
Dr. B. Angami
Kuda Village, Dimapur
The incident that transpired at Hebron on the 19th April, 2012 which has attracted the attention of the world throws up some very disturbing observations.
General George, the CFMG Chairman, admits that there was a mistake on the part of the Assam Rifles(AR) for having gone within 1 km of the designated camp as stipulated in the cease-fire ground rules but in the same breath he maintained that there was no malafide intent. Ask any citizen of Kuda or Dimapur for that matter and they will tell you of the frisking and harassment meted out to them on a daily basis by the AR. They know where Hebron is. The CF ground rules have been hammered into their regimented minds. And the Gen George seems to be saying that the five AR personnel strayed accidentally into the NSCM(IM) GHQ area not able to gauge whether they were going within 1 km of Hebron. Is it a reflection of the quality of AR trainings for its jawans?
The names of two personalities have also emerged from the incident. Mr Shambhu Singh, an IAS officer from Manipur State cadre, on deputation to the Ministry of Home Affairs posted as Joint Secretary in charge of the North East. The other, is a young officer in the AR, Major Sukanta(Sumokanta) under whose direction the five AR jawans had been made to venture into the lion’s mouth as guinea pigs, so to say. It is said that commissioned officers come on deputation to the AR for some few years and revert back to their parent regiments on completion of tenure. Could that be the reason that the reputation of the AR has been so frequently tarnished by officers on deputation who have no loyalty to the image of the AR as “friends of the hill people”.
Mr Shambhu Singh has an axe to grind for upholding the territorial integrity of Manipur given that he is an aspirant for Chief Secretaryship of Manipur. The AR who are stationed in the north east functions under him. His role in promoting division among the Naga people and undermining tribal peoples’ movements particularly in Manipur State have already been established. Although a bureaucrat, he has been playing politics. That a mere Major has put his career at such great risk cannot happen without the complicity and endorsement of Mr Shambhu Singh. While the Indo-Naga dialogue is taking place to work out a political solution at the Prime Minister level, Shambhu Singh is using the AR to indulge in military interference to derail the higher peace process. Either there is a sharp rift between the Government of India and the Ministry of Home Affairs(NE) or the Government of India has given up on its sincerity, commitment and “outside the box” approach to the Indo-Naga issue. Or still a more disturbing possibility – is there a disconnect/rift between the Government of India and the Indian Army, which have been speculated in the media but is now manifest from the Hebron episode ?
The name of Major Sukanta is figuring quite often in connection with raids and rounding up of UGs with missionary zeal. This time around he is the camp commander who directed the intrusion to his five jawans. What axe has he to grind? First he is a Meitei and that community, be they in the police, army, underground, professionals, politics or just commoners, they are fired by the zeal to protect territorial integrity of Manipur. Naga aspiration is anathema to them. Hence Naga political groups which supports Naga integration and reconciliation are the sworn enemies. The alleged kinship with Manipur CM, Ibobi which has not been refuted so far, also points to the reason for his interested crusade outside the bounds of duty, even to the extent of violation of the CF ground rules.
Now, having said thus far, how is the chain of command in the AR placed in this episode. Did the intrusion into Hebron have the approval of the senior officers? If so, then it confirms the speculation that Shambhu Singh had schemed the whole drama using the MHA(NE) card. If it was done under the direction of Maj Sukanta alone, then the AR must book him for violating the CF ground rules and jeopardising the ceasefire that had been signed by the Government of India. Is the indo-Naga ceasefire so fragile so much so that a Joint Secretary in the MHA or a major in the AR can determine whether it should continue or not.
The Assam Rifles , if they are to regain the affection of being ”friends of the hill people” must refrain from playing politics and being hypocritical in the media. The incident was not “imposed” on them and the “grave provocation” has been from their side only. The people cannot buy that and such dishonesty and deception would alienate them further from the people they otherwise are suppose to befriend.
The incident at Hebron is not about NSCN(IM). It is about cease-fire and the peace process. All political groups which have become partners in the peace process with cease-fire agreements, the state Government and all the Naga people are the stakeholders. The community based Naga organisations must go out into the streets instead of issuing press statements. The peace that we enjoy is being toyed with by some jawans, attempting to tear it up in childish tantrums.
Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. Nagas must not be blinded by narrowness. We must be able to see into the heart of the matter. It is not about the 4 or 5 guns that are yet to be handed over. It is about the cease-fire and peace with which we are able to live with dignity and honour. May we always be reminded by the words of Martin Niemollar, a victim of the Nazis –
“ First they came for the communists. And I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the trade unionist. And I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews. And I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me”