Election woes

As the election cycle approaches, we will be hearing a lot of interesting reports. As the contesting parties start politicking with the objective of raking in as many votes as possible to secure electoral success, we will be overwhelmed with rounds of news and rumors. In the midst of it all, we will forget that the fate of our state for the next five years is at stake. History of elections in Nagaland teaches us that we never learn. It is difficult to believe that it will be any different this time too. We know that a free and fair election is the foundation of modern democracy. But how free or fair are elections in Nagaland today? The answer is blowing in the wind!

There was a time when the Nagas held leadership as a sacrificial service to the community. With the coming of modern democracy and electoral politics, this age old role of leadership has been redefined – for better or for worse. Leadership was a responsibility then. Today, it has become a privilege. It is generally accepted that political leadership is an opportunity to accumulate wealth and fame, to gain control and power. Very little is expected of a political leader to be responsible and accountable. Everybody knows that clean elections are the answer to all the woes Nagaland is facing today. Yet, clean election remains a far cry because we are not strong enough to uphold it. We are a weak society.

Elections in Nagaland have been linked with unethical and rampant electoral malpractices which have led Nagaland to be socially corrupt, morally bankrupt, and politically visionless. Why and how have we become what we are today? It appears the parliamentary system of government was not tailored for Nagaland. A candidate from a smaller village in an assembly constituency, not matter how qualified he is, does not enjoy a level playing field against a candidate from a larger village. No matter what the rule book says, even if every citizen in theory has equal rights and opportunities, the reality is different. There is also an implicit interplay of customary practices and electoral politics and this has produced a synthetic and toxic culture of one-upmanship. This new culture is antithesis to everything that democracy promises. We will soon be hearing of reports of people being excommunicated by villages. We will see internal friction growing within villages and discord between villages. Election woes will be felt again.

Elections are meant for choosing our representatives to voice out for us, to represent our interests in the legislature, to safeguard our rights and to frame laws that aid us in our pursuit of happiness in life. Unfortunately, we take elections for a game without realizing that our lives are at stake. We have only one life and we make it a miserable one because we failed to understand the meaning and purpose of elections.