Mazie Nakhro, PhD
Around A.D. 100, the Greek philosopher Plutarch left us this profound observation about government: “An imbalance between the rich and the poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.”
Unfortunately, our Naga politicians have failed to heed this warning as evident in the fact that they have destroyed our equalitarian society and continue to widen the gap between the rich and the poor. Rather than truly serving as public servants, they have created a new ruling class and an alien V.I.P. culture. By being obsessed with power and wealth for themselves, they have forgotten that government exists for the common welfare, especially for a more equitable sharing of opportunities and wealth. They have taken undue advantage of the very people they are elected to serve. They have produced huge regional disparities and perpetuated both tribal and gender inequalities. They have neglected the poor families which are struggling with immense needs every day. They have forgotten that our young people have hopes and dreams for a better life, too. As a result of all this imbalance, more than 90% of Nagas are left behind, demoralized, and disillusioned. No wonder our Naga society is sociologically deteriorating from within and increasingly falling apart.
What should we do to rescue our people? We urgently need radical change from seeing politics as a quick way for self-enrichment to seeing politics as a sacred calling to public service for a fair and just society. For this to happen, we must realize our dire need for patriotic public servants, meaning, those who will be willing to pay the price of sacrifice for public service, even at the cost of their own lives, so that their fellow citizens can have a better future.
1. Readiness Test: Politics, unlike the line of business, isn't for personal gain. It's all about public service, the common good. That’s why those who enter public service must take a solemn oath to serve others, not themselves. Therefore, this calls for nothing less than great personal sacrifice and complete honesty with the people.
To clean up all corruption from our political system and restore our government to and for the people again, can the candidates for the 2023 General Election publicly commit to saying “NO” to the following destructive evils?
• No usage of illegal means to influence voters.
• No taking of commission-cuts or bribes.
• No touching of public funds for personal use.
• No nepotism, no backdoor-appointments.
Good leaders wouldn’t just conform to the corrupt ways of the world. Neither would they simply wait for the public to change first. Rather, they will always lead from the front and show the right way by setting an example.
2. Competency Test: The State of Nagaland being placed by Nitti Aayog as the “worst-performing state” in the 2021 State Ranking is clear proof of our incompetent leadership. Sadly, we have leaders who are too weak to enforce the Rule of Law, which is why our economy cannot grow. Fear reigns over our society and lawlessness rules our streets because our leaders have no guts to stand up for our innocent civilians who are often harassed by some of our armed Naga political groups. They are incompetent to get their bureaucracy work efficiently. Even in matters which are clearly within their administrative prerogatives, they are too easily dictated by pressure groups. Their idea of running a government is largely about getting easy money from India and creating more government jobs, which they still don’t realize, have caused our people to become a dependent lot. Even their so-called visions and promises for development are all borrowed ideas from the Government of India whether they be the Smart City vision, rural development plans, or the Act East Policy. Thus, their confidence for accomplishment also entirely depends upon their readiness to sell their souls and align with their new rulers in Delhi. That means without Central funds, they are incapable of delivering anything on the strength of our own people and local resources. As a matter of fact, they have corrupted our entire society and gotten us all stuck in “a dark hole,” thereby proving themselves to be incapable of protecting our reputation as a respectable race or at the very least providing our two most basic needs, which are motorable roads and reliable water supply.
Now more than ever we need competent public leaders who can provide suitable leadership in this 21st century, which means having a good understanding of how other advanced societies function so that our people can also successfully compete with the rest of the developed world. This kind of leaders would also know the far more progressive Ways and Means to improve the lives of all our people and concurrently transform our homeland to be an envy of the nations. Indeed, we need the best amongst us to be our public servants – yes, those who are truly capable and committed to give their very best to serve our people and take us to the top in every field possible.
So, whether or not a winning candidate gets to hold any portfolio in a ruling party, can he/she deliver at least the most basic services within his/her constituency? As a start, what about accomplishing the following items within a five-year period?
• Restore our ancestral culture of shame, honour, and social equality.
• Enforce very strict Rule of Law within one’s jurisdiction without fear or favour.
• Provide electricity, tap-water connections, and sewer-line connections to every home.
• Generate Rs.30,000 (seed capital for Social Security) for every low-income family.
• Produce a strong skilled workforce with help from developed countries.
• Solve 50% of our youth unemployment problem by creating private sector jobs.
• Turn every village into a producer of goods and services for outsiders.
• Showcase an example of a “prosperous Naga country” through self-governance.
Thus, starting at the constituency level, may some truly dedicated and competent public servants step forward to begin a new era for our beloved homeland.
