Need of the Hour: Not a doctor, engineer, JAC or another faction but, an honest politician

Oinam Khuman Ngakpa & Babina Wahengbam *

We always wanted to be someone who sits inside the AC in suits and sarees; talks in American accented English, move around the foreign locals and pursue our own selfish goals and careers. At best, we would write something for our motherland or contribute few thousands generously to someone for a social cause.

The point is, the frame of mind of today’s youth is tuned in such a way that their aim is to study well, earn well and lead a good life with a good family. They don't think of politics as a career option at all. That's the mindset now. Perhaps, for the same reason private schools which accounts for largest number of students at high and higher secondary level are least interested in imbibing such culture and ambition. Perhaps, for the same reason very few good students who love the institute stand for college / school election. Perhaps, for the same reason there are only a countable number of highly qualified and educated politicians in the state in so many years.

We assumed that there will be always someone to run our motherland and left it in the hands of those knowingly they will at best create anarchy or chaos. In the past five to six decades there was none who could do something very right for the state. None of the government that ruled the state did anything which was outstanding and could be remembered. Instead, the politicians jumped from one party to another in search of power and money. Money which is the basic means of survival has rather become the selfish goal for the politicians to build castles for themselves and let the common man survive on tattering infrastructures.

The line for water has become longer, the number of hours in load shedding is record long, the roads are filled with potholes, a little drizzle is enough to flood many places, the corruption is rampant, the unemployment and under-employment has touched sky high, encounter happens daily, every job demands a shameless price to be given, job creation is painfully low, many family has lost their sons and daughters - some to guns and some to in search of jobs for survival, etc. but, we the common man have learnt to adjust the situation. Still we insist that our sons and daughters should become only engineers and doctors.

Perhaps, we have forgotten that it is the politician who can change the fate of the state and not the doctors, engineers, JACs or so-called numerous freedom fighters who have lost their ideology. We blame everything to the government. From so called encounter to poor roads, the government is the punching bag. We complained that the state is rotting but, we never wanted to take part in the political affairs of the state and are least bothered about how the state is governed. At the most, we would write something sitting in AC room saying that things are rotting and wrong. Who are we to complain when we have problem to be the part of the change? Morally, we also play a part in decomposing the wonderful motherland into something like war-raven state by running away from our duties and responsibilities. It takes lot of courage to stand up to do this and we don’t have the courage and strength. Worst part, we hate to admit but, love to criticize.

"Agar Gandhiji beta beta, biwi biwi kehkar ghar pe baithe rehte to tum aaj kisi angrej ka letrin saaf kar rahe hote". The line is quoted from movie Nayak. I hope the above line may inspire some of us to jump into the gutter and part of the cleansing system. "If people are happy with their 20K salary job, and live an ordinary life, then who will come out and bring the change?" – another dialogue from the same movie (translated to English). This hits hard enough to all of us if you have even an iota of love left for your motherland.

There are two types of human if you watch it closely. One who will criticize, bark all the time like a dog and one who initiates the change. We are like a kind of dog who keeps on barking on everything and everywhere – saying this is right or wrong. But, we always wanted to stay away from being the part of the change system.

We idolized Che Guevara but, we hate to admit that they also fall short of their own dreams. We have forgotten that there was also Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela who took part in the change system by leading the country as Head of the Country. We have enough of Guevaras who are hiding in bushes of hills and far away countries. Now we need people like Fidel Castro, Lincoln, Martin or Nelson who stands and speak up, to represent the voices of the poor and the weak.

Agreed that we have lost faith in the current political system where corruptions, chamcha-giri are widespread. It will take lot of courage and determination to bring in a change where everyone will start having more faith in the system. The path will be full of problems; every turn will bring a new challenge to overcome. But, unless we don’t take the path now, it will be too late for the next generation. The next generation will be left with nothing if we decided to close our eyes, ears and fail to stand up at this time.

The need for you to be part of the political system has come not because everything is fine, smooth and route is well defined. But, because the gutter has stopped flowing and has become standstill since it is filled with all kinds of dirt you can simply imagine. Someone needs to pull up the sleeves and go down the gutter to cleanse without minding how dirty it will make him. It may be noted that many of America's leaders enter politics from other arenas-business and law being the two most common. Though, politics as a profession has fallen out of favor but it is still the heart of a democracy. If you learn how to fashion a political career then perhaps you can become a generation of professional politicians who run things differently.

The path is not meant of soft hearted people like you who will prefer to stay away. It is for those who have the courage and determination to do so. Maybe even Rambo will fall short for such tasks. We need to awake the hero inside every one of us to bring a change because change is never easy how small it is.

If you still think that there will be someone else to remove the dirt while you are sitting in AC room far away then stop cribbing and stay silent because you are not worth to say or write anything. States are not moral agents, people are, and can impose moral standards on powerful institutions. What are the moral standards that we have set? What have we done to encourage 'good' politicians and kick out the bad ones? These are questions that can be easily asked but so tough to answer.

Development can take place only when there is change in the system which is in the hands of the politicians. The power of a politician is immense and if used properly for the welfare of the people can cleanse the dirt. The very law that binds the person in power from making the changes can be amended with a little effort by going beyond the selfish goals. But the very first step to remove the dirt is to replace the bad politicians with good ones.

There’s no bad politics. There are only bad politicians. True, that power corrupts people but power can also correct the people. The person in power makes all the difference. So let’s fight for the chair instead of picking up a gun if we really want growth in our state.