Acknowledging the initiative taken up by Naga Tribe Union Chumukedima Town (NTUCT) and other organisations regarding alleged backdoor appointment under home department, Lotha Hoho Dimapur (LHD) urged civil society organisations to check all departments as all were more or less equally corrupt.
Reiterating its stand against any form of corruption, particularly on the issue of backdoor appointments in all State government departments, the union in a statement issued through its chairman YL Jami and general secretary W Rainbow Ngullie called for being consistently vocal about the backdoor appointment in all departments and not be selective and target home department alone in order for the benefit of unemployed youth as well. And if what NTUCT had alleged was based on facts, LHD said this would be a repeat of the past when such backdoor appointments were made in almost all departments.
Applauding the initiatives of Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) and civil society organisations (CSOs) to check all forms of backdoor appointments in public sector, LHD urged the government to formulate proactive policies to check the menace of illegal appointments and other irregularities. It observed that Naga society, particularly the educated youth, of late was confronted with the prevailing social injustice in the hands of a few autocratic policy makers.
The apex Lotha body of Dimapur blamed the ill to the government’s failure to take appropriate corrective measures and leaving the irregularities unchecked. It called for a realistic and practical approach while curbing the menace.
Announcing full support to the concern of various CSOs and student bodies and their intention to collectively fight all forms of backdoor appointment, LHD emphasised passing a strong legislation against endemic political corruption by building a mass network of support. Publicity about misdeeds of the departments and imposition of social sanctions were the best ways to deter corruption, it suggested.
The union alleged that no department was immune to corruption. Pointing out that backdoor appointment posed one of the biggest threats to unemployed youth, it appealed to all departments to stop making illegal appointments.
Admitting that fighting corruption and mis-governance was a challenge that required political will and persistent efforts on many fronts, the statement explained that it began with continuously strengthening institutions to promote integrity and accountability in which people’s cooperation and participation were necessary.
The State government was responsible for dealing with departments that engaged in unethical practices through introduction of appropriate legislation to reduce or check corrupt practices, the statement added.
Lotha Hoho Dimapur said tolerance of people towards corruption and absence of a powerful outcry paved the way for corruption. Hence, unless there was a moral awakening among the people, it would be difficult to curb corruption and social injustice prevailing in the State, it added, pointing out that the government or CSOs alone would not be able to tackle corruption.
“Only through our joint efforts can the risk of corruption be mitigated,” it added.
Asserting that CSOs’ involvement was central to building confidence and integrity, LHD said government efforts would fail when confidence and support of civil society was absent. So it was essential to develop broad coalitions supporting reform. The potential partner in Civil Society must be one the government feels comfortable with to enhance inspiration, it explained.
The Lotha body suspected that factors contributing to illegal backdoor appointments could be favouritism, nepotism, etc, adding the government should not be blamed alone.
“We are living in a society where corruption and backdoor appointments are so common that it looks like normal and right,” it pointed out.
LHD cautioned that completely stamping out corruption in the departments would be an unattainable goal as long as the society accepted corruption as something normal and right. Starting from kitchens, it added that corruption was everywhere – churches, local organisations and bureaucracy.
As there was not a single department that was free from making backdoor appointments, the Lotha apex body emphasised that the issue of illegal backdoor appointment should not be confined to a particular department alone. Welcoming the demand of NSF for setting-up Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB), it said this was certainly a positive move in streamlining the prevailing corrupt practice of appointment.