Thepfulhouvi Solo
The NPF and the NCP have done excellently, if surprisingly well; much better than the general expectation of most people in Nagaland: what has stirred the recent Election in Nagaland to produce such a result for the NPF and the NCP? -38 and 4 respectively out of 59. It is surprising that Voters in such remote interior areas like Longkhim-Chare and Thonoknyu voted for NCP; the Party that was cesarean delivered just a year ago but its Candidates defeated their NPF opponent! There must be reasons other than just the main factor of Muscle & Money Power most claim in Nagaland; if Money & Muscle Power were the sole reason, the richest of the Candidates K.L. Chishi and no less poorer Khekiho, both worldly wise and veterans in the ways of getting elected in Nagaland, would not have faced such an ignominious fate of what they have faced!
It is true, none of the Parties or the Candidate could claim ‘holier than thou’ position in the measuring Scale of NBCC’s “Clean Election” Program, not even a Church-Leader Independent Candidate included, who unfortunately left his first love –the Kingdom of God- for the Kingdom of this World unsuccessfully.
The NPF success in the Election must lie in something other than just Money & Muscle Power or IM’s help alone. The Party must have something in plentiful what was not available to other Parties.
The first thing of what the NPF had which others did not have, was that Nagaland was under the firmament of the NPF Government practically and importantly for the last 10 years. The Party was like a reigning Champion for the last 10 years in the political Game, and created their supports base extending to the Secretaries and Presidents of the VDBs, the Village Councils, non-Government Organizations, the Hohos, many a wealthy Contractor/Suppliers and their connections ramifying into all their myriad sections; though at one time the Woman Organization vowed to vote the Party out of Power because of their rue against the Party for its failure to support the Woman Reservation Issue.
The NPF Party was like a Football Team playing in its own Home Ground with a crowd at their back. Players know how it feels like to play in One’s own Home Ground against Opponents. They feel a quiet confidence in their own home ground; among Equals that is a great advantage. The Government under whose term of Office the Election is held always has an edge over others.
Nagas are still very much Tribal in their attitudes; factors like same Clan, same Khel, same Village, same Tribe, same Area and same People, still impose a very significant undemocratic pressure on members particularly in Political Matters. And many a Village Councils, Putu Mendens, Khels and Sensos have undemocratically decided whom to favor prior to the polling; whereas the other Parties were just new Challengers. The NPF Party Candidates were Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries or Chairman or Advisors –all old hands- very familiar with the Public.
Quite a few of the successful NPF and other Candidates were scions of highly placed personalities of the State. There was the present Chief Minister’s younger brother Zhaleo Rio, former high Government Officer, even winning outside his home ground; Khriehu Liezietsu, son of long lasted Minister Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu, President of the NPF; then there is Mr. Merentoshi Jamir, son of the brand new and people’s high expectation Chief Secretary, perhaps forced to go on Leave during the Election Period, incidentally freeing him to stand in the enclosed Game Manager’s Box just outside the Lines directing a Game; C. Apok Jamir, (Congress), the son of the former Chief Minister of Nagaland and former Governor of Maharastra; and then there is N. Jacob Zhimomi (IND), a completely unknown Name, the son of one of the earliest untarnished old Ministers of Nagaland and younger Brother of the first Indian Foreign Service (RR) Officer from Nagaland now in Nagaland Cadre: It is not for nothing that Nagas know whom to vote for!
It is true Proxy Voting is Nagaland’s specialty developed to such a high degree of sophistication that it is now done with the suave mutual consent of all the Parties concerned in the polling booth helplessly and hopelessly looked on impotently by the Polling Officials.
The Writer’s personal feeling is that many Nagas do not like to go and Vote and so give away their Voting Paper to thankful Agents of this or that Candidate Free or for a Price. During the time of Voting, many Nagas who live in the Cities and Towns migrate to their own parental Villages and Tribes leaving their Names in the Electoral Rolls: this is used by the remaining Women or Lathuas of the Community for their Election enterprise!
The Church has not questioned any of their Christian Members for doing such dirty election enterprises; it is a clear sign of the NBCC’s hypocrisy, except the ABAM, in not said anything to its Member caught red handed by Police for carrying a crore and ten lakhs in one lot in Violation of Election Conduct Rule, for carrying Arms in violation of Arms Act, in carrying Liquor in violation of State Rule, by no other persons than the Home Minister and also by others. Then to top it off: welcoming the VIP publicly by the Christians when he was released from the Police Lock up! Anyway, Obey what the NBCC preaches “but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not” (Mat. 23:1)
A great nemesis for the Congress Party, the main Opposition in Nagaland Assembly, has been the bickering inside their Fold. It is observed that whenever an important member defects from a Party because of disagreement, dissatisfaction or frustrations, it is the Member that ultimately come to grief however the Party also gets injured, though not for the worst, except perhaps that the present Chief Minister left the Congress and has worked his way up to be the Chief Minister thereafter like Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal.
The greatest disadvantage the Congress suffered seemed to have been that it had practically and importantly no cohesion around a sure Leader: nobody would support a Group in turmoil, people try to avoid a Group quarreling amongst themselves and most apparently the Congress had that misfortune.
The parent Congress Body in the Centre should share the blame to some extent. The central body seems to have inadvertently added to the malady by their often unwise reversal of the State Body’s decisions and by too much interference in the matters of the State Body. So much so that for every small matter every Dick & Tom in the Party dashed to Delhi instead of settling the Issue among themselves in the State and thus the State Authority was greatly mauled.
People in the Street in Nagaland like to feel the State is not the Final Entity of the Nagas and somehow the Party is identified with the proponents of the finality of the State of Nagaland. Nagas would tolerate Indian Leaders saying the State is the final Arrangement but they would not like to hear the same uttered from a Naga Mouth.
On the other hand, the most important factor that influenced the excellent result of the NPF is the Solidity of the Party under the secure and tireless Leadership of Chief Minister, an Angami who, even though slightly exceeding the State brief’ has tirelessly harped for a settlement of the Naga Political Issue.
Nagas seem to have a soft corner for the Angamese; for, in spite of the Angami’s so very many shortcomings, Nagas chose Angami Chief Minister 5 times out of 9, for 29 years out of 50 years of Statehood, perhaps in this, the Angamis were also favored by Naga historical forces and events.
The current Chief Minister has not been able to forge very close friendship with the neighboring States particularly with Manipur, but has done well with the Government of Myanmar who has signed Peace Agreement with the Nagas also; the and he has made contacts with foreign countries like the UK whose Prince visited Nagaland.
The Chief Minister gives the picture of a tolerant, accommodative, tolerably broad minded, never using intolerant or vitriolic words on others; unfortunately he has described the Chief Minister of Manipur in very strong language as ‘the biggest enemy of the Nagas’. So far he has been able to shepherd his flock tolerably well; the coming days will test him most.
