The recent outburst that took place in Zunheboto when a “mob” of our Sumi brothers took up arms against the NSCN (I-M) is a clear indication of things gone haywire. They did not do anything wrong by taking up arms against the particular outfit, for has history not taught us that unpopular governments and authorities get crushed under the weight of the people at a certain point of time? There is only so much that the common man can tolerate. I have, of late, observed that we the Nagas are getting bolder and we are not afraid to speak out against the “national workers”, in this case, every Naga outfit. This is a much needed recipe in moving towards normalcy and where people are able to decide for themselves what is good for them without any fear of the barrel of the gun. We must never be afraid of speaking out, my dear Nagas. Silence is a tool for fools, for it only leads to fear, ignorance and eventually our demise. We must not rest till real peace is achieved and peace does not only mean cessation of fire between hostile forces. I also challenge upon the church leaders of Nagaland to work harder and sacrifice your comforts for the sake of Nagaland and Nagas. It is people like you who are the true leaders and at the same time, servants of the people. Look towards God for further inspiration. Period.
The state government should take more effective steps to solve the gigantic and overwhelming problem of illegal immigrants. Let me be more specific: non-locals. The non-locals are slowly engulfing our beloved Nagaland. There will come a time when we might have to deal with a non-local government representative. Without further a due, Mr Chief Minister, start working. You cannot achieve anything by sitting inside the comfort of your office and making seasonal appeals and comments. You know what to do. And you know, chief minister, I personally think that you committed a grave mistake by not visiting Zunheboto during the time of the recent unrest. Sending your subordinate, the home minister of Nagaland, was not good enough. You being the head of state, leader of the people and representative of Nagaland to the outside world, you did not do your duty well. You should have made it a point to go to Zunheboto and address the people and their grievances and worry not much about the escalation of violence. It is during times such as this that a leader is really known by people. Don’t take me for a Congress sympathizer but I feel that the state machinery has totally failed. Don’t be surprised if most people agree with me on this one. The state government and most importantly, we the Nagas, should take this as a wakeup call in the backdrop of the recent incidents that have occurred. My dear Nagas, where do we stand today and where do we stand tomorrow? You can only expect the worst in days to come. We need each other like never before. If not now, when? God be with us if He has not yet forsaken us.
