Naga civil society slow to intervene
Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 10
After committing to send medical aid to the disease ravaged Naga areas of Myanmar, the Naga civil societies in Nagaland now appear to have pinned their recent “commitment” onto the arms of the Nagaland State Government - even as the Nagas in Myanmar await with anticipation.
Since the outbreak of an unknown disease, later identified as a type of measles, which has already killed 41 people, the Council of Naga Affairs (CNA) had announced with gratitude and ‘pride’ that, their Naga brethrens living across the International border- have committed to send in a medical aid.
The same “commitment” was also conveyed by the Naga Hoho, Naga Mothers Association and Naga Students’ Federation when The Morung Express was filing a story. A flurry of emergency meeting was also reported to have been convened among the civil societies to discuss on the issue. Appeal was also made to doctors to come forward as volunteers.
However, on Wednesday, Naga civil societies sounded dislocated on the “commitment” as they attempted to put the onus on the Nagaland State Government. According to one of them, it was a complicated affair to rally a medical team from Nagaland side to Myanmar coupled with the challenges of cross-border voyage and other formalities.
The NMA mentioned that the Department of Health & Family Welfare Department was initiating “some sort of aid” and therefore to inquire about it to the department. Meanwhile Naga Hoho stated, “We can’t go just like that. We can go ahead only after the Nagaland Government and the Red Cross Society do the initial survey… and after consultation.”
An officials of the Department of Health and Welfare, on the other hand, informed that it had no arrangement to cross the border with a medical team. “The four districts bordering Myanmar-Mon, Tuensang, Phek and Kiphire- have been put on high alert and medical team was on stand-by, only to act the moment the case get imported into Nagaland state,” the official stated. On the question of the Nagaland State Government dispatching a medical team to Myanmar, permission from the Government of India as well as Myanmar would be required, since it concerns international relations and diplomatic procedures in the event a Government agency crosses the international border.
Given these procedural formalities, civil society organizations are in the best position to intervene especially on humanitarian grounds or during such crisis as this, a government official opined.
Disappointingly, judging from the situation it now appears the Naga civil societies are clueless or have transferred their responsibility on the “commitment” they gave to their Naga brethrens of Myanmar.
