one Tseminyu team. “The Minister becomes the minister of their family, relatives, and village alone rather than the minister of Nagaland.”
Some common queries were: Will the candidates remember the farmers in the village after Election? What are the benefits for the farmers and low literacy public if they participate in Clean Election? If CEC is a success, what about the candidates? Is there any organization to fight for justice for the people?
“All candidates say good things during election, but who will fight for us after election?”
Next on the series -Nagaland and Clean Election Systematic Realities - Part II
