Dr Asangba Tzudir
“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” – George Orwell
A particular scene from the popular Bollywood film Dil about the conditional demand for Mangal Sutra reminds me of the kind of dilemma I am in even as Nagaland prepares to vote. The dilemma over whom to vote for. (or even not to). This dilemma goes beyond the campaign for clean and fair election. It is the battle between Narendra Modi - the ever mutating, yet controversial figure since 2002 Gujarat riots and the ‘Young’ Rahul Gandhi. With the wavelength seemingly tilted in favour of the BJP’s Prime ministerial candidate, I intent to highlight some issues and challenges confronting Mr. Na Mo, if he is ascended to the highest ‘democratic’ throne, keeping in mind India’s North East in general and Nagaland in particular.
A particular scene from the popular Bollywood film Dil about the conditional demand for Mangal Sutra reminds me of the kind of dilemma I am in even as Nagaland prepares to vote. The dilemma over whom to vote for. (or even not to). This dilemma goes beyond the campaign for clean and fair election. It is the battle between Narendra Modi - the ever mutating, yet controversial figure since 2002 Gujarat riots and the ‘Young’ Rahul Gandhi. With the wavelength seemingly tilted in favour of the BJP’s Prime ministerial candidate, I intent to highlight some issues and challenges confronting Mr. Na Mo, if he is ascended to the highest ‘democratic’ throne, keeping in mind India’s North East in general and Nagaland in particular.
The sluggish nature of Indian economy is evident from its falling Rupees and the revival of economy has been one of the core issues of the Modi Sarkar campaign. What he will do is best known to him and his associates but one is made to wonder about the fate of popular schemes established by the Congress like the MGNREGA and the National Food Security Bill. Will he afford to cut it out as ‘Non performing Assets’? Modi, the head of Hindu Nationalist BJP coalition became infamous in 2002 when more than 1000 Muslims were massacred in Gujrat where he was the Chief Minister. Following which the American government denied a visitor’s VISA to Modi to travel in the United States. Writer and activist, Arundhati Roy feels that “The corporations are all backing Modi because they think that (Prime Minister) Manmohan (Singh) and the congress government hasn’t shown the nerve it requires to actually send in the army into places like Chhattisgarh and Orissa.” She further adds, “But now, he’s a political darling to many in the Indian elite.” (straight.com) In tune, A Wall Street journal recently reported that United States is prepared to give Modi a VISA if he becomes Prime Minister. No wonder Modi’s VISA will not be an ‘exception’ and will be ‘normally’ granted being a ministerial head of a nation. On the issue of internal security, AFSPA continues to exist in North East and Jammu & Kashmir being classified as ‘Disturbed Areas’ as a measure of normal legislative framework. Such instruments of the state seek to restrict, suspend or deny the civil liberty of the individual citizens and under the new ‘regime’ we are not far away from witnessing a police state.
Infrastructural development will be another key challenge towards the road to economic revival but acting as the lynchpin, the greater challenge might come through corruption and corporatisation. As India voices against corruption, it becomes both necessary as well as sufficient condition to project the future of the government led by Na Mo as corruption free by buying into prime time TV commercials and the ‘untimely’ release of BJP manifesto further entrenches his versatility at mutation.
Another compelling issue is that millions of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh have poured in. The Hindutva agenda openly ‘compelled’ him to call for expelling Muslim immigrants but ‘welcoming’ the Hindu Bangladeshis while the former is being ‘sheltered’ in Nagaland. When ‘Nagaland’ and ‘Gujarat’ shook the infamous hands one can clearly see the “coming politics.” The tables might soon turn over, in their larger project of one colour, one culture, one nation as against ‘unity in diversity.’
Coming to women’s rights and crime against women and issues relating to rape, Na Mo sure vouches to fight tooth and nail and to convert New Delhi (especially) a safe haven for people from North East. But I don’t think the solution lies in his hands unless the problem is given due warrant. Like the obvious rift within the party even over its party ticket, one would like to give a thought about how he even will deal with those within the party who are hostile to such issues before facing the larger reality.
Even as Na Mo and his bandwagon goes around playing his tactical gimmicks and DAN ‘consensus’ candidate, Mr. Neiphiu Rio almost ‘assured’ of a berth in Cannan’s land, it is nothing short of a political tragedy when it comes to running after the bigger pie of politics, that ‘young’ Rahul Gandhi spoke nothing more than the Naga Political issue and highlighting Nagaland as ‘backward’ on his recent visit to Nagaland. It only proved the sceptics right about his calibre in politics. Setting aside the larger international politics, the perceived Modi Sarkar threat is looming large. In hindsight, within the prevailing context, this election goes beyond ‘centre-state’ relations. So here I am, who will ‘I’ vote for – the ‘democrats’ or the ‘republicans’ of India?
