Kaka D. Iralu
Nagaland today is reeking and reeling in a state of lawlessness where our internal politics, our external politics, and even our economy are all in a mess. But a hope that the Post Colonial but still Colonial Government of India (GOI) which sits over the heads of all Nagas today will ever bring such a Rule of Law into Nagaland is no different from chasing a chimera that will never materialize into actuality. After all, when this GOI Colonial Rule of law includes even Disturbed Area Acts, Armed Forces Special Powers Acts, Nagaland Regulation Acts and many other heinous laws; how can anyone ever hope that some decent rule of laws will suddenly descend into Nagaland from all these decadent laws? Another ugly fact is that, since the GOI needs the presence of the State Government of Nagaland to justify its continued illegal occupation of Nagaland, even the most corrupted Naga state government officials are never prosecuted by the GOI even when damning evidences are brought against them on corruption charges. As a result, accountability at high political and bureaucratic levels have long disappeared from the corridors of political powers and authority in Nagaland.
On top of this, multiple factional groups of Naga nationalism have gone on a wild spree of extortion raising the prizes of all essential commodities in Nagaland. For the poor and ordinary citizens, Rs 500 or 1000 now seems valueless when they buy their sugar, milk and vegetables with it. Of course a functioning government is still there with all its paraphernalia but a just government ruling a just society is no longer there.
Yes, there is lawlessness in Nagaland today. But who has brought all these lawlessness into our lands? Could it be those who went to Delhi in 1960 asking for an Indian state into Nagaland? That, at a time when all Nagas were desperately defending their ancient-but very just laws-enshrined in their own Constitution (Yehzabo). Or were it those, who in 1980 brought in a so called bloody Socialist Revolutionary Government into Nagaland and killed almost all the top leaders of the NNC and FGN and many innocent villagers accusing them of selling the national right through the Shillong Accord of 1975.
In the present circumstances, chocking in such a nightmarish atmosphere of lawlessness and injustice, one cannot help but fall on one’s knees and pray to God that HIS justice will finally be dispensed over all guilty Nagas (as well as Indians) who have brought such a mess into Nagaland. In my personal opinion, a lawful government can only be established in Nagaland only after such a divine intervention.
