Al Ngullie
Free Speech is an unspeakable idea that can render you speechless if you’re staring at the barrel of an outspoken gun. A broken people as the Nagas are familiar to the knowledge that their attempts at speaking freely would literally silence their fate. Their political history says so. The people dare not say so. Yet, their silence knows so.
The common citizen continues to watch his leaders viciously engage in the battle of domination. Thankfully, the Naga man isn’t oblivious to the subtle but sinister tactics that suppress Freedom of Conscience and Free Speech. The tactics employed by political parties, social organizations and underground groups.
I am of a generation that grew up reading about/hearing/seeing political opponents, detractors or even writers and intellectuals who were quietly disposed off with threat or death because their views failed to appeal the sentiments of the criticized. Leave alone established writers and commentators, even small letters to newspapers (passed off as “newspaper articles”) provoke the ire of the mighty.
For a failed society as Nagaland, the ‘myth’ and Damocles Sword is kin – the latter is ever ready to fall casually should you dare speak your mind. It is a sad saga where the gods of war employ both lethal tactics and skillful narratives (if exceptionally pompous, exasperatingly condescending and repulsively self-righteous narratives) to suppress criticism. The sad method is simply to ensure that no disagreement from the suppressed compromises the goals of the ones who wield the sword.
True, there is no statutory prohibition against free speech; Naga citizens are free to express what they wish to. But no Naga is so irrational that he fails to see the dynamics; he dare not criticize or raise doubts without fearing he would be squashed by a barrage of threats of legal recourse or a village council-level action; he dare not criticize his authoritarian organizations when they choose for him his political, social and personal options; he dare not criticize the undergrounds for the many excesses being committed against his everyday life, welfare and livelihood without fearing that he would be branded “anti-Naga”, “Indian agent” or worst, imperil his very life (or his family members’) in the process.
Likewise, the tribal, village and clan-community-level organizations do not wave guns in your face but their rattlesnake-like reflexes are comparative only to the Taliban’s Shariah boards.
The brutal China-North Korea-like realties in Nagaland do not find space in the newspapers. The few honest sentiments that manage to find space are swiftly buried by tactics that are either too unjustifiable to be called democratic and too subtle to be called accommodative. The Naga public’s idea of Free Speech and Freedom of Conscience is regulated by two principle dimensions of restriction:
(1) Do not speak the truth and/or
(2) Speak only what is in favor
There are two aspects to each of the dimensions:
Political aspect: Government
and the undergrounds
Naga Ministers/legislators are viciously competent in the art of extorting “apology” from newspaper/Media organizations for publishing opinions the former found unpalatable and against their odds. Weasely community/village organizations who enjoy political patronage are faithful henchmen. Ask Nagaland Post, Eastern Mirror, Nagaland Page, The Morung Express; any Media professional with a trace of experience in Nagaland. They have been dragged to courts for even the flimsiest of reasons. Even in much-demonized India, its vibrant Media (from journals to bulletins, newspapers to TV channels are filled with feedback we Nagas can only wish for). In Nagaland, political party leaders attempt to trace authors of published articles or even reporters for news items they find disagreeable. Such is the state-of-affairs in Nagaland.
Even if a package of doubts is from ordinary citizens, government entities show no qualm in making the Media the scapegoat. The “I was misquoted” is merely a diplomatic allusion to wounded egos. Isn’t it interesting that the issues responsible for provoking the political tyrants invariably always have that uncomfortable angle of corruption, manipulation and mismanagement in them? The reasons for the rattlesnake reflex of Naga politicians are obvious enough.
Then there are the underground groups – probably the most sensitive and reactive when it comes to opinions about them. A citizen can criticize the government, a fellow citizen, a village council or NGO to some extent, but he will never ever dare raise his voice against the undergrounds. That even Nagaland’s government authorities, the State police, the church and Naga civil organizations – leave alone the public – fear them is an undeclared truth. The reluctance is not without a reason.
There are no Dos-and-Don’ts for opinions coming from the civil society or even from the Media. Yet, the sad truth is, Nagas still carry the burden of a scarred history that testify to terrible examples of what becomes of those that speak honestly and openly. For instance, the tacit restriction on honest opinions is the principle reason why not many people – particularly the youth – know what exactly is happening with the Naga political process; why the only thing they know is from what the Media reports; why burning grievances such as crimes committed by erring cadres that resulted in loss of civilian lives, damage to or loss of property or why the poverty-inducing culture of extortion still prosper in Nagaland; why their claims, explanations and choices are rarely challenged.
In fact, even the Naga Media dare not play its intrinsic role as Interpreter, Evaluator and Filterer. Not many Naga citizens know the real reason why most statements/PRs from the armed groups are published mostly on Page1. Simply put for now, it is due to ‘constraints.’
Socio-Political aspect: Church and Talibanic NGOs
The political history of Nagaland and the underlying social tones demonstrated by the Naga communities sufficiently illustrate the difficulties the common man must have to suffer if he makes choices that are contrary to the options established by the Powers-that-Be.
Village/community organizations issue decrees prohibiting members from voting against select political runners the former decided not to support; accept or reject select government policies. Even statutes such as the Women Reservation Bill have fallen out of the citizen’s ambit of freedom of choice – we are all aware certain organizations even so far to issue warnings to citizens who speak in support of it.
The publicity-loving Naga church isn’t far. Just recently, an opinion expressed in the Media by an unidentified citizen about an NBCC leader led to witch-hunting in the corridors of the Media here. Citizens remain unaware, of course. Likewise, the NBCC is still trying to polish its image after the funds it received from the State. I believe there are church leaders who are not in favor of the Prohibition but would they dare speak out? Then there are the myriads of local community students and youth groups. In issues involving dispute, crime or victimization, they have that irksome habit to issuing swift declarations without ascertaining facts beforehand.
For a people that dare not speak the truth, they do understand a truth: Freedom is Speech is clearly a myth; its application is found only if you hold a gun or own a throne to sit on. The delusions of the political hypocrites and the shadowy ambitions of the megalomaniacs have succeeded in reducing into a virtual myth a right and freedom as essential, intrinsic and incontestable as Free Speech. Free Speech does not regulate what is right or wrong – it only stipulates the value of frankness. Hence, the intrinsic term ‘free’ and ‘freedom’ in Right to Freedom of Speech. That means what can speak – basically – what is right as well as what is wrong. Truth is not only about what is right and agreeable – in fact, isn’t it a truth that truth itself is oftentimes bitter and disagreeable? Yet, there are some condescending minds that append only the value of rightness to the virtue of free speech. If one can speak only the right, agreeable and constructive, it is not free expression – it is called confirmation.
True, that free speech has failings. The ignorant waffles; the monopolist dictates; the untruthful twists; the bigoted destructs and the simpleton digress and misconstrues. However, isn’t it all part of frankness – a place where one can express as he wishes? If there is lapse, do we not have legitimate institutions of redress that can correct and challenge impartially, legally and democratically? Let us not forget that the very existence of freedom is the main reason why there is also check and balance mechanism – not fascism. It is the difference between humane and human.
The Naga person may be in fear of tragic reprisals for now, from those he disagrees with. But I tell you, he will never be ignorant of the difference between what he is being fed and the reality of what he could be swallowing. The might of silence lies in its indefatigable capacity to observe and absorb; the strength that boils within oppressed silence is a cancerous power. It would not be found wanting when the right time comes – one only needs to casually review history: how mighty tyrants and their oppressive tyrannies crumbled when the voice of their people finally found the courage to sing the deepest songs in their hearts.
The mightiest of empires, the most vibrant of societies and the most progressive of peoples are where Freedom of Speech exists. Why? Free Speech is the one human value that filters in the best and filters out the worst, in any society and nation, which is why.
