Recognizing the present course of human events, it is not difficult to discern the acute need for existing policies to shift from a politics of want to the politics of need. At the moment, policies are reflective and representative of the desires and wants of those who are ruling, and considering that their standard of living has already acquired an unproportionate degree of affluence not experienced by the majority of the people, it is very unlikely that the policies actually reflect people’s needs.
When government policies do not reflect the needs of the majority of the people, policies are ineffective and programs are rendered irrelevant. In such acute circumstances, there is a strong disconnect between government policies and peoples actual needs and one concludes, that there is lack of a policy required to improve the well being of the people. Perhaps, the state of Nagaland represents such a situation wherein one feels the total absence of a concrete policy to better the lives of ordinary people. Rather, it seems like the policies are only furthering the interests of the powers that be.
Yes, while it is true that the government has been initiating a number of activities, it is also important to acknowledge that they are usually confined at the macro level and has failed to connect with the ongoing needs of the grassroots. Rather than working itself from bottom upwards, the projected trickle down effect has not worked thus far and all benefits seem to be accumulating at the top, with very little actually finding its way down to the bottom. The direction in which it is moving towards raises serious concerns.
While every government claims its own set of principles and policies, it is on their actions that people evaluate their performances. No matter how noble the principles and policies may seem, unless they translate into practical actions with positive result on the lives of the people, they remain quite distant from the needs of the people. Quite a number of supposedly people friendly programs have not gone any further than high-standing slogans and mega publicity events. At the end of the day, it must be remembered that a government is criticized not for its principles, but for its actions.
In its twilight, the government can still hope to salvage some credibility. It will depend on its ability to muster moral courage and political will to shift from its present politics of its want to peoples needs, from self-serving to serving others and to stop usurping the independent voices of civil society. It needs to start focusing on the business of responsible and democratic governance.
To have a positive effect on people’s lives, the process towards addressing the long-term and short-term needs of the people must involve a comprehensive policy in which every village should have met the basic needs. Some of the short-term needs in every village are; a quality teacher, educational center, community health clinic, adequate supply of medicines, regular supply of water and electricity, public transport, telecommunication and recreational facilities.
It should be the primary objective of the government to provide these primary needs to every Naga village. The growth of the Naga society will be realized not by addressing its wants, but by fulfilling its needs, and that must begin from the village and work itself up. It’s about time that the needs of the people are given utmost priority.
