The 26 year old civil Engineer and a social activist, T Thomas Konyak is looking forward to contest the Nagaland general election 2023 from 41 AC, Tizit under Mon district.
He is well-known for his contribution towards helping economically weaker students get their technical education and his successful fight where he led the engineering students against the government for release of Scholarship.
Thomas, who is confident in himself and his people, looks more than ready to give a tough fight to his opponents.
Here is an exclusive conversation he shared with Mokokchung Times.
MTimes: Thank you, Thomas. Could you kindly tell us a little more about yourself and the inspiration towards joining politics at such a young age?
Thomas:- Thank you MTimes for having me here. I am Er. T Thomas Konyak, a graduate in civil Engineering. I am from Jaboka Village under Tizit Sub Division. I am a social activist and very vocal against social evils like corruption, drug abuse and other atrocities. Even as a student myself, I have led the students against the government for release of Scholarship on time as 150 Naga Students were being expelled from Engineering college due to delay in the release of scholarship by the State Government and payment of college dues. I have always longed to further carry forward my aims and aspirations to collaborate and work for the progress and development of especially under privileged and downtrodden people of Nagaland. So, I wanted to join politics where I feel it is the right platform to voice out the voice of many who haven’t been heard thus far even after almost 60 years of Statehood.
MTimes: So, if things work in your favor, you will be the youngest candidate that Nagaland has ever seen in terms of political candidates. Does it pressure you in any way? How challenging is it to take such a huge step?
Thomas:- I think I will agree with the statement that “age is just a number”. I have never thought of how young or old I am but I have always thought of what I can do and contribute to the well being of Nagas. And yes, there will always be pressure especially where Political scenario is a different ball game in Nagaland but I have put all my trust in God and people for whom I will work for.
It is very challenging especially being from a humble background and deciding to contest in elections where might and money has mostly won elections. But I have faith in myself and my people and I am ready to face anything whether it is big or small, good or bad. Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.
MTimes: Do you believe that you participating at such a young age sends out a positive message to society?
Thomas:- Yes, I think it should definitely give hope and a positive message to young people to participate in elections directly if we want to see change in our society. Just becoming a social media warrior won’t affect change that we want or hope to see. It’s time that we young Nagas come out of our comfort zones and bring in change by participating in elections more directly.
MTimes: You’re well-loved by your people because of the kind of activism you have done in terms of providing education to the economically limited families. What do you hope to achieve for them and the Naga people in general once you win the election?
Thomas:- Education empowers. I feel quality education is what is missing in our State. If given an opportunity, I will vouch for quality education and infrastructure developments in schools especially in rural areas. I feel we also need to bring in Delhi Models in our government schools.
MTimes: Have you decided on which political party you shall be contesting for? Do you have a political ideology you prefer?
Thomas:- No, I have not decided yet nor have any affiliations with any political party. My ideology is progress, welfare and development of all and not few.
MTimes: What do you have to say about the recent withdrawal of non-cooperation by ENPO and the clarification sent out by the KU with regards to the Oting incident?
Thomas:- Oting incident is one of the most unforgettable tragedy and genocide committed by the army in Mon, Nagaland. In this connection, the recent withdrawal of non-cooperation by ENPO seems to be a hasty decision for me and the clarification given by KU in this regard is also not satisfactory in my opinion. However, ENPO and KU is a mature and apex organization and I hope they will continue to seek justice for the families of 14 brothers who lost their precious lives.
MTimes: Nagaland politics is changing dynamically. We have just witnessed the defection of the 21 MLAs recently, the oppositionless-government and many more. How do you look at the development of Nagaland politics?
Thomas:- In a democracy, opposition plays an equally important role in upholding the interests of the people and what has been happening like you have mentioned in Nagaland politics is very unfortunate and detrimental to the whole Nagas. Such instances if not curbed or realized by the Nagas will further put us down and continue to lead us towards chaos and instability rather than progress and development.
MTimes: In your opinion, what is the greatest problem in Nagaland and how do you wish to tackle it?
Thomas:- The greatest problem today in Nagaland is unemployment. There are areas where we need to focus like law and order problem, unabated taxations, insurgency, corruption etc which I believe are a hindrance and has made the situation of unemployment worsened from bad to worse. These are the areas where I will work and focus to make it investment friendly for big companies who are ready to invest in Nagaland. I, along with a few elders from Tizit area have also met a few dignitaries in Rajasthan and Maharashtra in the month of March 2022 for Investments and setting up of new industries in Tizit and other areas with good prospects for growth.
MTimes: Nagaland is being crippled by corruption from the top to the bottom. What policy do you think we should adopt to curb the corruption menace in Nagaland?
Thomas:- I will agree to your statement that corruption is rampant and has crippled the state machinery. For curbing the menace of corruption, a leader has to lead by example and also give scope for central probe agencies like ED, CBI against corruption. Even CSOs have an equal role and need to do more to fight against corruption.
MTimes: How important do you think is the community participation in taking Nagaland to greater heights? Cite some mechanism to keep Nagaland’s democracy transparent and accountable.
Thomas:- Community Participation is important for accountability and transparency and take Nagaland to greater heights.
Our democracy has been hijacked by money power and it has become a trend where money power controls election results. First and foremost, what each Naga should do is not to accept money from candidates during elections. Secondly, electronic and print media interviews and debates in open forums for intending candidates before elections must be adopted. Here, participation is very important. Lastly, preparation of manifestos by political parties and discussion/question on the subject by CSOs and citizens alike should be pursued.
MTimes: What kind of economic policy do you think Nagaland should adopt to become self-reliant and what should be the role of the government in achieving it?
Thomas:- Nagaland should adopt the policy of development for all rather than investment in a few towns or cities like Dimapur or Kohima. The avenues and prospects for growth and development are very high in places like Tizit, Naginimora, Tuli, Bhandari, Noklak etc. These areas due to its geographical location have high value for inter-state and international trade centers. Such avenues by establishing more industries in these areas will generate revenue for the state government and pave the way for employment opportunities of our Naga Youth and also become a self-reliant state.