Mokokchung Times | June 6
On June 4, 2022, anti-corruption activist, the headman of Hevishe village, Dimapur and the convener of the Concerned People of Nagaland, Kahuto Chishi announced his candidature for 2023 General Election from Dimapur- III assembly constituency as an Independent candidate.
Kahuto, in a ‘tell it all’ interview with Mokokchung Times, asserted that he decided to join the electoral process because ‘election is a constitutional process’ and that he is entering the process to fight against the system of corruption.
“You don’t enter the system to change the system. You enter the process to fight against the system of corruption,” he clarified when asked if he is worried that people might now perceive him as ‘dirty’ just because he has entered the ‘dirty politics’.
“I am glad because after the declaration of my candidature, I have been receiving an overwhelming amount of support, much more than the support I used to get,” he said.
He then explained that the reason he chose to contest as an Independent candidate was because he has no will to join any government.
“If I win, I will not join any government. I will not accept any portfolio. I may give outside support to any political party. I will stand as an independent, and will continue as an independent candidate,” he asserted.
“My purpose is to teach Naga people, the powers, the duties and the functions of an MLA which is as powerful as any minister. A minister may hold power over certain departments but an MLA within his constituency holds power over all departments. So, this is something I want to teach the Naga people,” he stated.
MTimes: You have always been vocal against corruption and misgovernance, and is known to be someone who holds back no punches in speaking your mind. So, as an intending candidate, what do you hope to achieve more other than correct the system you have been voicing out against?
Kahuto: The reason why I decided to contest is because all along I have been ignored by social media, print media or TV. If by God’s grace I got to be elected representatives, they will no longer be able to ignore.
It is not only the people I charge but say, even the media; people think that many of my articles have been published but many more have been rejected. Even on North-East live, when I bring up the issue of the NSF, Naga Hoho, NMA and their links with NSCN-IM, the anchors do not insist that the other parties clarify. This is the main reason why I am contesting so that they will not be able to ignore me anymore.
MTimes: Why do you think you are being ignored?
Kahuto: They got no rejoinder to give. I am fortunate in a sense that my background on a public sphere is quite clean and hence, they cannot attack me from any angle. If I was supporting NNPGs or some politicians or some organizations, they could attack me but everybody knows that I am neutral. They may hate me but I am neutral.
MTimes: RPP is a party that seems to be raising similar voices like yours in the field of corruption and misgovernance. Why did you choose to be an independent candidate?
Kahuto: I have been asked this a lot even during my declaration. But you see, I do not want to attack people unnecessarily but yes it is true that RPP is speaking against corruption but they are being selective.
In Nagaland, every governmental department and organizations are corrupted. So, if you are going to attack corruption, then attack all. You cannot choose.
Regarding RPP, I know that there are many good young people that have joined out of frustration. But the problem I have is with some of the leaders. I won’t name but people know who is who and their motives. I can’t claim anything but God is my witness. I have no desire for money or power. My only desire is to bring some change because I got children and I don’t want them to grow up in a world where day by day everything is going worse.
MTimes: In an opinion piece published in a local newspaper titled ‘Taxation for dummies’ back in 2021, you said, “the NSCN (I-M) mixes half-truths with lies and cherry-picks “dribs and drabs” of Naga history and the Naga national movement without any basis or contextual reference.” If you still stand with the statement, would you elaborate on that thought and clarify whether what happened between NSCN IM and Dr Jamir recently also revolves around the idea of that piece?
Kahuto: If you observe Naga history, there are two distinct phases: Pre-NSCN-IM and Post NSCN-IM. The Pre-NSCN-IM is NNC-FGN where the NSCN-IM has nothing to do with it. They have denounced Phizo, they have denounced NNC, and they have denounced the FGN so how can they pick and choose traces of NNC history to soar up their position. And then they distort the Naga history.
They once made a claim that they led the Naga Labor crops to France in 1st world war; they came back and they later claim that they gave the idea of forming Naga Club. How is that even remotely true? They were part of the Manipur labor crop. We were Naga labor corp. These are two totally different things.
Regarding the issue with Dr. SC Jamir, I am the only Naga who has openly supported Dr. SC Jamir on the ‘Bedrock of Naga Society’. I do not agree with him on so many issues but on this issue with the IM, I am totally in favor of Dr. SC Jamir.
The 16 point agreement is the bedrock of Naga society. Prior to that, we were all independent self-governing villages. We did not even have a tribal society or a tribal administration.
MTimes: In 2017, you again wrote, “Every concept of this so-called Pan-Naga Hoho is questionable. It reeks of a single person’s megalomaniac desire to hold dictatorial sway over all Nagas in India.” What made you conclude as such?
Kahuto: Pan-Naga Hoho claims to be based on tribes. It sounds really good like, every tribe will have a representative in the Pan-Naga Hoho. But the condition is, ‘only the members of the NSCN’ from each tribe are eligible for the membership to the Pan-Naga Hoho. Whether you are an Ao, Sumi or Angami, you are not eligible for the membership of the Pan-Naga Hoho unless we join the NSCN-IM. It is a single-party government based on the Chinese communist philosophy.
And when you see the functions and the duties of the Pan-Naga Hoho, it is a useless body. The president will have the power to appoint or remove. He got the entire executive and the legislative powers. He can make any laws he wants. He can appoint and dismiss anyone and make any laws he wants. The NSCN say that all resources over and above will belong to the government. All the rivers, animals, transportations will belong to the government. So, when you have laws like that and when you have one person who has this much power, that is dictatorship.
MTimes: As the Naga talks hold center stage and a lot of speculations and contentions are made regarding the Framework Agreement signed in 2015, where do you stand today?
Kahuto: There are two copies of Framework Agreement: one published by RN Ravi and one by NSCN-IM. The only word missing from the alleged RN Ravi’s document is “competency” so the question should not be about whose copy is right or wrong. But the main concern should be what those points which the IM is talking about are. We are confused about the flag but we should not be concerned about the flag but the constitution because it will concern your everyday life.
We should ask about the ‘Competency’ under which the NSCN-IM wants to sign the agreement.
MTimes: How do you suggest the Naga political issue be resolved?
Kahuto: I have written an article, “An honorable solution,” where, I have given a brief outline of what are the lines on which I think should resolve. Regarding Nagaland, we have everything that a person could desire. If you look at the history of civilization, there has never been a more privileged people than Nagalan;, India has given us everything, it has not even taken an inch of our land, we may have the border issue but that is different, and they are pumping hundreds and thousands of crores of money per day into Nagaland; so, what more do they need?
So, I propose an Upper House. People think when I talk about the Upper House; they think it is the NLC (Nagaland Legislative Council). But no, ours will be more powerful based on tribal lines so that tribe will have direct control. Upper House based on tribal line and elected by every member of the tribe irrespective of population is what I have suggested.
MTimes: The culture or the political scenario of Nagaland has always been based on regionalism, tribalism and clientelism. How confident are you that you won’t get trapped into such ‘isms’?
Kahuto: Much of it is to do with the fact that these are human emotions. But in what I have seen, in countries where the law is just or where the law works, things like tribalism and regionalism don’t matter. I believe that if we have a ‘Just’ government in Nagaland, it won’t matter whether you are an Ao, Sumi or Angami in the sense of the governance.
In personal space, we will always love our family more than others, we will always love our tribe more than others but in presence of a ‘Just’ government, it will not be so important that we will have to break the law. Say, there is a job opportunity where you reached the interview stage. Obviously, the interviewer will have some favouritism. It might be your looks, the way you speak and of course, your tribe. But you have to understand that they will have a basic understanding. At least have that basic understanding.
MTimes: I agree it is a human emotion but there is a problem when if an Ao is an education minister, you will have lots of Ao people in that department; the same goes with the rest of the tribe.
Kahuto: I understand. The problem arises because all this are appointed through the backdoor. There is no common screening exam because if there was a common screening exam they can claim that all of them qualified that is why I appointed these people. But when there is not even an appearance of fairness that is where the complain come out.
Corruption exist everywhere in the world but when it is blatant like in Nagaland, suppose I appoint only Sumi, that is corruption but when I make them undergo the qualification process then people will not be able to complain. The problem in Nagaland is no one is undergoing the qualification process, they are just being appointed blatantly. For instance, NPSC is bias but at least those people qualified the written exam.
MTimes: How can we be so sure they qualified the exam when you have already purchased it before you have even sat for the exam? But yes, not mixing corruption with tribalism. Tribalism is very powerful in our state, for instance, there is a great chance that without the support of your tribe, you won’t win the election so, without playing the politics of tribalism, will it not be difficult to achieve anything?
Kahuto: Yes, yes, I understand. So, the process should be transparent. See, we all appear certain exam so there should be transparency. I should be allowed to compare my paper with the others who are appearing. There should also be proper screening process. Those are the means we can check the state.
MTimes: Alright, but not mixing corruption with Regionalism, Tribalism and Clientelism, there is a good chance that a certain Sumi village will reach out to support you but in return it is obvious that they will expect something from you in return in terms of development, economic packages and what not.
Kahuto: Yes, and in that case I will introduce bill and make sure it is transparently passed in the Assembly. See, I have mediated in many disputes across Nagaland as an individual.
If I am elected, you may be from Mokokchung, I am from Dimapur 3, but I will speak out for you. I will use my platform to raise my voice against corruption.
MTimes: Would you agree that the civil society organizations have drastically let us down?
Kahuto: There is no question that our CSOs in our state are all fake across the state. If there was a possibility for me to be the president of Sumi Hoho, I would not be entering politics because I can check and hold the government accountable because that is the role of the CSOs. But I have now realized that the apex body of the entire tribes does not work on the interest of the people and that can be witnessed from the way they select the leaders. The selection should be an open process but it is all very vague.
MTimes: If you can sum up in a few sentences regarding how and why there is a desperate need for Nagas to change the way they elect their ministerial representative and why people should give you a chance.
Kahuto: It is not a question on how we select but who stands for election. Earlier, when this clean election came up, I have written how there can be clean elections when there are no clean candidates. It is the candidate that matters.
The fact that I am contesting the election is to show the way. I am certain that in the next election, there will be many people across Nagaland like me who will contest. This is what I want to show.
And no, I am not asking for a chance, I am giving the people a chance to choose. I am not going to beg anyone to vote for me. You pick and choose. I don’t care if I win or lose. I am giving you a choice, the choice is yours.
I am putting myself forward to serve you as a servant. If you want me as a servant or you want to be someone’s servant. If you want to be someone’s servant, you take money and serve them or if you want someone to be your servant, you pick me. Why should I beg?
(Kahuto, who was born and brought up in Mokokchung pursued his schooling in St. Edmund’s Shillong and got into his pre-university (Class 11-12) in Kohima Science College but later changed his field of study to Arts stream by joining Fazl Ali College where he attained his college graduation Degree.
Describing himself as a book worm and someone who love to listen, Kahuto affirms his desire to challenge the corrupt system in Nagaland through honest and truthful means)