People fight against corruption but don’t change themselves, says Kevechutso Doulo

Our Correspondent

Kohima, May 28 (EMN): Chairman of Nagaland Empowerment of People through Economic Development (NEPED), Kevechutso Doulo on Saturday said that change should start from each and every individual in order to eradicate corruption in the society.

He said this while addressing the first general conference of Combined Technical Association of Nagaland (CTAN) on the theme “Equal opportunity in employment”, held at the State Academy Hall in Kohima.

He lamented that people fight against corruption but don’t change themselves. He stressed on the need for honesty in one’s dealings and endeavours, like saying no to age tampering, bogus drawing of scholarships, availing welfare benefits meant for specific categories etc.

Doulo also said that there are too many organisations and unions in the Naga society with too many “governments” but without governance.

He said Naga society is fragmented into pieces even though everyone talks about being Nagas but failed to live as one.

When an issue arise, everyone becomes tribesmen first, forgetting to live as a Naga, he said, while calling upon the people to come out of selfishness and greed. ‘If not there cannot be justice and equality,’ he added.

Pointing out that Nagaland is a land of opportunity, he challenged the gathering to be assets to the society who innovate, produce and contribute in the building of the society and the nation.

The CTAN would be a big caravan for justice, truth, equality that would liberate the people, he added.

Equal opportunity and its misuse

President of Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO), Kezhokhoto Savi, who was also one of the resource persons of the event, said equal opportunity is a government policy to ensure that no employers discriminate employees and job applicants.

Savi, who is also an advocate and Assistant Professor at Kohima Law College, highlighted the constitutional provisions of ‘equality’ enshrined in Article 14 of the Indian Constitution and equality of opportunity related to public employment guaranteed in Article 16.

While maintaining that corruption is anti-national, anti-poor, and anti-economic development, citing the situation in the state, he said the CTAN has been fighting for clean, transparent and accountable government.

He went on to ask if the government is adhering to the constitutional provisions by giving all eligible candidates a fair chance to compete in the recruitment process. “If not, then it falls under the category of ‘backdoor appointment’,” he said.

The social activist also said that the fight against backdoor appointment is to mete out justice by ensuring ‘equality of appointment in matters of public appointment’ to the people and bring about positive change in public administration as well as achieve the goals laid down in the constitution.

He added that it is also a fight against all the employed who were recruited in various departments, by-passing the constitutional scheme of public employment through modus operandi of illegal, backdoor, contractual, ad hoc, casual, temporary, deputation and irregular modes of appointment collusion between the bureaucracy and the politicians.

Earlier in the programme, CTAN Convenor, Meshenlo Kath delivered the welcome address, while AECEN president Kaqheto Kughutiilimi presented a statistical report, wherein he informed the gathering that CTAN has 2557 members with 262 posts having reached NPSC, 72 gazette posts occupied through backdoor, and 116 gazette posts were requisitioned to NPSC, which is under process.