RC Chiten Jamir
The New Compact Bible Dictionary describes the Babel Tower as the Gate of God but it is popularly used for the huge and tall structure built in the alluvial plain of Shinar – Gen. 11:1-9. Shinar was situated in Babylonia where other cities like Babel Erech, Accad, Calneh were built – Gen. 10: 10. The famous Babel Tower was also constructed there – Gen. 11:1-9.
At the time of conceiving the construction of the Babel Tower, there was only one people, only one language and only one purpose and aspiration in the world at that point of time. It was indeed very much like the Nagas of the early forties and fifties; one people – the Nagas, one language i.e. every Naga Tribe was speaking only of the Naga Independence. The Naga political sentiments and aspirations conceived only the Naga Babel Tower of Independence – one people, one language and one purpose.
These men of Shinar who were talking about the Babel Tower were the generations immediately following the Crisis of the Flood. The main cause of the Flood was the wickedness of those generations of mankind. When God saw how wicked everyone was and how evil their thoughts were all the time, He regretted very deeply that He had ever made them. He decided to wipe out the people and everything from the face of the earth. The Babel Tower – the gate of God as its meaning connotes the obvious intention of the people – “Now let us make a city with a tower that reaches the sky, so that we can make a name for ourselves and not be scattered all over the earth.” They simply ignored God and decided to go on their own to the place where God was, to be equal with Him. Then, God went down from Heaven to the Earth to see the city and the Tower, the top of which was aimed so as to reach the Seat of God.
In their minds they thought that they would reach the Heaven on their own. This was the most hateful thing that God could not tolerate. He promptly acted to dislodge and pre-empt the wicked devices of those people. He went down to the earth to see the things for himself. He discovered that these were all one people, and that they spoke only one language – Gen. 11:6. God found out the evil imaginations of men. “And God saw that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” Gen.6:5.
The punishment was the Noahic Flood. This time too, for the same wickedness God created confusion in the language of the people. He disturbed their language and there was terrific confusion of language. Great misunderstanding, confusion and quarrels arose and the Babel Tower project collapsed. The people did not realize that there was a person greater than the Babel Tower. The evil and diabolic designs challenged the authority of God but He pre-empted their wicked plans. God cannot and will not tolerate anything and everything that would negate His plans and purposes in the world.
The people who decided to construct the Babel Tower were the direct descendants of Noah. During the Flood only Noah, his wife, sons and daughters-in-law were the only people saved in the Noah’s Ark. God saw that they were the only people in all the world who did what was right – Gen.7:1. These same people who were the stumps of the people in the pre-Noahic Flood, have gone right back to the old way of life – the evil and sinful way of life to strike a deal to go against God who had preserved them through the destructive flood.
Perhaps, the Nagas are also in the same condition as the descendants of Noah were. God in His great mercy, redeemed the Nagas from the evils and diabolic wickedness of head hunting and dehumanizing hatred, pride and prejudices of tribalism, but the Nagas within less than half a century seem to have gone back to the old habit. The obnoxious spirit of headhunting and monstrous tribal fundamentalism are eroding the Naga Way of Life and Naga unity. The Nagas were proud to be a people, in fact a unique identity, blessed with a strong sense of Naga Nationalism, convicted of a political will and aspiration to live as a people, with one political language, as of one mind and purpose. But as of now, nothing of these things are on the ground. Nebuchadnezzar’s Great Image was struck by a ‘Stone that was cut without hands’ reducing the Image into pieces. In the same manner, something has struck down the Naga Political Babel Tower as well. The Naga Political Language is confused. From only one Language, it has become countless languages and even dialects, and hence the confusion. Perhaps the Nagas may realise that there is ONE greater than the Naga Political Language. In the Naga Political Scenario whether the Naga tribes can allow each other to live and let live being reconciled through the blood of Jesus Christ? Are the Nagas covertly or overtly reverting back to the pre-Christianity status? The psychological susceptibilities, local realities and regional pressures which are counter-productive for the Naga Nation are eroding the Naga Unity, Integrity and Naga issue. The time has come for the Nagas to pull out from the narrow circles of particularisms, such as the tribe, regional and geographical periphery.
A mindset of being a Naga first and a Naga last is what the Nagas need desperately. We cry for peace, but what we think, or what we say and do are all negative of peace. Unless we dismount from the Naga pride and hypocrisy God will not bless the Nagas. Let the Nagas sincerely seek the will of God with all humility and turn from our wicked ways so that He will forgive us and bless us and heal our land.
In this 21st century, globalised society has come to stay. Slowly but surely the narrow particularisms, traditional nationalism and narrow isolated outlooks are giving way to corporate co-existence. If in a country there are more than one ethnic identity, tribe,
Culture, language or religion, then the people are compelled to co-exist to live and let live. The indispensability of co-existence is an absolute imperative. The reluctance to acknowledge this is a sure ground to breed hatred, prejudice, mistrust, misgivings, enmity and hostilities among the different components of the society.
Although because we are human, doubts, misgivings, prejudices and hurts may assail us, but if we resolutely follow the paths of democracy and pursue the peaceful means of solving our common legitimate problems and float along the will and providence of God, we shall surely have a better Nagaland blessed with genuine peace, prosperity and goodwill. My God bless Nagaland.
