Today (19 April 2024), over 13 lakh Naga voters will exercise their right to choose the person to represent them in the Parliament in New Delhi. This number is including almost 4 lakh electorates from Eastern Nagaland, which is around 30% of total voters.

The Lok Sabha election has never seen such enthusiasm. “The representatives to both houses of Parliament are pre-decided.” “The ruling party’s candidate always wins.” “Nobody is bothered for the MP elections.” “Nagaland’s one seat will not make an impact.” These are common sayings in Nagaland and maybe also in other states with just one or two Parliamentary seats.

However, the atmosphere for the 2024 General Elections to the 18th Lok Sabha is not like before due to the myriads of allegations of the Congress Party against its rival Party, the BJP. A feeling of ‘Do or Die’ seems to have reached even our small State and this time, there is a shift in thought that even our one representative may make a difference.

Traumatized by years of conflict and insecurity, the Naga adult population is mentally tired of politicians and political parties using this trauma to win favours. In spite of this, we record the highest voter turnout. Why? It is not because we trust promises or the people making them but mostly because of our unwavering faith in the future.

This election too there are several anxieties regarding tomorrow’s polling – there is distrust of politicians and political parties, distrust of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), fear of manipulations, fear of goons lurking around polling stations, fear of whether we can finally say ‘No!’ to tempting cash, and many more.

Despite of all these apprehensions, today too, led by our faith in goodness in the society and the system and faith in better days in the future, the Naga people will once again go to the polling stations and cast our votes, not just for ourselves but for the next generations.

That is the legacy of the Naga people, not the trauma but the perseverance and most of all, ‘FAITH’.