Khekiye K Sema, IAS (Retd)
Dimapur
From the firsthand feedback being received thus far…it appears that my recent article entitled "THE END GAME OF NSCN (IM) - (MUIVAH'S GANG) published in our local papers has evoked a great deal of both positive and negative sentiments and emotions from the readers.
It was heartwarming that there were an overwhelming majority out there who expressed their appreciation for my honest efforts and many even went a step further by calling me up and verbally wishing me long life with a sincere prayer that God would protect me and keep me safe from stray bullets…and so on. There were however some other folks who literally cursed me to hell as a self-demeaning hate monger. I would in fact like to sincerely thank my detractors…it is because of them I am writing this column to let them know that what I write has nothing to do with hatred against anybody…be it individual or a community. That’s the truth!
At least we are fortunate to be living in a democratic environ to freely be able to express ourselves…thus far. So now let me say this to all those Nagas, be it from Nagaland or elsewhere, who have brutally cursed me to hell, to very honestly try and answer this one simple question: Would you honestly be agreeable to allow someone that you hardly know much about to decide your destiny, the destiny of your children, the destiny of your grand-children and the destiny of your great grand-children for all times to come...without telling you what that destiny is all about or what that destiny is going to be like???!!! As for me, I certainly have no appetite to allow such an unfortunate thing from happening during our watch as senior citizens and allow events to unfold that would literally condemn our children and our grand children to a life of eternal damnation while still living on earth. My whole effort is solely focused on this one single narrative…nothing more nothing less. My sincere endeavor has therefore been directed towards all those individuals or community who has been spending their time and energy trying to destabilize an honorable social order through deceit. So, if we are honest Nagas…free from fear and money mongering…then I would like to believe that this is a subject that every sane Naga would consider it absolutely unacceptable and must be condemned without any reservation!
This brings us to the subject of the Tangkhuls…and the NSCN (IM) yet again. An honest history is an account of what had really transpired in time and whoever much we may dislike what did happen in real time, it cannot be re-written differently. Let me make it absolutely clear that I have nothing personal against the Tangkhuls as a Tribe or as a people. Indeed it is a universal knowledge that there will always be bad apples amongst the good apples in every community without exception…and without doubt there will be many fine respectable human beings within the Tangkhul community as well. It is however a fact that a few predominantly Tangkhul led outfit called the NSCN (IM) who are perpetuating such a demonic chaos through their arrogant refusal to let the Nagas of Nagaland know what the hell they are demanding from the GoI as a final settlement of the Naga issue!!! They do not seem to realize that they are negotiating for the Nagas as a whole and not for their own NSCN (IM) cadre! They do not seem to realize that we the people are the stakeholders for heaven’s sake…and that our fate cannot be decided without telling us what our future is going to be!!!We therefore want to know FIRST what that future is all about before it is committed for all times to come!!! But this Tangkhul outfit called the NSCN (IM) is arrogantly determined to take the non-transparent path!!!! Are the Nagas of Nagaland wrong or not entitled to demand for such elementary rights???!!!! It is awfully unfortunate that the ‘king pin driving force’ deciding this most crucial Naga Solution issue happen to practically be all Tangkhuls...with all the other Naga Tribes silently following like eunuchs in a Tangkhul harem as a superficial window dressing to give it a Naga look...and so...when I truthfully address this main issue that matters to us all...there are many out there who take it as a personal grudge against one Tribe/individual or the other. Let me say this very plainly and honestly to all my detractors…I too have very good Tangkhul friends...but the subject we are addressing here has nothing to do with our personal feelings or personal relationships....it is a matter of a much higher order called a matter of principle and a matter of propriety...and therefore...I stand firmly as a Naga of Nagaland on a matter of principle such as this...any day...even if it hurts the sentiments of those who may be in disagreement. After all, I have lived my share of living more than what is left ahead of me and the least I can do is to try and share my honest thoughts for the sake of greater good for our people…as best I can.
May the Almighty God have mercy on the Nagas…Amen.