Our real enemy

Kevitho Kera  

I remember I was a little boy as I stood on the roadside, 5th mile. A dead body was transported in a Vehicle and my mom held my hand and was weeping. As a little boy I was wondering why she was weeping and only later as I grew up I came to know that the body being transported was the mortal remains of A.Z. Phizo. It left an indelible mark on me forever.  

As a boy since we stay near Dimapur Stadium, we would hear gun shots and people in our colony would later go only to discover dead bodies. I clearly remember the face of this young man in his twenties lying on the grass with a grimace, he was shot on the head. He was well dressed and he was in his prime but there he lay dead because a Capital punishment was given to him by a faction of Armed Naga National group. Growing up again I remember hearing gunshots sometimes nearby or sometime from far and we would all scurry into our rooms for safety. One time, a fire fight between Naga National workers and the Indian armed forces happened so near to our home. Our Church mothers had a program in our cousin's place and the poor old women, some octogenarians ran for cover. One time dad and me was in a rickshaw in the middle of town and something happened between our freedom fighters and Indian Army, people were just running madly for safety. Poor Dad picked me up and he ran till he reached home.   Images of dead bodies, of Indian Army or Naga Freedom fighters were a normal stuff in our lives. News in the papers was always about gun fights as I grew up. A 74 km trip to Kohima, there was frisking in every corner. Even little boys like us weren't spared.  

As I grew up I learned that even Nagaland National Movement is a divided house. Factions of NNM hated each other, turf war was a common thing and fratricidal killings happened every other day. Even as a boy I was sad for our Nation. As I grew up, the divisions took place more and more.  

I was deeply interested in Naga National movement and became a hardcore patriot at an early age. I was more of a Hollywood patriot, “For Sparta!” kind of patriot. Then as I reached my mid 20s I got to know the history of NNM. I read whatever I could and I am still reading about it and I have more weapons in my arsenal now. I am a sensible Naga Patriot now.   Then I came to know about corruption in Nagaland. Oh how I disappointed I was when people I looked up to were also deeply involved in corruption. Politicians, bureaucrats and the common men are all corrupt. So many people have wrote extensively on corruption and we all know about it so let me not dwell on it.  

Then I came to know about Tribalism. I was like I AM A NAGA but as I grew up I noticed that each tribe was only concerned about their kinsmen. Each tribe wanted only their kinsmen to flourish. Each tribe thinks it is superior to the other Naga tribes. Let me take an example, I go to this foodstall in DC Court area in Dimapur. I am a regular there, not only I want to go local but his stuffs are tasty. One time, the owner was not there and there was someone else. As he packed my stuffs, he spoke to me in his tribe's language and asked whether I was ( ..........................). I said no I am Angami and his face changed and he looked angry. He just said, "Eku nohoi toibi manu he ase." I was saddened, Tribalism so deeply entrenched in each one of us, I am also guilty of it sometimes.  

Today I am going to be 35 in three months time; I have seen us Nagas and who we are. My conclusion is this. Our real enemy is not India, Myanmar, IBIs, BJP or RSS. Our real enemy is ourselves. I do not make a hasty statement. We are our own enemies, each one corrupt, selfish and greedy to the last. This corruption, greed and selfishness have led to its various manifestations and the biggest of all is Tribalism. Let us stop saying, “I am okay but he is wrong." This self-righteousness is killing us. ALL OF US ARE GUILTY.  

Before we take on the world, Can we all retrospect and correct ourselves? Can we be the change, every single one of us? Unless we change even if we get Sovereignty, we will end up killing each other because we are all corrupt, selfish and greedy.