“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
— Mark Twain
New Delhi
'Congratulations Nagaland' is one way of starting this piece.
It's a major win as the powerful Neta Class --- as many as 11 of them admitted before Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sept 12 in Delhi that they cannot face elections 'without Solution'.
This round goes to civil society and pressure groups, various student bodies,
organisations such as NPAC and Nagaland Tribal Council.
The other way of telling the same story would be to feel humble that a few individual journalists and newspapers such as 'Nagaland Page' have played their small part.
We all have been doing our job.
One would not refer to this if no efforts were made to 'influence' publication of one story or the other.
Does a cash-starved newspaper need a political-bailout package ? Well - it's too personal - but "nothing doing".
The realisation of power of dissent makes us more responsible; and yes the media would be more vulnerable too. The season has changed.
No longer shooting down the messenger. Denial after a month under duress is not the proper way to conceal something.
If the standard operating procedure is - “It never happened”; time and media shall prove everyone wrong.
Those who are wrong often resort to denial in the first instance, most often to be proved wrong later and to have been humbled.
Eliminate or target one journalist, and reflect what happened in Jammu and Kashmir.
On June 14, 2018, Shujaat Bukhari, 50, editor of 'The Rising Kashmir' was shot dead outside his office in Press Enclave, Srinagar.
Let us pay homage to Bukhari.
This is a great occasion to reflect that 'people's voice' counts and if some politicians have admitted that
facing an election in Nagaland would be tough unless Solution comes; this is a grand victory. But only - part one!
The battle is won, the war is ahead. Nagaland's cry for a Solution and a peace offensive ought to be respected.
Time for civil society to show their power; people's power.
Does Government of India require a mediator state government to talk to any underground outfit any more?
ends
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| Naga rebel leaders in China: 1960s |
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