Z Lohe
Beginning with the ceasefire between the GoI and the NSCN (IM) in 1997 followed by NSCN (K) and the few other groups too entered into ceasefire with the GoI. The very ceasefire with the GoI begot twin peace in Nagaland. One of the twins is the Privileged Peace and the other is the Suppressive Peace. Since then the people have been reeling under the two typical lopsided environments in Nagaland during the last 25 years.
Under the Privileged Peace, certain categories of people have been enjoying their freedom extensively for the last two and half decades. The ceasefire has warded off the necessary interventions of the law maintaining forces from all law violating activities. The Privileged Peace is thus the Paradise for those who indulge in all kind of anti-people activities. Under the Privilege Peace, the freedom is used to threat, intimidate, levy heavy illegal taxes, extort and kidnap for ransom and murder series of targets. Several of the extreme cases were neither reported to Police nor placed in the public domain but the victims born it in solitude. The ceasefire is thus used as the license by those unscrupulous lot to do according to whatever their heart-greed lead them to. Their soft targets are the vulnerable business community in particular with consequential devastating impact on the common man. These people do not value human life and they are found to be mostly sadists as they enjoy at the suffering and the destruction of others.
Under Privileged Peace, Nagaland is converted into safe haven under the direct or indirect patronage of the State Government for those who are hell bent to make hey while the sun shines. Indeed, the creamy layer of the groups established their economic kingdoms here in Nagaland and beyond to the extent of acquiring landed assets in cities in India. Many of them sent their children for foreign studies abroad and all these have been at the cost of impoverishing the bona fide citizens of Nagaland.
Nevertheless, all the Naga National workers are neither uniformly selfish nor senseless nor irrational. I am sure there are few who remain patriotic upholding the principle of dedication and sacrifice though living in tatters due to their honesty in the fear of God. I salute those honest cadres belonging to any group who remain to be the asset of Naga Nationalism.
Under the Privileged Peace, the Government of Nagaland virtually remained a mere spectator to all the anti-people activities as it miserably failed to protect the business community in particular from the menace of unabated illegal taxation during the last 25 years. It is reportedly known that there used to be percentage deduction from developmental funds for certain NPGs almost officially as it is normally carried out on regular basis. As observed in the Privileged Peace, the elected Government practically plays the role of the second fiddle as it remains liable to be dictated by extraordinary forces.
Beside, the State Government remains tainted as it never becomes free from the allegations of collecting similar illegal taxes from the public. For instance, the Nagaland Contractors and Suppliers Union (NCSU) lodged complaint to Chief Minister through a representation that “the members of NCSU are taxed heavily by different agencies and groups including Government Departments and officials.” “..…after completion of the works allotted, when the contractors approached the concerned Department for release of payment, instead of releasing the bill to the contractors the concerned Departments demand high percentage (without any written document),” and when the contractors refused percentage cut, the bills are withheld as complained and was published in local papers dated 31.3.2022. The reasons are better known to the elected authority for the lackadaisical attitude of the State Government towards its constitutional responsibilities as for redressing the suffering public under the ‘Paradise’. Whenever anyone raises the issue of extortion and illegal taxation, one tends to blame the Naga national cadres alone. Yet, the ground reality is that these cadres are not the only people who harass the gullible business community and the general public but many of the State Govt. officials too indulge in all kinds of illegal taxation as divulged by the affected people.
Recently, the RPP demanded for imposition of President’s Rule in Nagaland to which the NDPP promptly reacted in defense of its ministry as though it is fit to throw the first stone at the adulterer. How bitter the criticism may be and how hurting it is to the ego of NDPP might be, no sensible party would have invoked self-embarrassment by claiming that it remains to be transparent, accountable and espouses good governance when its Government has the audacity of creating a whooping budget deficit of Rs.2212.74 crore for 2021-22 to cite the least. A Govt. having robbed the salaries of its poor and hand to mouth employees is more aghast than the demand for PR.
Whereas the undue advantages on the given situation taken by the privileged sections became the Suppressive Peace as for the gullible and defenseless public. Under such repressive environment, the business people had to slap the tax burden on the retail rates of the commodities whereby the prices of commodities in Nagaland are costlier than those are in Manipur despite the difference in freight charges between the two States. In the Suppressive Peace, the general public are forced to bear the brunt of the Privileged Peace. Things under peace have been in haywire for too long. In Nagaland, we know not as to how many local nascent entrepreneurs were forced to abandon their business ventures under the hostile environment. The destruction of Nagaland economy under ceasefire in the last 25 years is thus immeasurable.
The above being the brief backdrop, the Naga political solution is the sole remedy for the disease from which Nagaland in particular has been suffering all these years. There is no other better option to heal Nagaland from all types of repressive and suppressive activities if not the political solution is worked out between the negotiating parties. The solution may not change our world magically, and yet I am hopeful that it will definitely mitigate a lot of ailments inflicting Nagaland.
There is neither ambiguity nor confusion on the rejection of the NSCN (IM)’s demand for Constitution and flag by GoI although it is my gallery observation. Recently, there was hue and cry of NSCN (IM) and its cohorts condemning the Minister and Nagaland BJP President Imna Along for the divulgence of the GoI’s refusal to grant the two demands for Constitution and flag, it is going to be difficult to prove him wrong. Indeed it is in the interest of everyone that NSCN (IM) becomes practical in its pursuance for solution. If at all NSCN (IM) determines to fulfill the commitment made in its Framework Agreement, better become realistic.
Well, had there not been 16-Point Agreement of 1960, the Nagaland State would not have been born. When NSCN (IM) hates this agreement, it indeed hates Nagaland as a State. Once I wrote that you hate the tree (Nagaland) but you like its fruit (the wealth of Nagaland). The 16-Point Memorandum of 1960 is now a 62 years old history. During 1960s the ball was not in the court of NSCN (IM), but in the court of the pioneers of Nagaland Statehood including Dr SC Jamir, former Governor, and they managed to promote it from a Naga District in Assam to that of a full fledged Statehood. Today, that very ball has been in the court of NSCN (IM) for the last 25 years, and here is your opportunity to fetch a higher status than the status of 1960s for the Nagas. Who am I to advise NSCN (IM) not to be so obsessed with Dr. SC Jamir, you have the liberty to hate or to love. The only fact is that Dr Jamir is not a negotiator but a mere facilitator who has no power to impose his opinion upon any negotiator unlike NSCN (IM) as one of the Naga negotiators having the power to assert. It is time for NSCN (IM) to rise above nitpickery and focus on how to bring about a solution without losing the chance.
As and when the political agreement between the GoI and the Nagas evolves, it is going to be on the volition of the respective signatories. Such agreement cannot be under coercion or duress. 25 years is too long a duration for any political negotiation to have its logical end. It is time that the negotiators become decisive either to have solution or opt out without delaying tactics.
