'Eight or Eighty do not matter: Greed matters'
New Delhi
The feminists of our era will never appreciate the statement from a former Eastern Nagaland legislator about men and women. He had his unique charm with Nagamese.
But one liners like these reflect some grievances of the people. We are not referring to any particular meeting of Jan 17th, nor are we talking about New Delhi, Kohima, Kathmandu or California in particular.
Bangjak Phom's remarks keep haunting some of us who feel we are very meek and helpless.But it is a given thing that 'men' must show guts. But timidity is also human natureand one need not be 'feminine' to be meek. Meekness is also linked to otherweaknesses such as greed and temptation. What's going around is certainly not good.
The spirit of doing something for the community is 'missing'. The game is to hijackthe plot and help the master. "Do not correct a fool or he will hate you, correct a wise man and he will appreciate you," it seems the 'manly' Bruce Lee had said so.
If one is dealing a lot on 'manliness' stuff. Here is a fable from my journalism experience.
I have intimately worked with two women bosses so far. Naz Javed of UNI in New Delhi andof course Monalisa Changkija of your's truly, 'Nagaland Page'. They are two ladies I have knownas bold people. Mona jis are not around even in her community, I could be easily told.
Now Fable 2. One villager from a village between Tsemeniyu and Kohima landed in Dimapurand he lost cool with some people. Suddenly, he decides to bash up the Bihari helpless rickshawallah.
The Bihari babu gauges the situation. Smartly, he says, "Sir, I am with Janata Dal - U".Our village man changes colour and he says, "Oh really, then you are against President's Rule...Then you are with us. We are most sincere about Nagaland today. We are sincere about Constitution also. Election is the first step to reconquer anything. Why President's Rule? We cannot become jobless. We come first, and our will shall prevail".
Let’s admit it. The system and theories are all perpetuated and designed by the elites -- rich and powerful -a combo with Chinese guns and Indian currencies - to serve their own narrow interests. Others would just follow the line. Eight or eighty do not matter.
Fable 3, and it's yet again very personal. A friend of mine said he wants his son to become a doctor. My querywas how things are being prepared, he shot back, "He goes to Temple regularly to pray". I still arguedbut is that good enough?
"Yes, I have some friends and their children also became doctors and engineers. They prayed and willcontinue to pray". I failed to argue with him that had prayers in churches and temples helped humanity and brought sanity and 'less corruption', the world would be different na ?
Suddenly, I remember --- Niccolo Machiavelli and his quote: “First method of estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him".
The war is on, a small battle may be over. It wasn't 'A' against Mr B. Those who believe in some principles and cherish to do something for people and legacy will say, the battle is a campaign of democracy against elites of guns and currencies.
In West Bengal politics, the BJP rightly used the word 'syndicate'.
Today, a fiction writer or a political biographer can think of two suitable titles - one, 'Nagaland: A moment in history as Cowardice and Greed Triumph'. And the second one will be a thriller. 'Wet Blankets: Chaos upside down'.
Fable 4. The Bravery award goes to 'XYZ.....' and the winner is the 'man' who says, "Plain manu journalist from New Delhi should not poke his nose".
Finally, political dictum.Critics of politics in general often complain that ‘politics’ encourages and promotes the art of ‘self-interest’. But one irony about politics is that it often comes back to haunt the political class and leadership. Thus, an error of the past often actually becomes a legacy, but hard to shoulder. The Congress party knows about its Emergency.... when the empress was always right.
Now a 'prince' of a businessman's family in north east Indian state is also always right to many. January 18th might have brought some smiles. What's the price?
But crushing the democratic desires and its impact is just beyond the control of the man and his eight or even 18 saviors.
Road underneath our feet can often give a lesson. As one path comes to an end; you will find another one has joined in -- take a pause, and when you also take a turn, the new path seems to have turned with you.The journey should go in right earnest.
Tail piece:
'Hotel Mohenjodaro' is a classic fiction by Ghulam Abbas wherein he shows the danger the reactionary practitioners of obsolete pose to the future. A devastating irony happens when unenlightened men claim total knowledge and control of both the spiritual and temporal needs of the society.
ends
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