One of the disadvantages facing people of the Northeast (NE) region is the lack of strong political representation when it comes to influencing policy decisions at the Centre. Perhaps the only way that people's voice can be better heard in faraway Delhi is for representation to be increased, whether it is the number of Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha seats. Other than Assam, which has 14 Lok Sabha seats, all other States in the region have marginal presence in the Indian parliament. Nagaland for that matter is one of the least represented. Even Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have atleast 2 seats each. There is a strong case for adding atleast one more seat for Nagaland in the Lok Sabha. A concerted effort must be made, not just by the political parties but even by the respective civil society, to demand greater political voice, long overdue for people in the region.
Political representation should be about making citizens' voices, opinions and perspectives present in the public policy making processes. People's issue must find space in the country's political discourse, which at present is not happening when it comes to the NE region. For instance, with only one Member of Parliament, Nagaland's lone representative can hardly be expected to advocate or influence on policies such as on the Naga political issue. This perhaps explains why, even after 15 long years of political talks spanning three Prime Ministers, the Naga issue remains in a limbo. Though without guarantee, one way to go about things is for political parties of the region to come together in some kind of a platform so that it can play a more active role in government formation at the Centre. There is nothing wrong in strengthening alliances and networks in order to have a greater political impact at the Centre.
For the long term though, there is a need to ’re-imagine' the Indian constitution. The American constitution provides for equal representation for the Senate, each State whether big or small, having two seats each. If democracy has to be truly inclusive and representative, then people should not be marginalized or excluded from national politics. But in the present scenario of India where smaller States have very less seats in Parliament, rather then promoting national integration as is the constitutional ideal, there is political alienation of those whose voice remain unheard. Change or for that matter greater political empowerment will depend upon the ability of people to help shape the policies that affect their lives. For marginalized peoples like the Nagas (in the Indian Union), the last 50 years, even though Statehood has been granted, barriers to meaningful participation in political life remain. Perhaps therefore, there is a need for changes in the constitution so that an institutional framework is created to allow better representation because the current system is unlikely to accomodate interest of the Naga people. Can India re-imagine its democratic processes?
(Feedback can be send to consultingeditormex@gmail.com)
