Should Nagas rush for national political parties abandoning the regional aspirations and identity? Is there any value of having a strong regional political party in Nagaland? If only Naga regional political parties like the NPF and NDPP had a strong backbone and its members not as corrupt as they are, we wouldn’t be begging and getting sandwiched between losing our dignity and the political dictates of the Center. If only we had a strong regional party that actually cares for the welfare and aspirations of the Naga people, out of the blue politicians and their sycophants wouldn’t have hijacked our politics.
The Naga political matrimony has become ever more unholy with national political parties cooking unsavory dishes in our kitchen. There is too much outside interference and influences happening inside our kitchen and this is breaking up our family bond. This is a lesson we Nagas still don’t understand even when we are having serious repercussions from it. There are many examples of these unholy interferences but one example that is very current can be seen in the aftermath of the Oting massacre incident-few perks including an uncontested Rajya Sabha MP through a non regional political party and then somehow the lion became a timid lamb. See how toothless we became. We can’t afford to be frail like this.
Our people, spineless and greedy, are falling like ninepins to the seduction and narratives of non regional political parties which, as seen in the Oting massacre outcome, will never be sensitive to the aspirations of the Naga people. There is this argument that there will be more development and better opportunities if we adopt national political parties that are in power, regardless of ideological orientation, but no amount of developmental funds and opportunities will ever sit well on a weak and corrupt foundation. So bringing such an argument to the fold is undignified. We need to stop this rush to the lure of national parties. It is making us look shameless, vulnerable and undignified.
We must fix our politics on our own with the conviction that we can stand on our own and not depend on the Center forever. We must be self dependent; we must give good opportunities to our children here in Nagaland. We must create an environment of peace and unity for every Naga to progress. But we won’t find that in New Delhi, it’s all here In Nagaland. We just need to bear to be uncomfortable for once to give way to the right and dignified way of progress.
Nobody succeeds through a begging bowl but sacrifices with true sweat and spirit only will give us success with dignity. And for this, we need a strong regional party that is based on good values and principles with integrity-a party where political prostitutes and corrupt people are not entertained, a party that doesn’t fall on knees to any non progressive and divisive groups like the various fragmented Naga national groups, Hohos and unions.
I believe that we can achieve the impossible if we free ourselves from greed, nepotism, sycophancy, tribalism and come out of the communal bondage to think and see beyond these five yearly general elections. We need grassroots level reformation. The village councils, the chiefs, the Hohos who are our traditional and customary custodians can be of great help to change Nagaland from the grassroots if they muster the integrity and moral responsibility to disassociate with corrupt politicians and bureaucrats instead of being sycophants and nepotistic. We can no longer afford to be a land of parasitic institutions and unworthy people. It is time we Nagas think beyond these five years and change our politics.