Revisiting the Top 5 Scams of Nagaland

This is just a personal evaluation. Hence, I might have missed out the cases which you think should be in one of the slots. Plus, individual cases have been omitted, only the institutional level charges have been highlighted.

1. The NPSC (Nagaland Public Service Commission) Scam

There was time when  scams related with state public service examination was a phenomena heard from almost every corners of our country. Nagaland was not an exception. From leaking of question papers to making the candidates attempt the paper from their irrespective homes to manipulation in viva-voce marks to reappearing for the first two tiers etc., did the rounds. Segregating rumours from facts might not be easy but what is easy is, doing a Google search and finding numerous articles about it. The controversy might have dampened a little but it often finds its place in the newspaper columns.

2. The Social Welfare Scam

Way back in 2012, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) exposed a scam under the Social Welfare Department. Basically it was regarding the sanctioning of money, like lakhs of it, to bogus societies (Refer, Nagaland Post article dated November 23, 2012 under the heading, NPCC exposes major scam in Social Welfare Department). Social Welfare, right? Agar hum kahe toh kare kya, bole toh bole kya.

3.The NRHM Scam

This was an interesting case, it found its way in the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court. The Naga Mother's Association (NMA) filed a petition against the state government for its inaction to demands for probing the scam under the National Rural Health Mission. How did  it start off?  

"NMA alleged several anomalies, particularly in Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), where some of the women beneficiaries were not paid money and even discrepancies in the grant for birth of boy and girl child...NMA also alleged that funds under NRHM were being mis-utilised by the department where officers “rampantly” drew money under various excuses including community monitoring. It also alleged that some doctors turned contractors and suppliers." (Reference:https://hrln.org/nrhm-scam-in-nagaland-high-court-appeal-for-cbi-probe/)

Wow! This looks like one holy messed up affair.

4. The Scholarship Scam

During my college days, scholarship was either irregular or way too late from the scheduled date. However, history loves to repeat itself and even after a decade the story is pretty much the same with the exception, the students of this decade are well aware of their rights. The respective department along with the concerned minister (no matter from which party) has often been brought under the scanner. We hope change comes soon. 

5. The Police Modernization Scam

When Mumbai Attack happened way back in 2008, this was one of the newspapers' subtitle,  "Mumbai Police fought AK 47 wielding terrorists with obsolete .303 rifles."

We pray this situation does not happen in Nagaland. We know the weapons or the mode of communication use(d) by the armed police in Nagaland is 2G. It will be an utopian dream to think about having a NYPD makeover. Nevertheless, crores of money was granted for a grand upgradation but it hardly materialized as it was sabotaged by corruption. 

(Reference:https://morungexpress.com/scam-in-nagaland-police-dept-serious-mha/)

Talking About Poems

The ancient world used to sing about beauty, snow and flowers, moon and wind, misty mountains and gregarious rivers.

Today, we argue about iron and steel, pollution and toxins, nuclear war and yes, the Coronavirus.

What Can Kill the Leviathan, Today?

*a short metaphorical note on the power of the sea.

When Thomas hobbes wrote the Leviathan in the year 1651, he had so much to say about its power and the channels through which the Leviathan could derive its power. For those who does not know what Leviathan is, it is basically a monster in the form of a sea serpent from Jewish belief, which finds reference in the Book of Job, Psalms, the Book of Isaiah and the Book of Amos. Thomas Hobbes whose father was the vicar of Charlton and Westport must have had a good imagination to use this creature as a metaphor to put forward his arguments on Statecraft. 

Although the purpose of politics might be same as it used to be in the 17th Century west Europe. However, the understanding of politics might have changed worldwide in this 21st Century. The point we want to make is, the politics of the contemporary world cannot ignore the importance of 
'The Sea', the medium through which Leviathan breeds and exists. The toxins which is poured on the sea might make the life of the Leviathan miserable but being a monster it is, it adapts with the very sea irrespective of its high toxicity. Thomas Hobbes might have little to no time to research on the importance of the sea, the habitat of Leviathan. But the politics of this century cannot negate to assesss the relevance of the sea. 

Leviathan is no stronger than the sea, never was and never will be, for the sea was created before Leviathan. The sea does not know its colossal power. But the old man once said, the calmest sea brings the deadliest of cyclone. That is the power of the sea. Wipe the Leviathan if it tries to tame its waves. Indeed, history was shown the power of the sea.

Now, the question is, who or what is the Sea?

The People!