Simranjit Singh Mann
Any fool would have predicted that the talks (peace) the NSCN-1M were having with the Indian’s had floundered. Its been India’s policy to carry on and prolong any talks with any nationality within India. In my experience all leaders of any nationality who have dealt with the Hindu Indian state have invariably failed, whether it be the militant Mizos, Nagas or even the Sikhs. The Indian state has customarily dealt with them on the table and through its intelligence services. Prolonging the talks, the Indian state has come to study and learn about the strength and weaknesses of its adversaries. A prolonged parley has given time to the Indian state to exploit the weaknesses of its antagonists. Invariably the opponent, generally to my mind and study has fallen victim to the aura of the Indian state and what it has to offer in terms of goodies to its adversary. In my study of the Naga, Mizo and Sikh movements I have found that the leaders have joined their respective movements through emotion. Therefore they have had little commitment. I would not say that they have not endured the hardships of the struggle but these have been mainly suffered because of their emotions and not commitment to the struggle.
What is worse is that these leaders have had little or no education and therefore though their experience in the field may have been better than their opponents on the table, but due to their lack of commitment and lack of education and hence knowledge and reasoning they have allowed themselves to be exploited by their adversary as he has been superior in the game of outwitting them and luring them with the largesse and the power the Indian state has at its disposal.
The cardinal mistake these nationalist leaders have thus committed is that they have been allured into talking to the intelligence agencies and not to the political leadership. The Indian state has shrewdly kept them engaged with its intelligence service which has no responsibility, accountability or commitment. Any promises these agents have made are conveniently denied by the political leadership as the talks are held in secrecy and away from the public glare in which case the press and media are kept away.
I call these negotiators from the nationalities as retired and pensioned militants, who now serve their masters in the intelligence services, being passed on from one handler to the other as the intelligence service personnel are subject to transfer from one desk to the other or finally, retirement.
These leaders of nationalities who have compromised with the Indian state are left like waifs, high and dry as they have had no contacts with the political system.
The other mistake these leaders of nationalities make is that they donot allow over ground political leadership to develop, for example like the Sinn Fein of the Irish movement. They thus leave the over ground political field open to their adversary, that is the Indian state. Since these nationalities work underground they have no voice in parliament or state assemblies. The over ground political leadership of their group, therefore, has no loyalty to these movements but out of fear, temporarily do their bidding, whereas in cases of divided loyalty they know that their long term self interest lies with the Indian state.
Once the Indian state gains an upper hand in bringing the underground leadership into the open arena it does everything to corrupt that leadership, morally and financially. All rules and laws are broken to have the won over leadership to amass wealth, with every impunity. Once corrupted these leaders’ die a moral death and they are neither here nor there. Once such a leader dies, the state protects his grave or smadhi with all the armed strength at its disposal. His family is given government accommodation and at times his children are pushed up into the Rajya Sabha (India’s Upper House of Parliament).
It’s a tough, rewardless world for the national leader but if he’s into the business of liberating his people he must look before he leaps. He should be less emotional and more committed when he joins up to free his people from bondage and slavery, humiliation and insults of the ruling class.
Mr. M.K. Narayanan the guru of the Indian intelligence services, after a visit of the North-Eastern states has let it be known that the Nagas can have anything they desire within the Indian Constitution. In simple language it means that the Nagas and their demands can go to hell!
The Naga’s are the latest causality in the list of the Indian states successes. Seconds out of the ring!
Simranjit Singh Mann
President, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar)
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