Nagaland Governor R.N.Ravi has reportedly asked the chief minister Neiphiu Rio to take action on the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India for the year ending March 31,2019 which was tabled on the floor of the house at the recently concluded 8th session. However, whether the Governor’s wish becomes the chief minister’s command, is a moot point. Both the Governor and the chief minister have different concepts shaped by their different backgrounds. Rio is a seasoned and hardboiled politician, having climbed his way from the grass root. Rio joined politics in the early 70s and till date continues to remain in active politics. On the other hand, the Governor R.N.Ravis is a professional civil servant, recruited into the IPS in 1976 and in service for 36 years till his superannuation in 2012. Both chief minister Nephiu Rio(currently 71) and R.N.Ravi( currently 69) are almost of the same age group. The Governor’s expressed demand on the chief minister for action on the CAG report also comes at a time of souring of relationship between the two heads of the state’s executive and legislative pillars of democracy. The Governor, understandably views matters from a bureaucrat’s perspective, especially as one who served and retired as Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau. He was picked up by the newly elected Modi government as the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee and again made the Interlocutor for the Naga political talks in August 29,2014. Ravi was also given charge as Deputy National Security Advisor of India on October 5, 2018. His handling of the Naga issue was appreciated by the Modi government after the signing of the Framework Agreement on August 3,2015 with NSCN(I-M) and subsequently, the Agreed Position with the 7-member Working Committee of the NNPGs on November 17,2017. Ravi was appointed as Governor of Nagaland on July 20,2019 while continuing to function as the Interlocutor. The cases of anomalies detected in several government departments, indicating highly corrupt acts may have led the Governor to seek the chief minister’s intervention. It is true that corruption in the state has become systematized over the past several decades. It is also true that no high ranking government official has ever been held accountable and punished; except the junior officers, who are reinstated without losing their seniority and promotion. Among the current crop of leaders, it may be said that the present chief minister is among the few veteran politicians and also created a record by becoming the chief minister on four occasions (2003-08; 2008-13 and 2014-May 24,2014 and 2018 till date. Corruption in Nagaland is no longer shocking as people have learnt to take it in their stride. In Hindi there is a saying that ‘whoever goes to Lanka (mythological kingdom) becomes Ravana(demon king). Therefore, CAG reports are at best only reminders of how the system has been overcome by those who dare defy the rules and who probably do so under the patronage or tutelage of their political masters. The Governor and chief minister need to work in tandem in order to provide direction or a semblance of such, in a state where political talks have thrown out of gear logic and overshadowed other no less critical issues.
Leave a Reply