For people in Nagaland, the year 2017 will be remembered as the most restive period which began with mass state-wide agitations followed by the tragic killing of two youths in a police firing and the most poignant scene of Kohima burning on the night of February 2, 2017.
If the DAN did an about-turn on November 24, 2016 by revoking the September 22, 2012 resolution on 33% women reservation, it again did a U-turn when on December 15, 2017 the house revoked the November 24, 2016 resolution as demanded by the various public organisations.
Though the JACWR had withdrawn from the Special Leave Petition (SLP) it filed in the Supreme Court for 33% women reservation, yet the People Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has been impleaded in its place.
The fall-out of the agitation and loss of lives was the change of guard where regional political veteran Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu was made the chief minister after T.R.Zeliang had to step down.
In a history of sorts Dr.Shürhozelie went to the bypolls as chief minister but when he won he had already been sacked from office by the Governor on July 19 after losing support of a majority of NPF legislators.
As chief minister Dr.Shürhozelie Liezietsu presided over his cabinet which withdrew recognition to Rongmei as indigenous tribe of Nagaland on June 3, 2017. This was a burning issue among tribes of Nagaland.
NPF also created history when the party split with a group led by its president Dr. Shürhozelie with 11 legislators on one side and the chief minister T.R.Zeliang with 37 legislators on the other side. It was a strange equation of a party which had no government and a government which had no party.
The 12th NLA has witnessed three chief ministers being sworn-in and as many reshuffles of ministry. The ‘trioka’ comprising of three-time chief minister and Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio, present chief minister T.R.Zeliang( who has been sworn-in twice since 2014) and NPF president (since 2005 and briefly chief minister from February 22 to July 19)-have been the factors for the changing equations within NPF.
T.R.Zeliang joined hands with Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio to counter one-time patron Dr.Shürhozelie.However, the marriage of convenience lasted for hardly five months and presently T.R.Zeliang and Dr.Shürhozelie have reconciled.
The state police was also rocked by a huge scam widely reported in the national media when IT sleuths in Kochi unearthed unaccounted money worth Rs. 400 crore from a firm- Sreevalsam Group- owned by MKR Pillai and his family. Pillai was re-employed as consultant at PHQ after retirement as Add.SP.
Dr.Shürhozelie as chief minister had asked for CBI probe on Pillai but after he demitted office nothing had been heard.
The other issues that have been in public domain involved blatant corruption and irregularities in the high echelons of the government as highlighted by Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) and ACAUT Nagaland. Funds allocated twice to one project and also full payments made for less than 25% of works done and also questionable payments made in various government departments have yet to see positive response from the government.
The state is scheduled to go for election sometime at the end of February 2018 but the confusion within political parties is rife as the cycle of crisis within NPF has seriously eroded public confidence in the elected members. Even so, the demand by the elected members and also the house resolution to the government of India for an early solution and in anticipation, to postpone election has only added to the confusion.
The death of veteran Naga nationalist from Myanmar and leader of NSCN(K) S.S.Khaplang on June 9, 2017 and election of Khango Konyak as the chairman NSCN(K) on June 21, 2017 were also another major development in Naga national politics.
As Nagaland welcomes 2018 with all unresolved issues, the outcome of the expected election in February 2018 will show who the people trust to take care of their problems.