Oting-Indian army legal case helps Rio revive his survival instinct
"Night is darkest before a bright dawn. Oting people have passed through the darkness"
New Delhi
It goes without stating that Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio is under tremendous pressure since June due to multiple factors especially the defeat of NDPP candidate in the Lok Sabha polls.
There are other challenges too. Does the NDPP led by Chingwang Konyak, also a former Congressman, stand exposed of political double standards for alleged nexus with the Opposition alliance?Was Supongmeren's victory really a 'gift' for Rahul Gandhi ?
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| Oting Village: Old Church |
As it is there is a strong anti-incumbency against the NDPP-led opposition-less dispensation. The state government is facing a financial crunch and the handling of Eastern Nagaland has been found far from wanting.
Hence this legal case related to the Oting incident of 2021 where 14 lives were lost and the Supreme Court now has issued notices to the Ministry of Defence and the Union Home Ministry has helped or given an opportunity to the Chief Minister to revive the good old survival instinct.
There are other problems too. One may call them as pitfalls of the 'Opposition-less politics' -- that ispressure to accommodate all MLAs or all parties as ministers.
If there were some suggestions that he could even dump 12 BJP MLAs and enlist support of other parties such as NPP, NCP, RPI, NPF and LJP(Ram Vilas) - they were not without good reasons. But Rio's problem is Narendra Modi is back as the Prime Minister and his confidant Amit Shah is again the same Home Minister. Any misadventures will not be appreciated.
The joke in Delhi is that Rio's predicament has resulted in some confusion among security apparatus inDimapur airport for the last one month -- when will the Chief Minister fly to Delhi !! Dates are being allegedly fixed and then postponed.
New Delhi may not be very happy with the latest legal development vis-a-vis the Oting case
The native Konyaks of Oting village in development-starved Mon district not far from the international border with Myanmar, are now trying to come out of the worst period of darkness in their life.
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| Oting: On spot interaction with villagers and soldiers: Feb 2024 |
Their village had courted ill fate and controversy on Dec. 4, 2021, when a botched-up military operation killed coal mine workers and injured some mistaking them for militants.
Of course on the face value -- prima facie it appears to be a routine legal recourse being taken by the state government. As of now there may not be any political angle in it that is in the context of NDPP-BJP relations.Analysts may also suggest that the beleaguered state government apparatus in Kohima may now try again to regain confidence of Konyaks.
There is already a shady backdrop of mistrust vis-a-vis ENPO issue. The fact that this eastern region in Nagaland is staying away from polls only augurs future challenges and somewhat a more complex battle field politically.
But it is also true the stage is back with the old anti-Delhi or rather anti-India sentiment..
Can Rio now try to 'reshape' his image especially after the Lok Sabha defeat accidental or otherwise ?
I have visited Oting twice after the botched up operation -- April 2023 and February 2024.
"The anger and pain is still there, but we have decided to move on," said one villager.
"We have heard the night is the darkest before a bright dawn. We have passed through the darkness and are now waiting for the morning," remarked another gentleman - a retired schoolmaster Nahpo Konyak.
"The agony is far from over,” said 37-year-old Tingshen.
"Assam Rifles took corrective steps for the crime done by paratroopers. Nobody in the village was initially willing to talk to any personnel or officers from Indian forces. But life has to move on,” said Tingshen who was rendered handicapped in the gory incident.
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| One young Oting villager: Keen to explore future |
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