Dr. Asangba Tzudir
The current Indian political situation that has developed in the wake of what happened in Jammu and Kashmir has set the alarm bells ringing in the Naga inhabited areas, yet in an uncertain pretext. And considering India’s political roadmap and its ‘grand narratives’, it has already started to reflect the future. Undemocratic dictates going against the rights of the people have only made democracy a farce, an ideal on which the idea of India as a Nation rests.
The political developments since then have triggered the speculative minds into assumptions causing various sorts of apprehensions which are genuine. Where does this take the Nagas within the larger question of identity and rights? This paramount question comes at a time when Nagas find themselves in a paradoxical situation - Nagas without borders talking about borders. What then is the way forward? Does it not call for redefining the Naga self’ and the ‘will’? Only such a redefinition will set the tone for resetting the Naga political roadmap.
Now considering the tumultuous Naga political journey, the resetting and strengthening of the Naga Political roadmap calls for a kind of leadership that seeks healing. This has become an urgent necessity considering the future repercussion because the ‘techne’ of control is such that what could have hardly been even imagined has now become a reality.
The divisions caused through divisive politics throughout Naga political journey, though not entirely of their own making is in need of healing in order to recreate a process of reconciliation. Where will the healing come from? The answer lies in leadership that engages in a language of healing as a means to reconciliation. This comes within the challenges of differences, mistrust and disrespect for each other. The current situation thus calls for a leadership that envisages the need to be inclusive towards building trust. However, this leadership needs to speak the language of healing within the collective ‘Naga will’ that has the heart to accommodate and represent the Naga aspirations towards liberating the Nagas and transcending beyond the boundaries. Simply put, Nagas need to understand and embrace the other and for which a leadership that calls for healing of past wounds is needed.
The Naga political journey has followed a similar conundrum like the modern world that is still learning about accommodating differences, and Nagas too are learning the hard way and bearing the brunt while trying to settle the differences.
The current psychological warfare of suspicion, doubt, confusion, fear and uncertainty in the midst of the Nagas continues to create divisions and it is only through the language of healing that will find the collective ‘Naga will.’
(Dr. Asangba Tzudir writes a weekly guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
