Rev. Dr.V.K.Nuh
Amos, the 8th Century Prophet emphatically declared specific message to Israel through two Hebrew words- (Mispet) Justice, (Sedaqa) Righteousness.
The rich enjoyed an indolent and indulgent existence (Amos 4:1). The poor were the legal victims and tempting target for the economic exploitation. Meanwhile, religion flourished in the nation and the populace thronged to shrines during festival times (Amos 4:4). To such a nation, Amos was commissioned to announce the word of the Lord, “Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a river that never goes dry” (Amos 5:24). The term justice and righteousness play a vital role in Amos prophecy. Amos consistently used righteousness and justice as a term for the qualities, which ought to be present in the social order.
At a time when the court are corrupted and the powerful have their way without restraint, men of wise judgment will keep quite, knowing that to raise complaint or plead his case will only lead t trouble for him.
When legal dispute arise between two men, they shall come before the court and the court will decide between them. The just is convicted and the wrong is vindicated. Thus, Amos spoke against the court where the rich men always get good verdict. He said, “You sell righteous for silver, needy for a pair of sandal….” (Amos 8:6).
Amos accused false hope and assumptions of the people who believed that God had bound Himself to Israel with a tie that never could be broken. They think that “The Sinai Covenant” obligates God for their protection. If God be for us who can be against us. They believed they were fully discharging covenant obligations by performing religious rites, the practice of elaborate sacrificial rituals. However, his message t the people is a reverse one saying, Yahweh hates your religious rites and your festivals because you trample down the weak and push the poor out of the way. (Amos 5:21)
Is it not the same with us if we apply our situation to the eight century story of Israelites? Leaders do not believe that Nagaland is redeemed by the blood of Jesus. They do not believe that Nagaland is purchased with the blood of Naga patriots. If Christianity is not there and if Naga Political Movement is not there, what could be imagined of with todays’ generation? Out of Rs.2000 crore (Annual Budget), only 10% seemed to reach the villages. This is the system why innocent people are suffering from the hands of the privileged.
Government officers are supposed to start at 9:30 am but staff and official usually wonder in at 11:00 am. Tea break is soon followed by the lunch session. Most of the officers are hardly available in their designed office. In Nagaland, nothing seems more coveted than a government job. Nagaland has over 1,00,000 government employees, abnormally high for a population of around a million. There is a conspicuous lack of loyalty to the government. This must be the reasons why most wants to be in a government job by hook or by crook because there is no other employment facility. About 95% are still unemployed under traditional agriculture life of which government is not taking part much. 75% of the annual budget is spent on the salary. The government instruction of ‘no work no pay’ makes no sense.
Few months back we have heard the NPSC scam that hurt the sentiments of the young people. Powers misused in the highest levels have hurt the public. Be it secret or open, it is not a secret to God. We must not forget that there are thousand of cases not exposed by the Medias to the mass.
A government servant’s average daily wage comes up to Rs.150 even for grade-IV staff, although a government servant’s average working hour is only about 4 hours in a day. About 5% of the population (government servant) enjoys 75% of the state budget. According to the state budget per capita expenditure isRs.4,800. Even lowest grade government servants enjoy Rs.30,000 in a year whereas the villagers toiling for 8 hours comes to Rs.50 as wages in a day, i.e. Rs.5,100 in a year.
The recent HSLC results also indicated the fruit of 39.91% passed from the government school and 83.64% from private institutions. The government is spending crores of rupees for education, appointed well qualified teachers. The teachers of the private schools who get half the salary of the government teachers produces double result. It plainly proves that the government servants are failing in their responsibility. Most of the government institutions are running into failure. This is nothing but lack of dedication and honestly in their respective professions.
The prevailing situation in our society is such that, the rich are becoming richer, the educated becoming more educated, but the poor becoming poorer. There is a psychological war going on everyday in every corner. The gap between the rich and the poor is becoming wider and wider everyday.
The India Today, 31st July 1989 stated that, being an MLA in Nagaland entails extra benefits apart from a salary of Rs.1,750/- a month. Now, an MLA draws Rs.15,000, a gypsy, a maruti car or an ambassador, with patrol allowance of Rs.10,000 per month, vehicle repairs are borne by the government. Ministers are given an average of Rs.5 lakhs a year as a gift allowance officially for their constituency. Most of them prefer to get the gift for themselves.
Besides this, they have luxurious buildings with several servants, bodyguards and a number of vehicles. Monthly expenditure for each minister is not less than Rs.2 lakhs. Most of the MLAs turn a millionaire when they become minister. Most of the party worker becomes rich within a year or two. Government is no longer people’s government. The government machineries are not helping public services but exploiting public affairs. Government job is now on public sale. Not on merit but on party favour. The privileged classes are destroying the underprivileged people. Government post is now more or less family inheritance. Most of the interview is for face savings only. Shekhar Gupta said, “Government job has become synonymous with the easy life and easy money especially at the higher level, every job has a price tag. It is almost impossible to get a job without underhand payments. Nagaland probably has the richest bureaucrats and officers. Many scorn government accommodations and to live in political houses that are unaffordable on their salaries alone. Last January a bureaucrat invested over Rs.50 lakhs in a house but typically, no questions were asked.
Not to speak of high ranking officials, even mere gazatted officers are entitled for jeep and bungalows with few servants and Rs.2000 for petrol, Rs.200 for monthly entertainment with all other allowances. Yet, many of the officers do not bother even if something goes wrong in his department. Some officers are not interested to visit a village for the upliftment of people. Their jeeps crawl up and down the national highway or state highway for personal benefits. Many bureaucrats misguide their master if it is not in their favor. They are very smart passing the file if their share is available. They make flying bills. They know sophisticated ways of dealing with the files. This is why public money are siphoned out left and right from the schemes and projects in the name of the poor under privileged. Benefits never reach the targeted people.
Yes, complaints and quarrel are a part of human race, but ungrateful nature is worst, one can easily see how Naga people have shown selfish attitudes in the last four decades. Today the public morality is at its lowest ebb. Worldly and spiritual cannot be distinguished. Outward church function is elaborate but actual worship to God is empty. Most of the clergy people become slaves of the crowd. People believe in false security because there is no theological balance in the church.
Many Nagas have two birth certificates-one for government job certificate and the other for the electorate but still they celebrate their actual birthday on the actual day of his birth. Villagers have no censuses to get more money. Most of the villages increase bogus houses to 400 if the actual number is 200 so that they get more VDB funds. But if the underground comes they will make the number less so as to pay less. We have seen the last census result (2001). The population in its lowest came to 43.48% highest to 120.29% and average of 64.5%. Is this an honest numerical growth or false account in order to get more MLA seats? Who is doing this wrong thing? These are all the deeds of the Christians.
Strangely, no one uttered any word from the public quarter. But the oppressed can’t keep quite as victims forever. Time will come when whoever wronged the public will have to appear before the public court. Whosoever does evil will have to stand on the Judgment Day.
Amos portrayed the punishment of the oppressed by word-picture of a time when the land will be filled with funerals, wailings, mourning, public lamentations which marks customary funeral rites of Israel. The funeral will be the future of the oppressors of the poor. The oppressed will bury the oppressors in the ground which they (oppressors) coveted.
