A democracy can only function effectively if its citizens are active and informed. This means that citizens need to be aware of the issues facing their community and country, and they need to be willing to participate in the political process. An active and informed citizenry is essential for a healthy democracy. It is observed that there are five definite ways to be an active and informed citizen: Vote in every election; Get involved in one’s community; Stay informed about current events; Be critical of the information you consume; and speak out on issues that you care about.
Unfortunately, Naga people generally seem to be failing on most of these five parameters. We know how elections are held in Nagaland. Voting is the most basic way to participate in the political process but how people vote (or are not made to vote) in Nagaland is everybody’s guess. We do get involved in one’s community, volunteer our time and attend public meetings but that alone is not enough to build an active and informed citizenry. We have to stay informed about current events and this is one area where Naga people in general are lagging. We should also be critical of the information we consume by asking questions about the sources of information, and be aware of our own biases. We should speak out on issues that we care about by writing in the newspapers, calling out our elected officials, and participating in protests and demonstrations.
To cite an example, Naga people voiced out strongly against the Uniform Civil Code but there has so far been no one speaking out on the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 that has just been passed in the Lok Sabha and is to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha. Many citizens in the country are voicing out against it. The Bill, if made into an Act, threatens to remove the forest land “within a distance of one hundred kilometers along international borders or Line of Control or Line of Actual Control” from the ambit of protection under The Forest Conservation Act. The land may now be used for the construction of “strategic linear projects of national importance and concerning national security.” This effectively means the government has a free hand to do whatever they want in your land in the interest of ‘national security’. Remember, almost the entire state of Nagaland falls within 100 Km from the India-Myanmar border.
Being an active and informed citizen is not always easy. It takes time and effort to stay informed, and it takes courage to voice out one’s views and opinions on pertinent issues of public importance. Maybe that is why many people do not want to be active and informed citizens.