Bridge over troubled waters

Nagaland today is in a state of confusion and chaos. The current state of affairs and the recent political developments with the state assembly elections just around the corner is making the troubled waters even murkier. The controversy over the inauguration of the RCC bridge over Doyang river at Liphanyan in Wokha district bordering Assam’s Golaghat is a case in point. Just hours before its inauguration by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, virtually, the Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) sent a letter to Shah requesting him to cancel the inauguration. The NFHRCC was undoubtedly offended by the state government for not informing them about the inauguration. It can be argued that this was clearly a case of one-upmanship on the part of the state government. It is an established fact that the NFHRCC was the driving force behind the construction of the bridge, reportedly the longest bridge in Nagaland. The state government could have shown the courtesy to take the NFHRCC into confidence before planning on letting Shah inaugurate it. The bridge was originally scheduled to be inaugurated on December 14 by Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, but was postponed. The NFHRCC requested the Home Minister not to inaugurate it but did not protest against it in a show of maturity perhaps. The point here is not about whether Shah should have inaugurated it or not but about the state government not having the courtesy to at least inform the NFHRCC about the inauguration. In fact, it can be said that Shah inaugurating the bridge can be taken in a positive light because the Foothills Road now has the possibility of receiving the centre’s assistance as the Union Home Minister himself has inaugurated the most important bridge in the road.

Along with the bridge, Shah inaugurated 4 other projects worth Rs.52 crores on the day. Just hours before landing in Dimapur, Shah was in Manipur where he inaugurated several mega projects and laid the foundation stones for projects worth rupees 1300 crores. The difference between the two neighboring states is simply incomprehensible. In Manipur, Shah inaugurated a medical college, unveiled a 120-feet-tall statue of a polo player riding a pony at Marjing Polo Complex, and inaugurated northeast’s first Olympic Park, among other things. Built by the Manipur government, the first Olympic park in the northeast situated at Sangaithel hillock houses statues of state Olympians. It is said that Manipur has, since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, produced 19 Olympians, including seven from hockey, four each from boxing and weightlifting, three from judo and one from archery. The park will also accommodate statues of future Olympians from the state.

Shah’s whirlwind visit has exposed how Nagaland is lagging far behind other states. Although Shah has said that Nagaland has fared well under the Modi government, the fact is that that is not the case in reality. It is always like one step forward two steps back for Nagaland. The little steps that Nagaland takes forward pales in comparison to the giant leaps forward that other states are making. The bridge over Doyang river was constructed at a cost of Rs.28.29 crore by the state government through its own resources as claimed by the Chief Minister – only to give rise to another controversy ahead of the election.