Polling officers play marbles as Eastern Nagas boycott

A polling officer sleeps in Nagaland

On the day the world's largest democracy commenced its mega affair of the 2024 general election, polling booths in six districts of Eastern Nagaland wore a deserted look. While rest of Nagaland registered a healthy voter turn out averaging at around 80 per cent, 19 polling stations in the districts of Mon, Kiphire, Tuensang, Noklak, Shamator, and Longleng had polling officers and booth level workers sitting idle.

Typically, elections in far remote parts in the Northeast like Eastern Nagaland do not make it to mainstream news. However, videos of booth workers playfully riding on swings in a park on and playing with marbles have gone viral on social media. Chempho Konyak, a booth level worker in Mon Town, said that no one showed up from 7am to 4pm when the polling booth was open. "The whole station had nothing to do so we started playing Money Queen, a game of Marbles for about an hour," he told mid-day. "It was just timepass"

The government servant working in the Health and Family Welfare department said that all the tribal voters abided by the demands of civil society bodies like Eastern Nagaland People's Organization. The body has been demanding the creation of Frontier Nagaland out of the six districts, which are among the most economically backward areas in Nagaland. "It's the public's voice," said Chempho.

Chahyin Konyak, a primary school teacher in Mon, said no one had come even close to the polling station on Friday. "We just watched YouTube videos the whole day on our phones. If there was a compound in our station, we could have played some games," he said.

As of Saturday, the approximate voter turnout Haas 56.91% in Nagaland.

The Konyak, Khiamniungan, Chang, Sangtam, Tikhir, Phom and Yimkhiung tribes inhabit the six districts where the demand for separation has been raging for several years now. Though the region's 20 representatives in the state assembly supported their demand, the Central government had not responded to their call.

ENPO President, Tsapikyu Sangtam, told mid-day that it wasn't a "boycott" but voters who "voluntarily abstained" from participating in the general election. He said that the six districts have already been in talks with the Centre for creating a union territory under the sixth schedule provision of the Indian constitution that offers limited autonomy over land and finances to a hill tribal council. "The Home Ministry has sent a draft of the arrangements to the state government for their comments in December. But they still haven't said anything," said Sangtam.

Sangtam said that the chances of re-polling in the districts are unlikely since ENPO had sent a representation to the Election Commission about their decision to abstain from the election.

"The arrangement was to be signed before the election code of conduct came into effect but despite our reminders and shutdown here, we did not get any response," he said. "What's the point of re-polling when no one will vote?"