Human history has shown that it is always the oppressor and the ‘powers that be’ that writes and determines the history of the people they oppress? This trend has tremendously affected the history and identity of many peoples – especially struggling peoples. Such distortion of history and facts only deprives the people of their identity and their history. Ironically by doing so, the ‘writers of such distortion’ are also deprived of their humanity and their existence – this is more so in the case where ‘elites’ of a given society have allowed themselves to be used as mere ‘tools’ in the hands of the occupier for their selfish survival. The Naga people too seem to have unwillingly fallen victims of such motive.
It can be said without exaggeration that the power of the printed word can impress in more ways than political activism in the ‘real’ world. From its limited beginning as a patronized art of the elite aristocracy to its accessibility today as a common popular culture, literature has been vehicular in promoting and protecting ‘statecraft.’ This same ideology is being used by the powers that be to confuse the Naga people and deprive them of their humanity. The function of such ideology is to justify the status quo and to persuade the powerless that their powerlessness is inevitable. In doing so the powers that be is propagating the idea that the Naga people are incapable of determining their own future and that they lack the capacity to act with reason and wisdom.
Human experience has shown that during the imperial era the biggest weapon wielded and actually used by imperial powers against the collective defiance of the people was the ‘cultural bomb.’ The effect of this ‘cultural bomb’ was to annihilate a people’s belief in their names, in their language, in their environment, in their heritage of struggle, in their unity, in their capacities and ultimately in themselves. In doing so it fragmented ‘nations’ into small states by redefining boundaries as policies of divide and rule. It even planted serious doubts about their moral rightness in the struggle where possibilities of triumphs or victory were projected as remote and ridiculous dreams. The intended results were despair, despondency and a collective death wish.
The ‘silent Naga majority’ for too long have done nothing but willingly accept the in just status quo, and according to Mahatma Gandhi, ‘the most difficult thing is to do nothing’ where absolute powerlessness corrupts absolutely. Justice is trying to discover why this injustice exists and changing so all can live in dignity and respect. Nagas should be able to recognize that not all who smile are happy, not all who have eaten are full, not all who sleep are rested and not all who exist have life. Nagas can begin to live again only if they speak the truth and uphold the values of justice and freedom.
It can be said without exaggeration that the power of the printed word can impress in more ways than political activism in the ‘real’ world. From its limited beginning as a patronized art of the elite aristocracy to its accessibility today as a common popular culture, literature has been vehicular in promoting and protecting ‘statecraft.’ This same ideology is being used by the powers that be to confuse the Naga people and deprive them of their humanity. The function of such ideology is to justify the status quo and to persuade the powerless that their powerlessness is inevitable. In doing so the powers that be is propagating the idea that the Naga people are incapable of determining their own future and that they lack the capacity to act with reason and wisdom.
Human experience has shown that during the imperial era the biggest weapon wielded and actually used by imperial powers against the collective defiance of the people was the ‘cultural bomb.’ The effect of this ‘cultural bomb’ was to annihilate a people’s belief in their names, in their language, in their environment, in their heritage of struggle, in their unity, in their capacities and ultimately in themselves. In doing so it fragmented ‘nations’ into small states by redefining boundaries as policies of divide and rule. It even planted serious doubts about their moral rightness in the struggle where possibilities of triumphs or victory were projected as remote and ridiculous dreams. The intended results were despair, despondency and a collective death wish.
The ‘silent Naga majority’ for too long have done nothing but willingly accept the in just status quo, and according to Mahatma Gandhi, ‘the most difficult thing is to do nothing’ where absolute powerlessness corrupts absolutely. Justice is trying to discover why this injustice exists and changing so all can live in dignity and respect. Nagas should be able to recognize that not all who smile are happy, not all who have eaten are full, not all who sleep are rested and not all who exist have life. Nagas can begin to live again only if they speak the truth and uphold the values of justice and freedom.
