It is apparent that the Government of Nagaland has lost its bearing somewhere along the line. The recent clash that almost erupted on a communal line between the Sumis and the Angamis was most unfortunate and a highly condemnable one. That the Tribal Hohos and responsible citizens took the lead to calm the situation is no excuse. If the District Administration and Police were alive to their surroundings such an unpleasant incident ought not to have happened in the first place. This should provide an ample opportunity to the Govt. of Nagaland to introspect and re-set its administrative machinery in a proper perspective as it ought to be. Ask yourself, is it really necessary to await external pressure to do the sensible thing?
Setting up of numerous Inquiry Committees after all the rot has spilled out on the street is fine as a face saving devise. However, the important lesson that should be learned from this unholy mess, with or without inquiry committees, is to recognize the glaring LACK of sound judgment and responsibility staring at our face and have the foresight to address it promptly. It is confounding that the Nagaland Police Department of all Departments should be the one encouraging “community policing” for the restoration of law and order, peace and security of the citizens. If so, how will they define their existence? In other civilized societies what the Police calls ‘community policing’ is simply known as ‘vigilantes’ and certainly not a matter to be encouraged. It boarders illegality. The Police force should in fact be viewing the emergence of vigilantes as an insult to their uniform rather than perpetuate the same because it is a clear manifestation of their inability to carry out the job that they were entrusted with. It is perfectly acceptable to have the civil societies shoulder social welfare responsibilities but certainly not a policing assignment as a routine. The Police Department should conduct another conference and create public awareness that ‘community policing force’ is an unacceptable phenomenon in the society. Something is certainly not quite right here at the policy formulation level.
The first reality check that needs to be registered and clearly understood is that we are a multi- tribal state with hyper sensitive attitudes toward our respective identity and tribal honour. Kohima as the Capital and Dimapur as the commercial hub is a place where all tribes reside and therefore such sensitivity is further accentuated. Indeed anyone who matters has the tendency of giving lip service in the public platform against tribalism as a scourge of our society but leave much to be desired in practice. Each tribe, without exception, is as super sensitive as the other when it comes to under current inter-tribal relationship. It is a recognized fact that every tribe has its share of good people as much as there are bad ones. But when it comes to a tribal confrontation good senses somehow get thrown out of the window where even the sensible people get involved. The Ao Sumi incident in Mokokchung in1994 is a glaring example of how strong and vicious tribalistic sentiments can be. It all began with irresponsible Sumi and Ao street drunks having their usual street brawl but in this case it was totally blown out of proportion as a communal confrontation. The vigilantes, inclusive of some respectable senior citizens, then took control of the situation and all hell broke loose. It would do us well to learn from history.
Now consider a scenario where each tribe decides to prop up vigilante/ community policing force in line with QRT of KVYO to manage law and order within their jurisdiction. After all, theft and lawlessness is not an exclusive preserve of Kohima and Dimapur. That such an organization being officially allowed to operate in Kohima, has already set an undesirable precedence. What is there to stop the other tribes from setting up similar organization of their own in their respective villages and areas? We are not living in isolation therefore our path is bound to cross one time or another. The risk factor is high. It needs to be remembered that none of the members of such ‘community policing’ force would be trained personals. It would more than not be manned by the youngsters. They would not be guided by any rules or regulations. Youthful emotion and not too much of reason, would dictate their actions and reactions to a given circumstance. Added to this rather uncomfortable bio data, we ought to maintain a sensitive focus of the fact that the traditional values of the younger generation showing due respect to their elders is on a gradual decline. In the recent case, after the capture of the thief, the QRT independently administered their kind of morbid justice without informing their elders or the Police. In our traditional past such a critical action would never have been taken without the consent of the elders. They took the law into their own hands. Knowing well the exuberance of youth and their unpreparedness to acknowledge the inadequacy of their life’s experience, and being let loose to administer their own brand of law and justice without a leash , is not my idea of a healthy way to exist in a civilized society. The end result will be chaos and disintegration without doubt when the tribes begin to take the opportunity to stamp on each other’s toes in the name of law and order up keep. Taking stock of our ground reality therefore, I would be inclined to sincerely suggest that the Home and Police Department review their philosophy on ‘community policing force’ which can bring about a crippling impact on the State.
This brings us to the fundamental question: Why do we have the District Administration and the Police if not to take care of the law and order situation? In addition, we also have the DBs and the GBs at the grassroot level to assist the Administration for information inputs that could preempt an undesirable development. The question that occurs to everyone is that despite the existence of an entire infrastructural network, how does such an unpleasant incident go unnoticed until the harm is done? It is obvious that many who are placed with the responsibility of management are occupying their respective posts for the authority and conveniences it affords them and for the purpose of claiming their monthly salary… nothing more nothing less. Why else should the responsibility and authority vested in them be so casually re-delegated to the NGOs and vigilante organization for the day to day management? Is it not the responsibility of the Administration and Police to contain the lawless elements including the theft cases within its jurisdiction? But instead of diligently upholding their respective assignments, both these organizations have retreated to a complacent slumber after relinquishing their duty to private citizens to run a parallel Government under their very nose without any restraining guidelines. Even in the worst case scenario, there ought to have been a modicum of coordination between the functionaries. It obviously did not exist. The brutal conduct of the Kohima Village Youth Organization and their Quick Response Team can never be condoned but here the real defaulter is the Government of Nagaland for investing the authority in them to function without any ground rules or operational guidelines. Who then should be held accountable?
KHEKIYE K SEMA
IAS (Rtd);
Forest Colony, Kohima
