A.Z. Jami
Senior Kilonser
The statement issued by the NPF youth wing that carried in the local papers on 3.2.2017 unmistakably contains many provocative and insulting sentences and phrases. It appears that the youth leaders think they are much wiser than the various Nagas leaders who are tested by fires in the courses of their lives. It is very unfortunate, the youth wing of NPF knowingly and unknowingly thrown petrol to the ravaging fire as when the Naga masses are surcharged emotionally for the ugly incidents that have taken place around Nagaland recently. They were talking about ‘Democracy’. Very good, in democracy the elected or chosen representatives derived power and privileges’ from the people (masses) who they represent. They stated that elected government is to carried out its responsibility independently. How could that happen? In a democracy, the government is the sum total of the surrendered rights of the people. Therefore, the people have their rights to raise their voices and agitate when they see that their surrendered rights are misused and infringed and their futures are threatened. In some countries the provision for ‘RECALL’ is incorporated in their constitutions. And therefore, when any elected member is deemed incapable to carry out the wishes of the electorates is recalled but in Indian constitution doesn’t have such provision, otherwise many members are to be recalled before their end of their tenure. The Nagaland state government had totally failed to fulfil the wishes of the Naga people and completely ignored the Naga tribal Hohos. Many of the leaders have insatiable ambition for power and money. They are thinking only money and power. Power is like two-edged sword hurting anyone on any side which it touches. Therefore, who so ever is in power should be wise and conscious.
Now, coming to the present crises arising out of the urban and town councils elections, inspite of repeated request and humble appeals made by the Naga tribal leaders to the Nagaland state government, the government remain adamant and stated that the urban and town council elections will go ahead.’ At any Cost’ so, has cost much to the regret of any one of us. Except accidental meetings, I have had no chance in the course of my life to work with T.R. Zealing in any field. But I guess I may be wrong, T.R. Zeliang may not be so stiff and rigid. I suspect there may be some of his colleagues who are obstinate and wanted to execute any programme of their choices. T.R. Zealing, therefore, better declare the names of those autocratic colleagues through whose pressure he had acted against the wishes of the masses. These will reach the egotist good lessons who want to rule the people with iron hands against their interest.
Again, regarding the 33% women reservation in the urban and town council election I want to supplement the article written by Kaka D Iralu which was published recently in local papers. Let us not talk about the validity or in validity of Article 371(A) of the constitution of India. Our customary laws and practices and our convention and usages are unique. These are coveted by many people all round the world. Our customs and traditions are relevant at present and will be relevant in the future. They will be reverent in all the changes of time and generations, except the head hunting which we are giving up without any pressure from any corner as we have become all Christians our religion discourages and forbids us to do such practices. Our punishment of the guilty or the offender started from reprimand. Reprimand may be light or sever. Light reprimand means private reprimand of the guilty. Severe reprimand means reprimanding the offender in public and putting him or her to public shame. Fines of an amount of cash or big pig or a young Mithun etc are imposed on big offenders. These may be slightly different from tribe to tribe. The heaviest punishment is expulsion/ex-communication from clan or village or community. The ex-communicated person or persons become taboo to every sections of the society. They are disassociated by people in every walk of life.
Therefore, the ex-communicated person o persons become like dead souls within the period of ex-communication. In order to escape from such punishments the people respected and observed their respective customs and traditions in the past also.
In the Naga society men and women are equal .There is practically no discrimination against women in Naga society. Unlike in the primitive age, the Naga women are now a days getting their share of wealth including unmoveable properties from their parents or relatives. In every field, the Naga women now fare better than their male counterparts, except in political elections. There are many women heads of states (presidents) and heads of Governments (prime ministers) and women chief ministers all over the world. Mrs. Rano Shaiza, a Naga woman was once elected by the Nagas in a general election to the lone Member of Parliament (India).But why Naga women fear and hesitate to contest election. The problem lies there. The male trying to outwit the female counterparts in any contest or competition is not a sin or discrimination. As such, in my opinion reservation of any percentage for women is not necessary.
Nagaland state has a population of about 20 lakhs and has government employees (servants) more than 1 lakh which means a group of 20 people has one member as a government employee and compounded by thousands of bogus employees and bogus pensioners. And the govt turns deaf ears and blind eyes to these problems. The Naga public are only shouting for back door appointments leaving aside the bogus appointees and bogus pensioners which drain away the state coffers. In the light of this problem, I urge the Naga educated people and techies to broaden their outlook and dreams and think how to accommodate or employ thousands of highly educated and qualified Nagas produced every year from Nagaland.
Our Naga cultures, customs, traditions, practices and usages had been perpetuated centuries together and their usefulness had been tested with the changes of time .Therefore, Naga ways of life are in no way compatible to the Indian ways of life. In this context I should said that the 16-pt agreement of 1960 executed by the hurriedly formed’ Naga Peoples Conventions’(NPC)is a hijacked agreement yet P. J. Nehru through his magnanimity recognized the sovereignty of the Nagas over their land and resources and the customary laws and practices. Furthermore, Nehru stayed put Nagaland under the External Affairs of India. But the Nagaland state government brought the state under the Home Ministry of India in 1972 and now trying to nullify the article 371 (A) clandestinely.
In the premises on the above scenario it is my firm conviction that Nagaland should be recognised as Sovereign independent state by India. In the event of Nagaland being recognised Sovereign Nation, Nagas need no lengthy constitution, because greater portion of Nagas ways of life are covered by our customs and traditions. And it is suggested that the governing system of Nagaland should be something like in the style and functions of Switzerland and New Zealand.
Watch out! In order to educate the thoroughly stifled Nagas. Nagas urgently need many brave, Truthful, Impartial, Intelligent and Inquisitive writers to salvage Naga society.
