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Nagaland Politics
Heading for a Battle Royale
Swati Deb
“Perused the records produced by the acting Registrar of North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) and the Principal Kohima College…..pertaining to educational qualification of respondent T R Zeliang. The records showed that Taditui Zeliang appeared in BA Exam in 1979, bearing Roll No. 598, but failed in all subjects,” ran the order from magisterial court in Kohima of Tucuno Vamuzo.
The court order also says that Taditui Zeliang - that is the incumbent Nagaland Chief Minister - did not appear the 1980 exam next year. That means educational qualification of BA degree as claimed by T R Zeliang in his election papers in 2013 is questionable and at worse false.
True, there is no constitutional bar in the country for an under graduate to be the Chief Minister. But the controversy pertains to filing of “false affidavit” by the Chief Minister Zeliang, first among his minority tribesmen Zeliangs among Nagas, while filing nominations for the 2013 state assembly elections.
The magisterial court had summoned Zeliang for appearance in the court. Now this has been put on stay by the Gauhati High Court, which will hear the case on January 20, 2016. This court case has now eventually come as a blessing for the anti-Zeliang camp in the state. It’s rightly said that, rebellion or ‘the political headhunting’ is like a regular political sports in Nagaland or other Northeastern states. Arunachal Pradesh crisis is an instant example. So the on-going dissidence game against Chief Minister Zeliang is nothing new.
Even otherwise rebels are working overtime now for about 8 months against the Chief Minister Zeliang, who has apparently struck a good working rapport with the BJP central leadership including the powerful Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Dissidence in Nagaland had started earlier this year when about 20 MLAs and a section of Nagaland BJP launched a move against the Chief Minister.
Zeliang survived at that time – partly due to the blessing of BJP central leadership, partly his calculative politics and partly his good luck as he became a beneficiary of ‘no viable alternative’ factor!
In an unprecedented political move during February 5 trial of strength, Zeliang had mustered the support of 59 legislators in the 60-member House and at one point of time both BJP and Congress MLAs were supporting the incumbent Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister’s camp is again on a combative mood and has rubbished the allegations of false degree and described these only “political moves” to destabilise the state government. “The peace talks between the centre and the NSCN(IM) is at advance stage. Any effort to bring in political instability at this juncture could harm the peace process,” said a source close to the Chief Minister.
But in November 2015 the dissidence again revived close on the heels of the merger of 8 Congress legislators in Nagaland with the regional outfit NPF, the party Zeliang belongs to.
With the merger of 8 Congress MLAs - including the likes of C.Apok Jamir and SI Jamir (relatives of veteran politician and Odisha Governor SC Jamir) with the NPF, the regional party’s strength has gone to 46 in the 60-member House. “But this move has unnerved many prominent NPF leaders.....We are in touch with 4 BJP MLAs and one each from JD(U) and NCP besides 8 independents so that Zeliang’s anti-people policies are exposed,” a dissident leader
said.
“Some of the sitting members of Nagaland assembly have already taken up the cudgel against the Chief Minister. His policies are anti-Naga and he could also sabotage the on-going peace process,” another dissident MLA and a former Minister in the Zeliang ministry said.
T R Zeliang – generally a low-profile among Naga politicians – has served with veteran Naga politicians like S C Jamir in the past. But he has been an underdog and was only “hand-picked” by NPF president Shurhozelie to replace former Chief Minister Rio himself – when the latter moved to Delhi as MP in May 2014.
NPF insiders say Rio was reluctant to hand over the baton to Zeliang and instead preferred veteran regionalist Noke Konyak as his successor. “As per the compromise formula, Rio instead had suggested that T R Zeliang be made Deputy Chief Minister and given Finance portfolio,” sources said.
Thus Rio and Zeliang fought over within months since May 2014 – after T R Zeliang became Chief Minister. By January 2015, the dissidence activities mounted and a concerted effort was made to replace Zeliang.
In New Delhi – Home ministry officials smelt ‘tribalism’ game as a Sema legislator Kaito was pushed forward by the rebel camp.
But in February 5, 2015 historic trial of strength, Zeliang won the crucial trial of strength with 59 MLAs in the 60-member House voting in his favour at the one-day special session of the Assemblyend the month-long crisis. The special session of the Assembly was summoned by Governor P B Acharya in order to settle the internal squabbling within the ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF) as 22 out of 38 of its legislators openly rebelled against Zeliang’s leadership.
“Our mindsets must change, our attitude must change. We must ensure that we put the common good above all personal interest,” Zeliang said moving the one-line motion in the assembly.
These looked very rosy till T R Zeliang found himself embroiled in a litigation of fake degree case.
Over to Chubatoshi Jamir ?
But anti-Zeliang camp is now essentially being anchored by Neiphiu Rio. But for his part, Rio does not want to come forward and display his ambitions about going back to the state politics. However, a source close to him recently confided with a select group of newspersons in Delhi, “In Indian power-politics game only three people are most powerful, PM – the Prime Minister, DM – the District Magistrate and CM – the Chief Minister”.
It could be a joke and at the same time a glimpse to the inner mind of the camp vis-à-vis Neiphiu Rio.
“They also get hints that S C Jamir will be back soon as tenure as Odisha Governor is about to end. Moreover, Jamir born in 1931 and the age of 84 feels he must rehabilitate his son Apok Jamir in the state politics,” said a party leader.
Certainly veteran Jamir finds the stage favourable for him to plunge into the political war once again. To testify this argument, one former Nagaland Minister and onetime die-hard loyalist of Jamir, says point blank, “S C Jamir had said many years back when he was shot in Delhi that politicians never retire. He is a man of verb and Nagaland politics would have been less colourful without our Jamir sahab”.
Personally too – an old-war-horse Jamir has reasons to play the game yet again – even as his wife is reluctant about such moves. Neiphiu Rio had handed over Jamir a stunning defeat in a fierce by-election in Aonglenden assembly segment in 2011. Later in 2013 assembly elections, wherein Jamir also campaigned aggressively, Congress lost miserably. While Rio created a record to return as Chief Minister for third stint, the Congress strength was reduced to single digit 8 – the lowest ever in Congress history in Nagaland.
Rio himself must be aware of these machinations of his onetime political guru and mentor, S C Jamir. The game has just begun – a battle royale is awaited.
