Kohima, March 5 (MExN): Nagaland Law Students’ Federation (NLSF) launched a campaign for “fair election” recently in state capital Kohima. It was officially launched by Kezhokhoto Savi, President, Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) & Convenor, ACAUT Nagaland (legal cell).
President of NLSF, Imliben Lemtur informed that NLSF will conduct an awareness campaign for the conduct of “fair election” starting from villages in collaboration with village councils as fair election has to start from the grassroots. For a better society and brighter future for the coming generation, the illegal means and corrupt practices in the process of elections have to be stopped at the village level or state level, she opined, according to a press release from the Federation.
“For Nagaland scenario, it is to be admitted that the root cause of corruption is election, especially the State general assembly election where the contesting candidates are made to spend huge money and the illegal/unfair means of practices such as buying or selling votes, threatening, rich people sponsoring candidate financially so as to make money in future if voted to power, huge supply of liquor, church leaders involving in campaign, booth capturing, proxy voting, government employees involving in campaign with government vehicles, community not allowing the citizens/voters to vote freely/fairly, etc,” it was pointed out.
Meanwhile, Kezhokhoto Savi lauded the “timely mission” of NLSF to be conducted with the theme – “One man one vote”. Savi maintained that conducting fair election will promote the society, adding every eligible citizen has the right to vote and it is one’s birth right.
“The time has come for every citizen to realise that one’s vote decides the fate of five years and beyond. It is important to vote for a candidate who has genuine concern for public and who is honest, qualified, competent, bearing strong moral responsibility ready to sacrifice on moral ground and a candidate of integrity, etc,” he asserted. “We need a legislator who is people friendly and ready to sacrifice for corrupt-free, works against corruption not only in words but in deeds such as setting up of Lokayukta in the state.”
The present government, he claimed, does not want to establish Lokayukta in Nagaland, “which simply means they encourage more corrupt practices and they did not want to allow Lokayukta to check them.”
Savi further stated that as voters one has to realise that “we are also responsible for the kind of present government as we have contributed by taking part in the conduct of election through illegal means.”
He lamented, “We are the ones who had elected them to ruin us through backdoor appointment, several scams including kerosene, food (PDS under National Food Security Act), huge appointment against no sanction of post which seriously affects the state exchequer, illegally retaining the illegal appointment, nepotism, delay payment of salary for several months, favouritism, corruption, wrong diversion of public funds meant for development, etc.”
He also stated that deductions from all public and project funds which are meant for public infrastructural development will grow as the legislators prepare for the State general assembly election to be held in 2018.
“We can bring a corrupt-free government in this democratic system of government but this is possible only when the conduct of election is ‘clean’ and the best opportunity would be the forth coming State General Assembly Election,” Savi challenged the citizens.
