Nagaland is a dry State however with the February 27 Assembly election marketing campaign gaining momentum, a ladies’s organisation in Phek district has set up test gates to prohibit the circulate of liquor supplied as inducement to voters during the ballot course of.
Phek is occupied by Chakhesang and Pochury tribes having 5 Assembly constituencies with 4 seats within the Chakhesang space and in addition has some villages within the Meluri constituency of the Pochury tribe.
Concerned concerning the ill-effects of liquor and in addition liquor supplied as inducement during the Assembly elections, the womenfolk of the Chakhesang Naga tribe underneath the Chakhesang Mothers’ Association (CMA) have put up round 100 test factors of their space, Zhonelü Tunyi, president of the CMA, the apex physique of womenfolk for the Chakhesang group in Phek district, informed PTI right here.
“During elections the flow of liquor as inducement is very high while many people get into physical fights and clashes in support of candidates, becoming enemies and even leading to killing.
“Therefore, our principal goal is to have a free, honest and inducement-free election with the expectation that when such circulate of inducements is stopped, folks will stay sober and keep away from moving into conflicts,” she said.
Also during elections, once people get drunk without being shameful they repeatedly ask money from candidates and political leaders, she said.
Responsibilities at home
Accepting that the flow of liquor continues even during other times, she said “we’re additionally moms and have our personal obligations at dwelling and private work as effectively making it troublesome for us to preserve the checks all year long, however during election interval the circulate of liquor will increase manifold for inducing voters”.
When asked about the CMA putting up check gates to restrict flow of liquor in the district, police said such moral policing was appreciated but the enforcers should not take the law into their hands and report issues directly to them.
The CMA feels that if people remain in proper sense, such skirmishes can be avoided and the electioneering process will be peaceful, she said.
“We are having sleepless nights as a result of we wish our society and future generations to be higher,” said Ms. Tunyi.
It is not only about the highways and main roads where the vehicles are being stopped for frisking but the womenfolk have set up bamboo check-gates in their own village entry points as well, she said.
“We are getting help from all of the 80 villages whereas villages having borders with different districts and even neighbouring Manipur State has 3-4 checkpoints,” Ms. Tunyi said.
Thousands of mothers are engaged in the process, she said.
Ms. Tunyi claimed that even the Pochury Mothers Association in the Meluri constituency, while appreciating the CMA for their initiatives, has expressed willingness to start such check gates.
Asked if every vehicle entering the Chakhesang region is checked, she said, “Yes, besides the District Magistrate and Surveillance Team, all autos together with that of candidates and political occasion leaders and employees in addition to police autos not on election obligation are being checked”.
Accepting that such action should be from district administration and police, she, however, said the CMA had sought permission from the administration on the ground that they are doing so for the general welfare and for a peaceful and inducement-free elections.
She claimed that even the election office has been appreciative of the CMA initiatives because it concerns all.
Reported to police
Asked if they destroy the seized liquor on the spot, she said huge illegal consignments in terms of cases requiring case registration are reported to the police upholding the law while those carrying small quantity for self consumption are destroyed on the spot.
Having started in 2003, the flow of liquor during this election has been less then 2018 elections, she claimed.
“The amount of liquor seized and destroyed was very excessive in 2018 elections to the extent of seizing up to 10 circumstances from one car however this time it’s a lot lesser,” she mentioned.
Ms. Tunyi claimed that their apex physique Chakhesang Public Organisation and different frontal organisations together with Chakhesang Students Union, Chakhesang Youth Front, Chakhesang Clean Election Movement, Chakhesang Women Welfare Society in addition to the district administration, church buildings, legislation implementing businesses have been very supportive in direction of the present alcohol-free drive of the CMA.
The Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act has been in power since 1989.
During a latest press convention, Nagaland Director-General of Police Rupin Sharma had mentioned such ethical policing was appreciated however the enforcers mustn’t take the legislation into their palms and report points immediately to the police.
State election officers mentioned that until Friday, 71,334.824 litres of liquor, ₹4,06,44,495 in money and medicines and narcotics price ₹31,30,44,530 and freebies and different gadgets price ₹3,90,79,640 had been seized after the mannequin of conduct got here into power.
