The Issue of reservation has been going on and on (be it for women or BT reservation) leading to confusion about the demands of the eastern Nagas. Here I would like to share a few thoughts about some going issues.
Firstly the policy of reservation has been there for the last few decades or so. Whether it has been implemented rightly or not and if not who is to be blamed? We need to have some bound time policies and programmes to uplift the neglected or backward areas instead of giving endless reservations because we feel the government job through reservation alone is not the solution. What about the special economic packages for development of the backward areas? Has it yielded no result at all?
The government as well as all of us needs to look back at such policies, whether it has served the purpose for which it was meant, to re-examine and set priorities based on ground realities. As far as population census is concerned, we don’t expect nor can we afford to get employment for any tribe based on population. Here we need to find out the root-cause of backwardness, what is hampering them from coming up or us/the government from reaching them. If the government thinks that special recruitment and reservations are the only remedies, then a time may come when 100 % reservation will have to be given while competitions for the so called advanced tribes may have to be barred for sometime.
It will be wise for the government of the day to initiate serious study and go for long term cure instead of short term remedies and appeasement policies if they really want to serve and solve their people’s problem or else the hasty decision and wrong policies for short term gains to be in power will leave behind a legacy of unprecedented mistakes and losses which cannot be changed, nor history forget and generation forgive. After all deliberate and repeated mistakes have brought us to where we are today. Ironically the mush mired and tired journey of reconciliation and unification of all Nagas are now in a dilemma as to whether Nagas really want/or are fighting for a common goal, because the recent demand of ENPO for a separate state poses a big question mark for all Nagas to ponder. Can we keep on supporting, contributing and live under constant threat and turmoil for the cause of freedom at the cost of internal divisions and separations? Every right thinking citizen especially the intellectuals should not become weary of the situation and remain silent because the complacency and silence of the wise will aggravate/give rise to more problems.
At this point if we try to close our eyes and ears to keep away from the present fire by keeping our safe distance, it will not be too long when all of us will burn together. For the sake of our children and the future of the Nagas, let us do away with all prejudices and share our honest opinions and thoughts to address the present ills of corruption, nepotism, tribalism, religion, division and other menaces. Though the challenges are big and difficult, let us remember the “Either, we hold on together and survive as a nation or perish together”.
Medo Angami.
Kohima Town
Firstly the policy of reservation has been there for the last few decades or so. Whether it has been implemented rightly or not and if not who is to be blamed? We need to have some bound time policies and programmes to uplift the neglected or backward areas instead of giving endless reservations because we feel the government job through reservation alone is not the solution. What about the special economic packages for development of the backward areas? Has it yielded no result at all?
The government as well as all of us needs to look back at such policies, whether it has served the purpose for which it was meant, to re-examine and set priorities based on ground realities. As far as population census is concerned, we don’t expect nor can we afford to get employment for any tribe based on population. Here we need to find out the root-cause of backwardness, what is hampering them from coming up or us/the government from reaching them. If the government thinks that special recruitment and reservations are the only remedies, then a time may come when 100 % reservation will have to be given while competitions for the so called advanced tribes may have to be barred for sometime.
It will be wise for the government of the day to initiate serious study and go for long term cure instead of short term remedies and appeasement policies if they really want to serve and solve their people’s problem or else the hasty decision and wrong policies for short term gains to be in power will leave behind a legacy of unprecedented mistakes and losses which cannot be changed, nor history forget and generation forgive. After all deliberate and repeated mistakes have brought us to where we are today. Ironically the mush mired and tired journey of reconciliation and unification of all Nagas are now in a dilemma as to whether Nagas really want/or are fighting for a common goal, because the recent demand of ENPO for a separate state poses a big question mark for all Nagas to ponder. Can we keep on supporting, contributing and live under constant threat and turmoil for the cause of freedom at the cost of internal divisions and separations? Every right thinking citizen especially the intellectuals should not become weary of the situation and remain silent because the complacency and silence of the wise will aggravate/give rise to more problems.
At this point if we try to close our eyes and ears to keep away from the present fire by keeping our safe distance, it will not be too long when all of us will burn together. For the sake of our children and the future of the Nagas, let us do away with all prejudices and share our honest opinions and thoughts to address the present ills of corruption, nepotism, tribalism, religion, division and other menaces. Though the challenges are big and difficult, let us remember the “Either, we hold on together and survive as a nation or perish together”.
Medo Angami.
Kohima Town
