N Rong
This article is produced responding to the Naga People Declaration held at Senapati on 1st July 2010 to sever ties with the Government of Manipur and sought for alternate arrangement to fill the vacuum/gap created in the recent times. The Naga people living in the hill districts of Manipur are suffering for so long under the majority ruled Government of Manipur where their voices are least represented and their rights least bothered by the government. As world pursue sustainability in all forms, alternative is a way out to find the amicable solution. Alternative arrangement that allows the stakeholders to have the sovereign right over their resources and land, the course of actions and processes that will shape and decide their future become mandatory to meet various needs and aspirations of the struggling people.
Naga people having experienced the worst situations of the past and recent from the Government of Manipur, felt the need for alternative arrangement/governance system/government for Naga Hills districts of Manipur (Chandel, Tamenglong, Senapati and Ukhrul) with immediate effect to protect their rights viz. traditional, customary, historical and political as a people until the Indo-Naga peace process come to its logical and honorable settlement. Having fully supporting the ongoing Indo-Naga peace process between the Government of India and NSCN (IM), the Naga demand alternative arrangement for Naga Hill districts with immediate effect is paramount. The recent Mao-Gate tragedy speaks volume how the peaceful environment of the peace loving Nagas are met with the brute force killing 2 students by the State Security Forces of Manipur injuring more than hundreds amounting to human rights violation threatening the Naga civilians. The oppressive and suppressive nature of majority ruled Manipur Government posit a great threat to the Naga people, so therefore, alternative arrangement for governance and administration of the Naga Hills District is of paramount.
Having taken to consideration, the government of Manipur where the dominant valley based Meiteis community has got 40(forty) solid seats out of 60 Seats in Assembly Floor will never allow the people living in Naga Hills Districts their due rights in every front as any bills, amendments, legislation, policy passed in the floor needs vote of majority. Therefore, it is time now for the people of Naga Hills districts to manage and govern their own affairs as best suited to them. When the final political settlement of Indo-Naga peace process has arrived, the Naga Hills districts will come under the settled arrangement.
The executive, legislative, judiciary and financial matters should be managed by the alternative government as the corruption culture and step motherly treatment meted out by the Manipur Government speak volume of how much the Naga Hills people have suffered from the Manipur Government for past many years. Alternative arrangement for governance of the Hills Districts can be formulated through democratic processes. Henceforth all the development funds, administration, legislation, executive and judiciary shall be handled b. The modalities of the alternative Government should be worked out in consultation with the Naga people and the subject matter experts. This is to avoid the further conflict and confrontation between the Meiteis and Naga people and to protect, preserve the rights of the Nagas. It should be an arrangement before the final negotiated solution is arrived between the Government of India and NSCN (IM).
This alternative arrangement should create conducive environment for the peace-process to a higher and better level of negotiation. The alternate arrangement is all possible. At times when another ethnic war-like situation was avoided, all peace loving people, government, civil society should seize the moment to make the alternative possibilities possible. By this, the writer means to say that the parallel outworking is a must to bring the longest conflict in South Asia to a logical conclusion. Searching alternatives to be part of the solution is a must. This doesn’t mean the piecemeal solution of any sort, but this means that creating of situations which will enhance and optimize peace processes to bring an honorable and acceptable settlement to both the parties at the earliest.
Thinking out of box now, if, the Naga people were allowed to manage their own affairs, to self govern, to form a separate government; the grass root village republic governance system based on historical practices will be a beauty of its kind for the world to re-learn again. The world now is pursuing passionately for the empowerment of communities with the minimum intervention of structural institutions. Each Naga village can be turned to a small industry/factory of one kind or the other once they are allowed to self govern. Each individual family has got paddy field and land, each village has got forest land other natural resources, one village can be a centre of pottery items, one can be of cane and bamboo industry, one can be traditional shawls, one can be horticultural products like mangoes, oranges, lemon, passion fruits etc. etc. This is a simple illustration whereby challenge why can’t Naga stand on its own, if there is a doubt of self reliance if nation as such. To achieve that, political rights and freedom is prerequisite and so long, the so called development packages without accountability and ethical responsibility has done more harm than good to the people. From this point of view, Naga political settlement stands imperative for peace, progress and prosperity. Apart from this the mineral deposits can be another great avenue for revenue among other like eco-tourism, art and music industry, services etc.
The Naga people by now have understand the term or word development, it is not a controversial contract works given to any person and the government always find excuses for percentage cut or whatsoever, the development as the younger generation understand is as pointed out by the Dag Hammarskjold Foundation(1975), which they called five principles of “Another Development’. Firstly need oriented- being geared to meeting human needs, both material and non-material; secondly endogenous-stemming from the heart of each society, which defines in sovereignty its values and the vision of the future; thirdly self-reliant: implying that each society relies primarily on its own strength and resources in terms of its members’ energies and its natural and cultural environment; fourthly ecologically sound-utilising rationally the resources of the biosphere in full awareness of the potential of local ecosystems as well as the global and local outer limits impose on present and future generations; fifthly based on structural transformation- so as to realize the conditions required for self-management and participation in decision making by all those affected by it, from the rural or urban community to the world as a whole, without which the goals above could not be achieved.
All the development programmes implemented in the entire north east in general and Naga areas in particular are all developmental models tested from the mainland India. Such programmes do not fit much to the Naga society. Naga people need a political power to govern, legislate and execute their own affairs which they have been fighting for almost seventy years now. Therefore, at the first place the basic need of the Nagas to govern, to legislate and to execute is not met. Apart from this political need, the basic rights like right to life are also being challenged by AFPSA (1958) that allowed the Security Forces to kill the civilians on suspect. Therefore, talking of development solution to meet political problem will no bear fruit at the end. Development cannot be talked or fully realized without talking a sense of belongingness, the sense of belongingness and ownership will only establish when the basic human needs of freedom is met. Until that is met, there will not be active participation with sense of ownership and belongingness. Most of the schemes and programmes are tailored and designed like a readymade clothes, whether a person is a small or big one has to wear the clothes provided by the government. Therefore, from the distinctiveness of the needs and responses of the mainland India and Nagas from the cultural, traditional, landscape, economic system, political set point of view, the true sense of development for Nagas can never be realized. Until there are sufficient educational institutions with effective staffs regularly posted at their posting place, until there are doctors in the dispensaries, until there are officers in the offices in villages and blocks, until a poor widow gets a social security effectively, until a poor get a proper shelter, how can a development and progress can be talked? The education (primary, higher, vocational and alternate), health care, social welfare, housing and shelter, community development, forestry et al are the basic elements towards economic development. Therefore, there is a need to think in alternative terms. What is or the solutions to these problems? If Nagas need shoes and they are given socks, it is obvious that they will try all means to get shoes. Therefore, the need of the Nagas which is political settlement need be addressed urgently. There is no point of giving a rose to a person after chopping of his nose.
The resources spent to contain the Naga problem must be costing dearly to the Indians and the Nagas have dearly paid for her freedom in terms of thousands of lives, property lost, granaries burnt, women raped and molested and in other words in blood and tears. Thirteen years of negotiation is long enough, both side should expedite the peace process with seriousness, sincerity and commitment.
Meanwhile, the parallel outworking of the Reconciliation for Common Hope should gain more ground as it did in the recent Chiangmai Meet. Now, is the time for all the factions to form a united government to forge into a coherent and unified force with one voice to bring home the common hope that each Naga people is longing for ages. FNR should work harder to make the reconciliation at the highest level possible. Basing upon the historical and political rights of the Naga, FNR should draw out a comprehensive roadmap for the Naga availing the inputs from the expertise and professionals. Together, with the civil societies, Naga political parties, experts and professionals FNR should plan for inclusive Forum/Government for inclusive dialogue and negotiation. This is the moment which no right thinking Naga leader should miss it. It is an opportune time. The time to act is now. The moment is calling everyone to respond collectively.
All Naga should not retreat from their knees, all Churches should be sincere, forgiving, and the leaders all the more should be more humbled not in words alone but in their inner sense. As the saying goes, ‘humility makes the great greater’. So much so the humble leaders will make a Nation greater. Let this journey of common hope and reconciliation be a journey of each soul to truly know who they are and bring to a sense that without body, mind and soul integrated together as one an individual is an incomplete being. So much so, without each Individual, each Naga family, each Naga tribe, each Naga political party (ies), a Naga Nation is incomplete. Can we now, hope that with these cohesive forces coming together is bringing a Naga Nation nearer?
Can Naga people once again redefine their society with aged old value system of ‘individual equality by the belief that each person is equal no caste system, self-reliance supported by hard work, humanity outlook guarded by hospitality, nobility guided by straightforwardness, fair and upright living and community services, self-governance and democracy inspired by freedom at lowest village level’? Naga in truest sense believe in brotherhood, humanity, ethical living (no-robbery in the past, social responsibility, upright leadership defined by recognition in the community without being paid), nature loving and consciousness (felling of trees for family consumption in right season, live close with nature), industrious, compassionate, keep one’s words and live up to that... Through the Naga’s attainment of freedom and in the process of their struggle, can the Naga offer these values to the needy world? Is Naga’s Moment Waiting???
Equally important, it is an opportune moment for the Government of India also to respond to the issue with sense of maturity and genuineness towards finding amicable and honorable solution. All throughout the episode since Mao-Standoff, Government of India have shown restraint though lackadaisical attitude cannot be ruled out. What Government of India should do is to respond to the 7(seven) decades old Indo-Naga issue with creative approach and commitment. Creative common approach basing on the historical and political rights of both with best workable relational ties between the two entities will benefit both in long term. Perhaps, this will enhance and capacitate the internal and external security of both the entities. Acknowledging, the nick of the time, both should better understand each other by now, whereby, mutually acceptable and honorable solution need be worked out. Therefore, the Indo-Naga peace talks by now should find a final political solution. This will only pave way for peace, prosperity and progress for both.
