Monday, July 17, 2017

HOW DEMOCRACY WORKS AND WHY WE CAN CHANGE IT


Mitt Romney was a failed Republican candidate because of various reasons but during his campaign, an interesting reality of how democracy works emerged. And as Sir Winston Churchill once said, "Many forms of government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others that have been tried from time to time."

True. Democracy has many flaws and it is very bad when it is misused. And it has clear vulnerabilities.

In 2012, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney's failing chances of getting elected got worse in the middle of the presidential election season when his remarks at a private fundraiser about the truth of the relationship between certain voters and the government was leaked. He spoke the truth but the truth he spoke, in large part, wrecked his campaign because it hurt the sentiments of the masses whose relationship with the government was exposed. In democracy, votes matter. And Romney's remarks did not win him more votes.

Romney said, "There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with [Barack Obama], who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it. That that’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. And I mean, the president starts off with 48, 49, 48—he starts off with a huge number. These are people who pay no income tax. Forty-seven percent of Americans pay no income tax. So our message of low taxes doesn’t connect. And he’ll be out there talking about tax cuts for the rich. I mean that’s what they sell every four years. And so my job is not to worry about those people—I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives. What I have to do is convince the 5 to 10 percent in the center that are independents that are thoughtful, that look at voting one way or the other depending upon in some cases emotion, whether they like the guy or not, what it looks like. I mean, when you ask those people…we do all these polls—I find it amazing—we poll all these people, see where you stand on the polls, but 45 percent of the people will go with a Republican…"

Basically, Romney observed that to the roughly 47% of Americans who do not pay any income tax, his campaign about not raising taxes would really not matter because for them, high or low income tax rates make no difference!

What drove the liberals and Democrats nuts was what he said about the 47% of people in America who are dependent upon the government for part or all of their livelihood - food, shelter, education and clothing. He was right; no matter what he campaigned on, there was a solid group of people who would ALWAYS vote for Obama because Obama represented the system that allowed them to continue depending on the government and the government, in turn, depended on them for votes. Yes, votes really matter in politics.

Romney calls these folks "victims" of the government because they almost entirely depend on the government for livelihood and the government knows when to attract their attention as if it cares for them when, in reality, it uses them to get elected.

Last week, Zoram Exodus Movement leader K.Sapdanga noted at a public meeting that in next year's election, we will have to choose

- Whether we want to be self-sufficient or be content with freebies from the government.
- Whether we want more of the same or a new path.
- Whether we want to live poor but relaxed or rich and hardworking.
- Whether we want a strong collective and accountable leadership or another autocratic rule that people don't even dare to question, much less change.

In democracy, it is not always the competent that have the upper hand. Often, it is the lowlifes that rule. Unfortunately, the system often allows for lovers of power and lovers-of-themselves to win elections and voters often fail to recognise the perpetual entrapment. And every five years, we keep repeating the same mistake.

This destructive system of governance can only end when we the people, the voters, wake up and demand accountability and competent leadership that truly works to lift us out of dependency and into self-sufficiency.

According to political and judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano, "Dependency breeds a sense of complacency and entitlement and fosters a government that -- in order to stay in power -- will further that dependency. Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton agreed on little publicly, but they did agree that when the public treasury becomes a public trough and the voters recognize that, they will send to the government only those who promise them a bigger piece of the government pie."

This is how democracy usually works, unfortunately. But we can elect people who will not simply promise a bigger share of the government pie next year but those who will lift us out of the economic mud and mire we are in.

Guess what government programs have not lifted the masses out of poverty? The New Land Use Policy. And guess which party is trying to out-do the Congress government's multi-million dollar freebie program? None other than the MNF. (Where the Congress promised Rs.1 lakh, the MNF promised Rs.3 lakhs!)

We may not have the knights in shining armour at the moment but the Congress and MNF party, in their present form, are definitely not the answer to Mizoram's problems. It will be a real uphill battle for reformers but we, the people, can and should hope for self-sufficiency and not be content with freebies from the government that only last five years. We should want no more of the same, we should chart a new path or perish. Government freebies and money-making programs may give us temporary calm but if we continue this path, we will live in perpetual debt and poverty. Only hardwork will make us a wealthy society.

Perhaps our biggest problem is the way our party system works - rule of the few (or one!). We need a strong collective, accountable and democractic leadership in every party and definitely in the government. We need to reject autocratic rule. Remember, representatives of the majority of the Mizo people resolved to abolish autocratic rule way back in 1952 and actually had it abolised through legislation two years later. We cannot go back to a system of governance where one man rules over many and the people have no say.


Wednesday, July 5, 2017

WOMEN'S COMMISSION ORDER LEH BCM

Thla hmasa ni 16 Zirtawpni khan Mizoram State Commission for Women Chairperson Pi Vanlalawmpuii Chawngthu kaihhruaina hnuaia ngaihtuah, Mizoram Baptist Kohhranin kum 2008 Assembly rorelnaa a lo pawm tawh pastor nupui full-time a hnathawh khapna chu Mizoram Baptist Kohhran ngaihtuah that leh tura ngenna order tihchhuah a ni a. He order ah hian a hmalama Commission leh Mizoram Baptist Kohhran lo indawr tawhnaa kohhran lamin a insawifiahnate awm mah se, kohhran rorelna hi hmeichhiate chanvo palzutna leh tawrhna thlentuah Commission-in a hriat avangin rorel "fuh chiahlo" ah a ngaih thu a lang a. Thutlukna siamah hian "General Assembly ah a rang thei ang bera ngaihtuah tha leh turin Mizoram State Commission for Women chuan Baptist Church of Mizoram (BCM) chu a ngenin a beisei" tih a tarlang a ni.

Mizoramah hian kan buaina lian ber pakhat chu danin ro a rel thinlo hi a ni a. Dan berin ro a relloh chuan a huai huai, a pawr pawr, a tam tam rorelna ramah a chang thin a ni. Chu chu sorkar rorelnaah kan hmu a, khawtlang rorelnaah pawh kan hmu a, kohhranah pawh chutiang tho chu a ni tih hi a chhunga thawkten an hrechiang ber awm e. Inbih chian chuan dan rorelna "rule of law" a awmlo a ni tih kan hmu thei ang Mizoramah hian.

Sawi ang khian kan khawsakhonaah leh kohhranten rawng kan bawlhonaah dan berin ro a rel loh chuan thil a nih tur ang a ni thei lova, hmangaihna dan hmanga ro kan rel loh phei chuan khawsakhona hrehawm tak oppressive system ah tuma min awpbeh nilovin keimahni leh keimahni kan indah tihna a ni ang. Chutiang chu mi pangngai leh Pathian tih te chuan theihtawpin kan do tur a ni a, zalenna boruak duhawm tak hnuaia kan chenho theih hi kohhranah phei chuan kan thlakhlelh tur ber te zinga mi a ni awm e.

Commission in order a tihchhuahah hian 2008-a BCM Assembly Thurel 1.21(3)-na chu a rang thei ang bera ngaihtuah tha leh turin a ti a, mahse BCM constitution atanga en chuan BCM Assembly-a thu ngaihtuah tur thlen theite zinga mi a nih loh avangin BCM dan chuan thu tlinga ngaih loh tur a ni. Amaherawhchu, Commission hi Mizoram State Commission for Women Act 2004 in civil court thuneihna a pek angin India ram khua leh tui hmeichhia te dikna chanvo humhalh tura thuneihna pek a ni a, civil court thuneihna pek a nih avangin a thu ngaihtuah leh thu tihtlukna (order) te hi court thuchhuak tluka ngaih tur a nihna a awm awm e.

BCM hian dan a nei a, chu'ng te chu constitution ah zam a ni. Constitution in a sawi dan chuan "Assembly hi Mizoram Baptist Kohhran rorelna sang ber a nih avangin, thu ngaihtuah tul apiang a ngaihtuah ang. A thu tihtluk chu Assembly hnuaia rorelna dangin a tidanglam thei lovang" tih a ni a. Hei hi hriain Commission hian Assembly ah ngaihtuah nawn leh turin a hriattir a ni.

Assembly thurel nisi, Assembly in a ngaihtuah remchanglo a awm chuan constitution hian Assembly Executive Committee (AEC) hnenah thuneihna a pe a. BCM constitution in a sawi dan chuan "Assembly aiawha thu pawimawh ngaihtuah turin Assembly Executive Committee a awm ang" tih a ni.

He Committee pawimawh tak hi BCM constitution vekin a sawidan chuan "Assembly leh Assembly inkara thu ngaihtuah tul leh pawimawhte a ngaihtuah ang" tih a ni a. "Assembly chauhin a ngaihtuah theih, a tul avanga a ngaihtuah chuan Assembly-ah pawmpui turin a thlen ang. Assembly-in ngaihtuah tura a pekahte chuan Assembly aiawhin thutawp a siam thei ang. Assembly thu tihtluk tawhte chu a tidanglam thei lovang.

Tun hi Assembly rorel hun a nih loh avang leh Commission in a rang thei ang bera ngaihtuah tura a tih avang hian kohhran danin a sawi angin AEC hi a ngaihtuah tur chu a lo ni ta a, a tihdanglam erawh kohhran danin a phalloh avangin tidanglam lovin a tikhawtlai thei thung a ni. Assembly leha ngaihtuah turin. Chumi hma zawng chu he 2008 Assembly Thurel hi hman (implement leh enforce) loh tura ngaih a ni. Assembly leh hma thlenga hman zui a nih chuan Commission order hian awmzia tehchiam a nei lo tihna a ni ang.

Assembly Executive Committee (AEC) member te hi an rual angreng a:

1) BCM Puipate
2) Head of Department te
3) Head of institution te
4) President kal chhuak
5) General Secretary kalchhuak
6) Executive Secretary te
7) Pastoral Coordinator
8) MTKP Organiser
9) MBKHP Organiser
10) BCM Office Superintendent te
11) ABC tin atanga member thlan 2
12) Pastor Bial tin atanga member thlan 2
13) Assembly thlan member 5

He'ng kohhran hruaitute hian Commission order hi Assembly leha ngaihtuah that a nih theihna turin a rang thei ang berin an ngaihtuah a ngai dawn tihna a ni. Kar thum dawn chu AEC hian he order chungchang hi a la ngaihtuah lo nia hriat a ni.