Rukewezo Wetsah.
Advisor, Tenyimi Students’ Union Dimapur
“When two brothers fight to death, a stranger inherits their property” African Proverb.
The Naga Political consciousness started after the first world war, when the Naga Labour Corps returned with an awareness for common identity and culture that eventually led to the formation of the Naga Club in 1918 in Kohima. The Naga Club submitted a memorandum to the Simon Commission on 10th January 1929, which asserts our wishes to be left alone to determine ourselves as in ancient times.
On 9th April 1946,the Naga national Council submitted a memorandum to the British Cabinet Mission, which declared that ,”the future of Nagas would not be bound by arbitrary decision of the departing British Govt, if such decisions were taken without the prior information and approval of the Naga people. Following this memorandum, the NNC published a book where the Naga desire for Independence was clearly outlined. Orient Press Book of India published this book on 23th December 1946. On 27th march 1947, another memorandum was submitted to the departing British Govt. and the incoming Indian Govt. entitled Memorandum of the case of the Naga People for self determination and an appeal to Her Majesty’s Govt. and the Govt. Of Indian which also reasserts our wishes. Sourced from the Naga Chronicle by Rev. Dr VK Nuh.
“Having failed to prevent the partition of the British India into India and Pakistan in 1947, the Indian nationalist elite aspired to build up a strong united nation state in India. Through the carrot and stick policy the Indian state ensured majority of the indigenous communities living in northeast joins the Indian Union. The Nagas however resisted at first peacefully by invoking the right to self determination on the basis of their distinct ethnic identity and unique history but with the increase in state repression the Nagas gradually took to arms.” Excerpts from the book Peace and democracy in South Asia, volume 1.
“It is true that of all the States in India Nagaland has a unique history. We are sensitive to this Historical fact” declared the then PM of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his speech in at a public reception in Kohima on 28th October 2003.Such is a brief surmise of our history and the only reason the world have heard about us because our forefathers have the courage and the foresight to stand up for their and our right to exist as a people, just as Indians has done for themselves against British rule.
Since the creation of Nagaland State on 1st December 1963,throught the efforts of SM Dutt ,an Indian Intelligence Officer and Naga People’s Convention many elements have been diluting and crippling our right to self determination.
"The Naga People's Convention was initially created with noble intention, but as they went on to talk with India their motive changed ", Dr Visier Sanyü.
The sad reality of our journey in the Naga Political Movement is, there was not an iota of doubt or differences amongst the Nagas When the Naga Council was formed on 2nd February 1946 and Independence was declared on 14th august 1947.Then everyone came up in unison, when the Plebiscite was held on 16th May 1951. After this an undeclared war was started upon the Nagas on 1954,In the process the 16th point agreement of 1960 penetrated the Naga National Council and Federal Govt of Nagaland and gave birth to Revolutionary Govt. of Nagaland and subsequently the National Socialist Movement of Nagaland in 1980 and NSCN (K) in 1988. Now we have more than 16 factions. Much of the leaders has accumulated untold riches and resorted to threat and intimidations which in turn led to public uprising on 25th August 20013 spearheaded by ACAUT against the unabated taxations.
When the initial talks resumed, the Govt, of India represented by Rajesh Pilot, the then Union Minister and the NSCM(IM) mutually agreed on 17th November 1996 that 1)Political dialogue should be at the highest level i.e Prime Minister Level,2)Without Pre-conditions and 3)Outside India in a third country. Of Course, some few talks were held in different countries but latter got relegated to talks with Indian Intelligence officers and in Delhi and Dimapur.
Professor Paul Pinomo, in his speech during a webinar in 2020 observed, Now the Govt. Of India has set a baseline for Political talks, No integration, no greater Nagalim. This is a divergence as from finding a political solution as the two or three entities in dialogue must not lay down any baselines for one to follow”.
Nagas were given a ray of hope for marching together when the Forum for Reconciliation was Formed in the year 2008.With Rev Dr Wati Aier as the founding Convenor. Through their initiatives, according to a Nagaland Post article dated 27th August 2011 which carried under the headline,”6 top leaders Form High Level Committee for one Naga National Govt.”
The Naga Concordant and the Lenten Agreement has not materialised, instead the GOI and the National Political Parties went ahead and signed two separate agreements. According to FNR sources, “the agreement was a failure because it was not the FNR, who signed the agreement. It was the political parties, they couldn’t take it further because at that time, the GOI sensing the imminent reconciliation and unity immediately invited one particular group to talks giving precedence to another group”.
When RN Ravi was appointed as the Governor of Nagaland on 20th July 2019,he was also the chief interlocutor and was also one of the architect of signing the two agreements. Nagas had much hope that the long pending issue will get resolved, Instead it became quite disastrous. Which was illustrated by Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty an Indian Journalist, in the Wire on September 11 2021,”Together with Ravi the NNPG Convenor N Kitovi Zhimomi set aside the two core demands of the IM group, the demand for a separate constitution and New Delhi’s recognition of the NSCM (IM)’s flag, the flag of Naga inhabited areas in the Northeast. Ravi had termed the NSCM IM as an ‘armed gang’ and had told the media the accord would be signed with or without NSCM IM, the NNPG convenor also gave media statements expressing their willingness to go ahead without the NSCM IM. Overall these developments made it clear that the strategies used by the former top IB official to squeeze out an accord had backfired .Ravi by using close surveillance and creating factions within the negotiators of the armed group, hoped to hand out a watered down deal.(unquote)
There has been a paradigm shift in our struggle, a fundamental about turn, in the way some Naga groups are relating to the GOI. It has a name. It is called Stockholm syndrome, where people who are abused sometimes identify with their abusers.
It may be pertinent to point out an article in the Organizer, titled “PM Modi pushes for empowering Rural bodies, Goanburas in Nagaland that (and I quote) by 2016, it was learnt that the PMO took a keen interest in the functioning of the Goanbura Bodies in Nagaland.” RN Ravi as interlocutor for peace talks was reportedly instructed to enlist their views. The importance given to the Goanburas did not go down well with many other established players in the existing power politics structures during the tenure of RN Ravi as the Interlocutor” (Unquote)
Nagas have often disagreed with one another about the best way to achieve the Naga Political Movement, the right of self determination in our Ancestral homeland. The disagreement was about the proper method to achieve the goal but not the goal itself.
But it is different now .Sadly some Nagas identify themselves with the GOI. These groups have themselves become foot soldiers of the GOI. This is the crux of the paradigm shift. The shift is manifested in different ways. Most glaringly seen in the different splinter groups and some recent community leaderships.
Many have forgotten or chosen to forget what our original aspirations were. The formation of tribal blocs and glorifying one group over another group has created much divide and suspicions amongst our people.
On the overground front, the Naga Civil Societies which once represented the voices of common Naga people fueled by narrow minded visions and vested interests of some leaders has now been relegated into background. The respected Naga Hoho, which was one a respected organization and acted as the apex organization of all Naga tribes is on the verge of collapse. The Naga Hoho and the Naga Students’ Federation, it must be pointed out was and are one of the most vocal organizations for achieving our national aspirations in line with the visions of our forefathers but due to differences amongst ourselves it has substantially been weakened.
The once dependent and proud communitarian Naga people have taken a crippling hit. Our self respect and dignity are in shambles.
Jelle J P Wouters,in his book ,In the Shadows of Insurgency; Tribes, State and Violence in Northeast India writes about “the ways in which the Naga armed conflict and the Indian state response to it ,imbricate into the domains of Governance ,development and the democratic process, showing how underground and overground politics have merged into a single political field. Unquote.
He further observes, the Naga villagers have experienced and consequently ‘see’ the Indian state and its development programs and projects. They show how the initial state approach of “coercion”, through state violence ,became overtime complemented by “a policy of seduction” through state largesse, with the clear aim of weaning Nagas away from the politics of insurgency. While this policy was successful to an extent, it came with varied social consequences which were put in place on political purpose. While tracing back the demand for frontier Nagaland implies that the creation of and subsequent functioning of Nagaland state produced new constellations of power, new fault lines and new axes of differentiation. The contemporary moment is spurred by an experienced neglect on the part of Nagaland govt. Unquote.
The Eastern Naga Peoples’ Organization are demanding for a frontier Nagaland citing deprivation of development. A recent rally was organized in all the ENPO areas on 9th August 2022 .According to Eastern Mirror dated 30th may 2022 under the Headline ENPO to pursue separate state demand, “The ENPO reaffirmed the central Executive Council decision to continue its support for a unified ,transparent and honourable Naga political solution. In the event of prolonged delay in the much anticipated Naga Political Solution, ENPO will reiterate its stand to request the prime minister of India and the Home Minister for approval for early declaration of frontier Nagaland state for the people of eastern Nagaland State. While the ENPO has always maintained that they stand for collective settlement such acts are emanating because of the handiworks of well planned strategy of divide and conquer.
As Niketu Iralu wrote, “India took the carrot and stick to the Nagas, and Nagas have learnt to tolerate the stick but become pathetically addicted to the carrot.” He is right.
Quote “Who can forget that in critical times of war in 1965,1965 and 1971 Naga undergrounds did not fire on the Indian army. They showed restraint. I would also like to acknowledge the sacrifices of Jawans from Nagaland during the Kargil War.” Atal Bihari Vajpayee 28th October 2003.
Nagas will continue to co-exist with India and lay down many more lives for her. Only if! They are serious about solving the Naga Political issue then we will see real peace and development in the Northeast.
However all is not lost as Dr Visier Sanyü says, "In spite of the mess we have gotten into and the divisions in our movement, there is a ray of hope; our enemies have not defeated us and the young people have not given up the good fight. This was demonstrated by the participation of the young people in the Solidarity Walk on 28th - 29th July 2022 organized by Global Naga Forum."
May our people and the leaders find wisdom in crafting a prospective future for our posterity.
Kuknalim
