Along Longkumer
Consulting Editor
Given the manner in which the Centre has been dilly dallying on the Statehood demand, the Telangana stir has intensified with angry protestors taking to the streets. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has been leading the movement for a separate Telangana State and it has done all it can to achieve its goal including contesting elections, joining in government and when even this has not worked, giving up power and office. Similar to the Joint Legislative Forum (JLF) of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly there is the Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC), which is spearheading the movement for a separate Telangana State. However the similarity ends there. What sets the TJAC apart from the JLF is the vigor and complete devotion with which the former is leading the movement. And unlike the JLF, which was purely a legislative forum of the MLAs, the JAC is a Telangana activist organisation. It is an umbrella organisation comprising various wings such as employees; students etc and also include the political parties. The TJAC has also undertaken various forms of protests for the formation of Telangana state. The JLF on the other hand has been only making appeals, passing resolutions and once or twice its members called on the Prime Minister, Home Minister and other officials to seek early solution. The scope, intensity and will of the TJAC ought to be appreciated and the JLF pales into insignificance compared to its Telangana counterpart. As we are all aware the JLF had talked about the 60 MLAs resigning en-mass to pave way for any alternative that may arise out of the present Naga political dialogue. They had an opportunity to give up power and take the issue to the Government of India but this did not happen for whatever reasons.
Perhaps our Naga people can also learn a few things from the patriotism and love for the Telangana movement as demonstrated by people from all sections of their society. And just consider the case of a separate Statehood demand of the Telangana people, even after all their effort of protest; the Government of India still fails to act. One can well imagine the Naga case and whether Delhi is taking us seriously about all this big talk of an honorable political settlement. Off course it does not mean that Naga public should get violent and protest unnecessarily. Hopefully Delhi will respect the quiet determination of the Naga people for an honorable solution. However as mentioned, Nagas seem to lack the vigor and patriotism as is being demonstrated by other peoples such as the Telangana movement. Also another big difference between the Nagas and Telangana people is the unity of purpose lacking in the former and its clear demonstration in the latter. During 2011, a noncooperation movement was started with participation by 300,000 government employees. Even its Assembly session was boycotted for weeks. There have been mass resignations of MLAs, MPs and even Union Ministers for the cause they hold dear to them. Earlier a Million March was organised by the TJAC in Hyderabad on 10 March 2010. Clearly, it is self-evident that people, at least in Nagaland, are perhaps losing interest in the Naga issue. In general it would seem that people are more interested in election, making money, employment, livelihood, development and talking about things that matter to them. Something to ponder over for all of us.
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