Kenilo Kent
Lower Pezielietsie, Kohima
It is ungodly to exploit the sake of religion for a political cause. The politics of the world is not constituted by any religious book or justifiable on the grounds of religious doctrines. Patriotism motivated with religion is a dangerous enterprise apt to be misinterpreted as Fanaticism. A movement without the will of its people is not Nationalism but organised patriotism. Nationalism is not a racial movement or a territorial conflict. Nationalism is a consciousness justified on the peoples’ right to self determination largely on account of one’s unique history, culture/tradition and political goals. To what do we attribute to, the fault in the approach towards Naga political imbroglio?
In the whims of patriotism, factionalism and respite-full attitude towards the GOI, the NPGs have failed to sow the seeds of Nationalism upon the Naga people and, against Bertrand Russell’s view, diminished its capacity to judge the fatherland's foreign policy. It is a foremost obligation that every Naga Factions reconcile under a common banner, if not for the sake of Independence such factions are no Nationalists at all, just a syndicate of criminals exploiting the consciousness of the working class. It is undeniable that Nagas cannot afford to draw its boundaries with the blood of wars so the continual procurement of arms and militarisation is a wasteful enterprise of an extremists’ arrogance, the resources instead could be utilised to educate the Naga people on the national movement, instigate propagandas on Nationalism through publicised newsletters, magazines and pamphlets, sponsor public debates and seminars, establish libraries and institutions of learning on Naga Nationalism, researches on Naga constitutions and Judiciary, form Naga foreign policy and build International perspective on Naga Movement: thus ushering in the rise of a Modern Pan Nationalism. Naga Nationalism lacks the attention of international bodies. It is necessary to partake in active international politics and the NPGs could initiate by emphasising its focus on the UNPO member countries asserting for similar cause, make political visits to such areas and form ties, create a global umbrella network and make its presence felt in the international platform.
Nagaland is on the verge of self destruction. Asserting political liberation and neglecting the process of nation building only projects the outlook of the NPGs as sitting ducks while its heart corrodes in the measles of corruption, lawlessness and stale developmental progress apart from the menace of extortion, illegal taxation, and its sore public relation. The NPGs cannot claim to be Nationalists without protecting the interests of the Nagas from threats within and outside. In fact the threats within have so much escalated as to at par with the greater adversary, and the inaction and the deafening silence of the NPGs only demits its credibility and its cause. Nation building is an inalienable part of Nationalism, should the NPGs start building one? It is commendable that ACAUT in its four years of existence have delivered a more positive contribution to the cause of nation building.
It is logical to acknowledge that India still in its 69th year of Independence is as sensitive in its spirit of Nationalism as is Naga’s political imbroglio roughly in its 99th annum. While the former have positioned itself as a key player in global economics and established its influence in International politics, the later managed to reel under a mysterious Framework Agreement and little in International Politics with infrequent contact to UNHRC in Geneva, UNWGIP and as one of the 42 members in the UNPO which includes District of Columbia (Washington DC), Taiwan and Tibet at The Hague. In the International perspective the staggering 92.5 % share of central taxes or grants to run Nagaland as a state equates its dependency on India’s economy, that India at the expense of its tax payers’ is willing to expend such figures and much more to ensure its integrity further emphasise the region as a grave political importance to India. Also faction-ism have destroyed its credibility projecting its image no different than multiple groups of rebels asserting for justification for the world to consider Nagas’ case no specific subject of interest. In face of escalated conflict few nations will risk their relationship over India’s alleged ‘internal affairs’, at best in the refuge of political asylum the NPGs could take India to the ICC for the many war crimes of the past.
Marx and Engels saw nationalism as a 'false consciousness', an inception of illusion in the working class from revolting against oppression by the capitalist class: perhaps a consciousness now vastly exploited by the corrupt few surfing upon a pool of peace and economic packages dispensed by the GOI? Naga Nationalism which emerged against the GOI’s control over Naga inhabited areas is at present a vicious reprisal continually sustained by extortion, illegal taxation and faction-ism at the expense of blinded soldiers shooting in the dark. What was then the Naga Nationalist Movement have now depreciated to polarised nationalism based on factions and tribes loosely swinging from Racial to Religious and Territorial Movement.
In the end for the vast majority of the common Nagas life must go on with or without the various Factions: largely seen as the usual hindrances to social and economic transactions, and its cause a corroded tribal sensation, even a reprisal that will lose impetus with time and are least bothered to their cause. It is time the NPGs reform its approach to the Naga political imbroglio, build a strong public relation, reframe its image and restore the morality of its people. Only then in the right-while a generation of leaders- entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers, doctors, professors, thinkers, writers, artists and other nation builders along with the rest of the Nagas will rise in the spirit of Nationalism and make a new difference. Perhaps establish our rightful national identity.
Alone we can do little, together we can do so much.
