Book Review
A Naga’s Quest for fulfillment: SC Jamir
Hardback: Rs. 500 ISBN: 978-81-932501-0-5 Bhubaneshwar: Apurba.
Moa Jamir
In his autobiography, ‘A Naga’s Quest for fulfillment,’ seasoned politician, only surviving signatories of the 16 point agreement, a firsthand witness to Indian Political history from PT Jawaharlal Nehru to now-Modi, Dr. SC Jamir takes the readers on a whirlwind tour into his history-embedded extraordinary and defining life with no reservation.
As a personal account, thus, the narratives would be fiercely contradicted and contested; may potentially create antagonism in some quarters, yet, his role as an integral part of Naga history in the past few decades is not to be negated.
There is a great possibility of eulogizing some and antagonizing many others - a thin line between fact and fiction to blur the path of truth, Jamir wrote as a disclaimer in his introduction
For someone who started his first journey outside his village boundaries with two hand-woven clothes, some exercise books, a branch of millets, and a pair of wooden sandals packed into a small Java (Kettesu), it has been a singular trip. In short, it is a spectacular political career spanning over six decades starting from the turbulence of the late 50s when he became the joint secretary of the Naga People’s Convention (NPC) to serving under three prime ministers- Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, and Indira Gandhi’s to five times as the Chief Minister to Governorship in three states.
Detractors apart, born on October 17, 1931, Dr. Senayangba Chubasoshi Jamir or popularly known by his honorific SC Jamir is a survivor – literally and figuratively.
His first brush with death occurred in 1947, when a severe bout of ‘measles’ epidemic in his native Ungma Village killed 47 people in three months, including two of his own siblings. Jamir survived.
His other encounters with death occurred during his political career. He miraculously survived four “assassination” attempts during his lifetime.
It is almost impossible to give a complete overview of the book, as the canvas is too broad- traversing international, national and state politics in some defining movements in history.
However, for the benefit of the readers, Jamir’s own retelling of his life trajectories can be divided into three important sections – early life, national politics, and state politics.
The Wonder years
As a sweeping personal account, it starts with narratives about his schooling under pioneering educator Mayangnokcha to Scottish Church College, in Kolkata (Calcutta then) to Allahabad.
Calcutta then had something for everyone and considered a paradise for the creative people, he reminisced while Allahabad was a melting pot of eastern and western ideas.
Fusion with mainlanders also shaped his outlook and worldviews, and by the time he left Calcutta for Allahabad to pursue his Bachelor Degree, his determination to become a doctor (after the aforementioned measles outbreak) was eventually sacrificed for life in politics.
Allahabad was chosen for two reasons: the city had one of the most popular universities in India and it was the birthplace of Nehru. “The University in nutshell shaped my vision and constructed the edifice on which my future stands.”
Incidentally, a chance encounter with Nehru, “who avoided anything remotely connected with the government when he traveled as a Congress functionary,” at Anand Bhavan was also life-altering experience, he wrote.
Into the national and international arena
Jamir’s nomination as the first Member of Parliament during the erstwhile Interim Body before official Statehood of Nagaland in 1961 thrust him into the vortex of the political corridor of National politics at a pivotal moment.
As a Parliamentary Secretary under Nehru and Shastri, as well as a Union Minister under Indira Gandhi and a member of Indian Delegation to United Nations in 1962, he was privy to various historical events having tremendous geopolitical ramifications during that period. Jamir, thus, gives an insider’s accounts on the unfolding historical events.
The Chinese Aggression, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the rise of Indira as an undisputed Congress Leader to name a few are recounted with contextually replete lucid narratives and interesting anecdotes. Jamir tasted electoral defeat for the first time in 1971 for his third term as MP from Nagaland, which necessitated his departure from the national arena. But it opened doors for him to actively participate in the state politics by winning a by-election from Mongoya Assembly Constituency.
The topsy-turvy world of State’s political arena
A person who in all modesty confesses his awe of the oratory skills and convincing ability of legend ‘Phizo’; the conciliatory and optimistic approach of Dr. Imkongliba; and enchanting lectures of Dr. Longri, the narratives traverse from the onset of Naga Political Movement to intricacies and complexities of state politics filled with bigger challenges and dynamics.
Jamir’s instinctive survival both in National and State political arena is intriguing, to say the least, as his action or otherwise, must be seen in the context of what the trajectories of Nagaland state and the Naga political movements have taken in recent years.
In the political arena, the book discusses in details the formation of Nagaland State. Political vendetta, defection, party hopping, inner-party politics and infighting, tribal dynamic affects both state and non-state entities, and not a single actor escape its encompassing rope.
Consequently, Jamir’s first term as Chief Minister lasted for just 48 days (April 18, 1980-June 4, 1980). The narratives on state politics are replete with such events.
While the Naga political history and his stand on the issue have been enunciated in his previous publications-, ‘Bedrock of Naga Society’ (co-authored) and ‘Naga People’s Convention and 16 Point Agreement’ as well as earlier writings, the narratives here are more leisurely and introspectively elaborate.
In other words, unlike his other writings, often vented out due to immediate electoral and political compulsion, the present narrative is not burdened with the urgency of time, thus making it more insightful and retrospective. The book will be an added dimension for researchers in Naga political history, especially after India’s Independence. The book will also pique the interest of any layperson alike.
Due to non-linear storytelling, some readers may find it cumbersome to traverse back and forth especially in the narratives about his early political careers juxtaposing state and national politics with Naga political movement. However, with a minor effort, a clear picture emerges and it becomes more easy reading. A more thorough editing might also have corrected some factual misplacement.
Jamir ingenuity lies in the fact that the biography comes as an ‘honest’ narratives clarifying many doubts as well as making a clear position as to why he stands for what he is today. However, at times, readers may find his narrative ‘proselytizing,’ but if one objectively maneuver beyond that, it’s a compelling and illuminating read.
“The boat of my life began charting its own course in the great political ocean, slowly but steadily and surely, with a single-minded determination at heart, that is, the welfare of the Naga people and then Nagaland.” Did Jamir fulfill his quest? Read the book to know.
