Nagaland Assembly polls : Pol posturing peeves audience at Big Picture interaction
Source: The Sangai Express
Dimapur, February 20 2018:
There are snorts of contempt and disbelief; the noises, from among the young audience, that punctuate the political rhetoric speak volumes of the credibility of current breed of politicians in Nagaland.
Hearty applause sounds approval of those who pitch questions of accountability to the representatives of five political parties that form the panel.
The answers, devoid of hard facts, get rebuked with varied odd sounds of disapproval.
By the end of the session, the leaders look visibly uneasy and restless.
On the contrary, the students and young members of the audience seem reluctant to end the session, hungry to hear and be heard.
"The Big Picture: Policy Matters", an open interaction with political parties held in Dimapur had representatives of political parties on hot seats.
The panel for the event, organised by two local media and one publishing house, had NPF spokesperson, Achumbemo Kikon; BJP Nagaland general secretary, Jaansillung Gonmei; Nagaland Congress general secretary, Capt.
GK Zhimomi; NDPP youth wing president, Kelhuneizo Yhome and the young NPP secretary (administration), Samuel Sumi.
The session started off with the five panelists setting the political tone on expected lines.
BJP, fighting to shed the communalism tag harped on secularism and gifts for Nagaland, Naga People's Front hoisted the flag of Naga issue, youth and women empowerment, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party � the new party with old faces, talked good governance and transparency while the Congress, tried to put up a brave face.
NPP, the new party in Nagaland with comparatively new faces, played on its 'clean slate' appeal to promise an alternative to the current crop of politicians.
Armed with their respective party manifestos, the representatives of the political parties used the opportunity to highlight the visions and promises of their respective party manifestos.
The panelists sought refuge in manifestos and launched into oft-repeated rhetoric.
But as one member of the audience summed up � "They were non-committal; just claims and justifications but hardly could put forward any concrete or doable measures" .
When one of the panelists was challenged by a member of the audience for failing to answer to her query, the moderator had to step in, "I hope next time, you will do your homework" .
With Congress out of power in the State for the last 15 years, the party's spokesperson was under the least pressure.
Barring new entrant NPP, the other political parties found themselves skating on thin ice.
Interestingly, both the NPF, and the NDPP � a party which is led by NPF's former poster boy Neiphiu Rio � had former presidents of the Naga Students' Federation facing the largely young audience.
But while NDPP's Yhome more often than not sidestepped issues harping on transparent governance, NPF's Achumbemo Kikon brazened it out, seeking votes for his party rather than building on any discourse.
The Congress spokesperson once again went after the ruling parties citing the recent huge investment by Ramdev's Patanjali in the State.
"Government of the day for the last 15 years has been talking of land acquisition being the biggest hindrance to bringing industries, bringing development.
But I am shocked that Patanjali has laid foundation of so many schools over such large area of land.
How come there has been no hindrance in land acquisition for Patanjali?" .
Summing up the event, Seno Tsuhah categorically stated, "What the audience voiced has to be taken seriously.
The (panelists) should reflect on the issues that the students and others raised and take those to their party and see that those are addressed.
This kind of platform should be created once the Government is formed.
People would want to know what is the Government's plan for the next five years.
That is democracy" .
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