Abraham Lotha
For years Nagas have been told, “The peace process is in the final stage.” But nothing happened -- only repetitive news reports of “deadlock” and “breakdown” of the negotiations. One has to wonder what happens at the Indo-Naga negotiations and Peace Talks.
On December 6, 2021, Tokheho Yepthomi, the MP from Nagaland, spoke in the Lok Sabha about the incident at Oting village where innocent villagers were killed by the Indian security forces. Soon after Tokheho’s speech, many Nagas expressed dissatisfaction on social media. “Our elected MP at Lok Sabha! Can’t really say if he is nervous or tongue tied,” commented one. Many others felt that Tokheho is not competent enough to represent the Nagas well.
Can not the same be asked about the underground leaders – NSCN-IM and the Working Committee (WC) of Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) – who are negotiating with their Indian counterparts? Are these leaders wise, diplomatic and competent enough to speak, dialogue and negotiate on behalf of the Nagas?
I asked a senior NSCN-IM leader what happens at the negotiations and he replied: “Muivah remembers Naga history but keeps repeating. At the Talks, Muivah talks first, but repeats the same. [There are] Very few additional inputs from other members. Kipa kopi, kopi, koilebi dosura manu khan para to ekunakoi” (Even if the other members are told to say something, they don’t say anything).” This senior IM leader also added, “At the negotiations, there is no feeling of progress or moving on. The same topics are discussed again and again. We have become redundant.”
The NNGPs, on the other hand, are a collective stooge of R.N. Ravi and the Indian intelligence mechanism. There’s no confidence that they will speak well for the best interest of all the Nagas.
We are also told that in the spirit of inclusiveness, no stakeholders should be left out of the final agreement. Yet, members from few tribes are included overwhelmingly, but most Naga tribes and most sections of Naga society are not represented in the negotiations.
So, fellow Nagas, are we being represented well at the negotiations? Can those at the Talks articulate, bargain and negotiate well on our behalf? I, for one, feel they are not competent.
Most Nagas blamed the NSCM-IM for keeping the contents of the Framework Agreement to the group, until they did later. Yet, according to a senior NSCN-IM leader, it was R.N. Ravi who advised Modi not to disclose to the public the contents of the Framework Agreement even though the IM leaders were willing. “R.N. Ravi was too smart for us,” the senior IM leader said. It has backfired on both sides and has added to the distrust in the Indian Government and the NSCN-IM.
Fifteen years ago, the word ‘competencies’ was not in the vocabulary of the Naga nationalists. Today, it occurs in every paragraph of Naga nationalist discourse. The NSCN-IM continues to be blamed for not revealing the competencies to the Naga public. The Naga Flag and Constitution seem to have become the cornerstones of Naga nationalism.
Meanwhile, outside of the negotiation rooms, allegations and counter allegations are rampant in the Naga society that are further amplified by misinformation and gossip on social media.
There are contested positions between the Nagas of Nagaland, represented by the 14 Tribes, and the Nagas in other Indian states (Manipur, Assam, and Arunachal) who are sometimes championed by the Naga Hoho whose officials do not have a mandate of most Nagas in Nagaland and whose legitimacy is in question. It is alleged that even though, externally, the Sema Hoho and the Ao Senden do not support the Naga Hoho, internally, their representatives are told to stay put within the Naga Hoho.
Then there’s the Naga Tribes Council (NTC) which claims to champion the cause of the Nagas of Nagaland with recent statements such as, “No outsiders to decide on destiny of Nagas of Nagaland.” Yet, the NTC are deceiving themselves if they think they can bank on the ENPO’s support for a common Nagaland cause. The ENPO are perceived by some as inconsistent, even undependable, when it comes to common Naga concerns including Naga nationalism. There’s a joke in some circles of Nagaland that the ENPO renege on every agreed decision even before they cross the gate of the house where decisions are taken.
Just as many Nagas of Nagaland fear the Nagas outside Nagaland, for reasons substantiated or not, there is also a general feeling in Nagaland that one tribe is too ambitious and aggressive in their aspiration to dominate both Overground and Underground politics in Nagaland, thereby incurring the ill feelings of the other tribes. There is also the feeling that another tribe in Nagaland is clamoring for a social and linguistic domination in the name of a recently constructed common group identity even though not all tribes within that collective are historically members of that group.
Sociologically, one might explain these divisions and rivalries as jostling for limited resources and representation. They certainly are shortsighted. The more discerning among the Nagas may recall the words of Anis Nin here: “We do not see the world as it is. We see the world as we are.”
In December 2021 and the early part of this year, the killing of the innocent villagers in Oting village by the Indian security forces gave the Nagas a shared experience and united them against a common enemy. It reignited the Nagas’ demand for truth, justice, and the repeal of the infamous Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
Unfortunately, that collective energy seems to have dissipated.
It is true that many Nagas, including the NTC, CNTC, ENPO, and Southern Nagas, are in a problem-solving mode. What is lacking though is critical thinking. As Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”This logic also applies to the Nagas.
The NSCN-IM has often touted the idea of “Sovereignty lies with the people.” But sovereignty, as we currently understand it, is not possible for the Nagas at this juncture, especially in the current geopolitical positioning of India and China.
What creative ways, then, do the Naga representatives and negotiators offer to India? Can we learn from other examples in the world that can help foster a win-win solution in the Naga context? How can we help make a breakthrough in the negotiations?
For a start, can senior Naga leaders – Underground and Overground leaders -- such as Muivah, and SC Jamir, Khekiye Sema learn to grow old gracefully? Can they give way to younger, well-educated and sophisticated leaders to negotiate for the Nagas?
Currently many Nagas are caught up in a whirlpool of internal feuds between this Naga and that Naga, this group against that group. This is the kind of time for Nagas of all geographical areas and ideological camps to keep our heads above the churning waters that are threatening to suck us all in. It’s time to propel ourselves out and away from the whirlpool and stay focused on our ultimate objective.
