R. C. Chiten Jamir, Former Deputy CM
In India, Nagas are regarded as Christians belonging to a Christian state because Nagas profess to be so. It is obviously a thorough case of misconstrues by the outside world of the Naga psychological susceptibilities and the local realities. In the land of Christ (Nagaland for Christ) Hate is on the throne!
Hate brings Chaos and Violence. Whoever commits chaos commits lawlessness and whoever commits lawlessness commits sin. Every thought, every attitude and every action produces either chaos or cosmos, either hell or harmony. Christianity, intrinsically is love which is light, but hate is darkness- l.John 2:10-11 says: “He who loves his brother remains in light- there is no pit falls- but he who hates his brother is in darkness..."Any one who hates and commits violence against his own brother or fellow men is a fratricide." Whoever hates his brother is a murderer" 1.John 3:15.According to 11 Pet 1 :4, the wrong desire, that is lust, produces corruption, decay and death. Right desire produces health, well -being and life. Which of the two desires do the Naga Christians have? What proofs do we have in the last half a century to show to the world around us that we truly have the right desire to think, to speak, to act and to live like Christians?
The Nagas sing, 'God bless the Nagaland, land that I love, stand beside her and guide her…’ We ask God to bless Nagaland which we love but we hate each other. God will not bless and guide us as long as our hearts are filled with wickedness and hate against each other and against God.
Not since the stoppage of the evil violence of head hunting, by the love of Christ, there has never been the violence of malignant hate so characterized in the lives of the Nagas so widespread and cruel as today. There is no Rule of law and the authorities are indolent. The quality of our life has reached the lowest point, the very bottom of it. Nagaland politics has become a torn shred and imbued with crimes. The general morality of the Nagas has become ad nauseam- reached the highest pitch of producing disgusting life. The political corruption has become an ad summum -reached the highest point.
Politics of defections:
Just in 44 years, of Nagaland statehood, Political Defections have come to be almost a Naga way of political life. Over the years one striking unique feature that is seen in the political scenario of Nagaland is the political defection. It is a unique opportunity and privilege of The Naga politicians, irrespective of the different party leanings. Various terminologies are ascribed to the defection, such as floor crossing, carpet crossing, miusical chairs of politics, and politics of opportunism and so on. Whatever may be ascribed to it, this action is the very negation of political democracy, and it is a betrayal of the confidence reposed on the elected representatives by the voters. It is absolutely an act of selfishness and power hegemonism.This has been the killer of many democratically elected governments and it has inducted instability in the running of a democratic government. Whether the defections are because of ideological reasons or because of personality conflicts or factional politics or tribalism, this action was the 'main factor of pulling down the Govts.
The chief cause of political defection in Nagaland has been the lure of office and huge amount of unearned money that makes a defector rich overnight. Politicians will vehemently deny but most of them have no political ideology but their main purpose is the chair only. The Naga electorate will flood the election markets, and the politicians will have a wide range of marketable commodities to be purchased. The people do not have a political agenda to put up to the contesting politicians -party manifesto is also a formality only –no party will honour it nor the voters are interested either. The election market's concern is only demand and supply- Naga electorate must know that whereas it has the right to choose, it does not have any right over the result of its choice, it is in the hands of others.
The elector and the elected both have violated the election law and the Moral law- the cry of Free and fair election does not itch the ears of both. The consequences of the choice? All the technical formalities laid down by election law are elaborately arranged spending crore of money but on the day of casting votes, in almost all the pooling booths there will be booth capturing and the voters would return home without casting his/her vote! The Electorate has sold out the political power and the right to the MLA before the election. A purchased commodity has no voice against the purchaser. This is the root of political corruption in Nagaland. Defection breeds corruption and corruption breeds all evils in the society.
Political Corruption, its Anatomy:
No country in the world is clean of political corruption. In fact political corruption has become a world problem. It is a Moral Cancer and there is no known medicine or antidote to set it right. As a student of Modern History, I used to agree with the views of Warren Hastings who replied to the House of Commons, in defense of his impeachments _" How can I trust the Orientalists who are congenitally dishonest. . . "
Sometime in 1964 Shri Vishnu Sahay informally told us that a political corruption in India is a very serious problem.” Don’t ever let it catch you up in Nagaland because if you do, it will erode the Naga Identity and The Way of Life. I think the Nagas are deeply sunk in an unredeemable corrupted way of life almost making us disqualified to be Nagas anymore?
Various factors are responsible for the political corruptions. Elections are very expensive because votes have to be purchased, the voters are to be looked after, feed them, and clothe them, before, during and after the elections. Moral is degenerated and everyone desires to be rich overnight. In Nagaland political corruption has become a great threat to our political system and Naga's hard won unity and integrity. Nagaland's political stability is at stake and its future viability is unpredictable.
The turbulent Naga nationalism is yet skin- deep only; it has not yet, percolated into the marrow of the bones. It is tottering on the ill- conceived logic of aggressive tribalism deeply rooted in culture, ethnicity, land, language, religion etc. The ugly head of this narrow particularism often surfaces which is pejorative to Naga unity and integrity.The proclivities of tribalism are loosely coming under the rubric of tribal organisations.The state machinery has become an omnibus- a large vehicle carrying many passengers. All the Nag Tribes are converged or incorporated into a common political, system which rest upon a balancing of the, constituents .These units became the bedrock of the body political system of Nagaland. Therefore, it should be meticulously and consciously ensured that political instability should always depend on the strength of the elaborately and intrinsically woven tribal entities and ethnic components. It is obvious that the state and democratic system cannot last without smooth units that constitute the state synchronization of all the state.
Has The Rule of Law failed? The daily happenings give the answer. The State structure of polity was erected by the ingenuity of architects of political wisdom. It can be pulled down by the foll, corruption and negligence of the keeper, the people.
The constitution gives the right to every citizen equality before the law and equality of opportunity. The foundation of a democratic political structure is based on the equality before law, and social justice is ensured by the equal opportunity. As of now, it is seen clearly that these fundamental rights are violated. The Rule of Law is flouted. The escalators of anarchic conditions are alarming and the epidemics of corruptions are making the state a mockery of democracy. Are the chosen representatives responsible for the political corruptions?
One of the seven forms of passive violence that Mahatma Gandhi said was the amassing and flaunting of wealth (money) without work. Our mind-set is not work-culture but demand-culture. In every man's mind there is a deep insatiable greed for money. We live in an age of instant gratification, of all the needs and desires to have instant wealth without earning is irresistible. The modern mind-set that wealth is all that matters is indeed the source of all evils because it believes in creating wealth without work like corruptions, bribes, dowries, lotteries, all forms of ill-gotten money, extortions, criminal acts and exploitative practices.
The Biblical Injunction prohibits any forms of injustice and exploitative practices like bonded labour, child labour, lower payment of wages, discriminations of any kind. James 5:4 says, “You have not paid any wages to the men who work in your fields- their cries have reached the ears of God...." Prov.13-11 says, "Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow." In terms of work and wealth creation, God has provided us the framework for just practices and ethical behavior. “If a man will not work, he shall not eat" 2 Thess. 3:10. If these principles are applied in our work-situation, we can bring transformation in the state.
The political defection is a cancerous disease in Nagaland. Defection and change of party loyalty is not only among the MLAs but among the party workers at the grass root levels as well. This phenomenon is taking place after the ministers and the MLAs have been given huge money by the government as their pocket money.
The totality of the Naga society is corrupted from the top to the bottom. The Indian tax payers money is lavishly utilized by the Nagas without working for it. This has become a Moral Issue and a time will come when we shall either individually or collectively become accountable to both man and God. The Nagas must stop consenting to easy ways and become more sensitive and concerned about the wrong doings in the society.
If there is anything that can undermine, derogate, pervert and destroy the Naga unity, integrity and solidarity, it is the aggressiveness and selfishness of the tribalism and the political corruptions that erode the morality of the Nagas. No one knows as to how many more Nagas will succumb to ethnic and fratricidal mayhem in the coming years. Are there no Nagas in this Christian state who are viewed with hatred, disdain and scorn by us? Can any one Dare God?
