S C JAMIR
As one of your elders and profoundly rooted son of this sacred soil, I modestly lay claim to bestowal of some knowledge and understanding about our hallowed land, its people and our multi-hued cultural traditions and rich heritage, which has been burnished and tempered by the sheer experience of over five decades of active and fruitful public life amongst you. At this very critical and crucial juncture in our socio-political history, I humbly wish to place before you my vision and conceptualization of a Nagaland, that is peaceful, progressive, prosperous and socio-economically advanced, that will proudly astride the challenges and prospects of the 21st century with élan and confidence.
Friends, we need to shed the stultifying cobwebs of antiquated doctrines and strident postures and reflect upon what is practical, discernible and achievable and in consonance with the contemporary reality. For the past many decades, we have been too obsessed with the protracted Naga political issue and we have not paid enough attention to other pressing matters like economic and human resource development. We have not focused on the changing times, and we have neglected the imperatives of the times. Our obsession with the past has narrowed down our perspectives and we have not been able to broaden our horizons. We have not been able to fully exploit our natural talents and creative capabilities in all spheres of human endeavors. The mental and intellectual canvass in the State has been rendered barren and unproductive due to the staple diet of hackneyed ideologies and alien culture of violence. We have wallowed in the Well of the Past for too long and we have failed to look at the Present, let alone the Future.
The prevailing scenario of lawlessness, wanton violence, benumbing insecurity, rampant corruption, institutional subversion and deteriorating governance in the State, and the lethargy that has prevented us to take any corrective measures to these ills in the State, is an eloquent testimony of the peculiarly pessimistic outlook and negative attitude inflicting our Naga society.
My dear brethren, the past is but a reference only. Howsoever glorious, disappointing, satisfying or distressing it may be, the past cannot replace or supplant the future.
The engine of growth, development and progress cannot be driven by sitting backwards in the driver’s seat with blinkers over the eyes. Yes, while driving the rear-view mirror is an able aid in safely negotiating the journey but only as one of the many instruments to ensure safety and not the only or the most important one. This realization must dawn in our hearts and minds clearly and unmistakably.
There is no denying the fact that our present is bedeviled by myriad predicaments and challenges but what is more disturbing is the apparent lack of will and motivation in our Naga compatriots to extricate themselves and their society from this putrid morass. It is almost as if we have lost our basic human virtue of fighting for our survival and standing our ground amidst all difficulties and travails. Just how long can the proud Naga brethren be cowed down by the adversity of circumstances and prostrate abjectly before the quirks of fate and perversions of man-made distortions? Just how much more can the valiant Naga blood tolerate the oppression, suppression and exploitation by few venal and vested individuals and groups? Where is the famed indomitable and gallant spirit that Nagas are traditionally known for?
Friends, time is beckoning us the intrepid Nagas to show our courage, zeal and altruism to divorce from the forces of destruction and negative ideologies. It is time that we take our fortunes, future and destiny in our own hands and steer the ship of our society to safe and secure anchor on the shores of peace, growth and grandeur. My clarion call to all my young, heroic and daring Naga brethren is to awake, arise and commandeer the fate and future of Nagaland, with intelligence, courage and foresight and most importantly, the awareness and knowledge of the prevailing global scenario and current world-view.
To engender a pragmatic, reasoned and realistic vision of our future, it is vitally essential to envisage, explore, understand and appreciate the kind of world that we are living in today. The last two decades have seen hitherto unprecedented transformation and changes in almost every conceivable sphere of human activity. Rapid strides in scientific and technological advancements, astonishing changes in the economic patterns and trade practices and regimes, rise of trans-nationalism and multi-lateral cooperation frameworks, global conglomerates and business giants, increasing international networking and globalization has virtually challenged and overturned the traditional notions, concepts and assumptions in the sphere of politics and national identities. The fundamental ideas and underlying beliefs of a conventional nation-state are undergoing agitation, cogitation and transmutation. The process is further impacted and compounded by the rise of new and vibrant economic powers like China, India, South-east Asian countries, phenomenal collapse of communism all over the globe and spread of democratic form of governance in new regions of the world as also the overwhelming integrative force exerted by the creation and advance of information technology, internet and world wide web. In fact “politics seems torn by the acceleration of social and economic developments, calling into question the very notion of sovereignty i.e. the ability of states to carry out actions or policies within a territory independently from external actors or internal rivals.”
While designing our political future, we have to recognize the stark contemporary realities of international trading, import-export balance, comparative competitive advantages and prevailing economic regimes. We have to be conversant with all the latest political and economic paradigms shaping the world and also be conscious of our own geo-physical, geo-political and socio-economic constraints.
Friends, I wish to put forth my vision of emerging Nagaland based on a candid and objective appraisal of the economic and political scenario in the world, which is firmly rooted in a pragmatic, sentient and reasoned mental framework. I strongly believe that the younger and more aware generation of the Nagas is acutely conscious of the emerging global politico-economic scaffold and are alive to the presaging challenges. There is no gainsaying the fact that we are global citizens of the 21st century and whether we like it or not, we are inexorably entangled in the march towards the future. Any attempt to tread our separate course or align a different route out of sync with the prevailing streams would relegate us irretrievably into the waste-basket of antiquity and oblivion. The future is one of strong networking, inter-regional cooperation, inter-continental collaboration, bolstering competitiveness, fostering trade relations, forging cross-cultural ties, cementing strategic political and economic partnerships and intelligently harnessing the natural and human resource endowments. Our dreams and conceptions of a strong and resilient Nagaland cannot be divorced from the above considerations and must necessarily be compatible with the 21st century world view. It is common knowledge that all our negotiations and confabulations on the political front has been with the Government of India and given the historical legacy and the current political milieu, it is unreasonable to assume that any rational, dignified and honorable solution for the future of Nagaland can be contrived without the goodwill of the country’s leadership.
A new vision for Nagaland has to necessarily emerge from within the broad contours of India’s entrenched and celebrated virtue of ‘Unity in Diversity’ and its compositeness of culture and traditions.
Friends, if only we can jettison the baggage of the past, the dreariness of yore and frustrations of the bygone, and open our hearts and minds to the exciting and scintillating prospects that await our embrace, we can definitely transform our present gloom and pale into a refreshing and reinvigorating atmosphere where we can paint our future with our own capabilities, abilities, intellect and intent.
A NEW VISION, A FRESH PERSPECTIVE:
Any conceptualization of a future Nagaland has to tastefully and creatively capture the uniqueness and individuality of the Naga political history and rich cultural legacy in concrete and palpable forms. More than five decades of tenacious and grim political struggle for ‘sovereign’ homeland has to be articulated and integrated in any design for our future. However, it is easier said than done. The pivotal issue confronting us at the moment is that there is no readymade model or off-the-shelf available framework, which can be simply off-loaded and implemented to give life and shape to our aspirations and demands. No constitution of the world can truly represent or faithfully capture the essence of our long-cherished desires. In fact, it is my abiding belief and well-considered conviction that all our Naga brethren have to come together with unity of purpose and ingeniously chart out their political future themselves based on the practical, pragmatic, credible and objective evaluation and assessment of their political foundations and historical background. There can be no doubt that we are the masters of our own destiny and the sooner we realize this and move forward, the better it is for the entire Naga society. Quite clearly, there is the overwhelming need to incorporate certain essential ingredients in the future political framework, but it must be congruent with political realism and foresight, so as to ensure that the edifice of the future assures a proud and honorable place for the entire Naga community in the human society. The following fundamental imperatives need careful and conscious consideration in any prospective scheme or design for our future.
1. The most vital and sensitive issue is to preserve, protect, promote and bolster the unique and distinct social and political identity of the Nagas in the new political arrangement. The new socio-political landscape must necessarily provide sufficient latitude and flexibility to enable the Nagas to flourish, develop and further embellish their rich and varied cultural legacy and traditional endowments. It must be unremittingly ensured through a constitutional provision that the political and cultural identity of the Nagas is beyond the purview or scope of any alteration, even by way of constitutional amendment itself. This paramount guarantee is essential to protect the future political identity and entity of Nagas against any mischievous outrage. This would preempt any deviation from the prescribed and accepted path, even if the reigns of the government in the country pass into the hands of ultra-rightists. This is the most central and critical pillar of support upon which the political edifice of Nagaland shall be erected.
2. There shall be a need to prepare the ground and open avenues for the younger generation of Nagas to play effective and integral role in both national and international arenas. In the vast ocean of Indian population, the Nagas are virtually akin to the proverbial drop, but it is a fact that the ocean would lose something special and endearing if this drop was amiss. However, for this drop to overcome the limitations of its size and dimensions, it is essential that a special dispensation is made for the Naga youth in the new political blueprint. For instance, certain seats must be reserved for the Nagas in the Indian missions abroad especially in the South-east Asian countries, to facilitate their networking and specific engagements. This would also be in perfect harmony with our avowed policy of ‘Look East’ which can unravel exciting prospects for the entire north-eastern region in terms of trade, economic and socio-cultural linkages and growth.
3. A special financial policy framework needs to be worked out for the state of Nagaland for at least the next 30 years, with assured and previously agreed upon funds flowing annually into the state to enable it to overcome the hiatus of infrastructural and economic development vis-à-vis the rest of the country. The present funding patterns and schemes can never really accomplish the task of bridging this stupendous divide, which only adds to the sense of relative deprivation and abets frustration and negativity. This guaranteed special financial dispensation must form a part and parcel of any evolving political solution for the Nagas.
While ensuring that these imperatives are factored into any future political solution for the Nagas, we must also simultaneously comprehend and reorient the direction and focus of our strategic vision. It is high time that all the Naga brethren, of all tribes, regions and cultures, coalesce on a common platform of intellectual, mental and emotional unison to clearly understand and appreciate the priorities that lay before us in bringing our beautiful state and society back on the rails of all-round progress and development. Too much time has been needlessly and carelessly lost in banalities and bickering and all modern opportunities and challenges were given a cold shoulder by us. Friends, we must realize that all of us channel the same Naga blood in our veins; we inextricably belong to the same family and share robust bonds of kinship and are proud inheritors of a common social, cultural and political legacy. Once we soak this sentiment in our souls, we would realize the utter futility and senselessness of this mutual antagonism, fratricidal warfare and internecine conflicts that have plagued our verdant hills for decades, to the detriment of all of us. Brothers killing brothers, friends lynching friends, compatriots butchering compatriots! And we harbour hopes of a united, peaceful and prosperous ‘sovereign’ Nagaland! I ask you, can there be greater fallacy, a bigger travesty, a larger delusion? My dear Naga brethren, the first, foremost and paramount pre-requisite for any society to even think or conjure any plans for progress, socio-economic development or modernity is the absence of conflict, prevalence of law and order, peaceful and harmonious ambiance wherein the inherent talents and abilities of the people can find meaningful expression. Without peace, serenity and security, there can be no progress of any kind except degeneration and depredation. Let us all, rise in unison and pledge that toady, rather now, we shun all kinds of violence and hatred for each other from our hearts and minds and purge ourselves of this debilitating virus crippling our society and systems. Once we inject this vital and non-negotiable ingredient in the melting pot of our future design, we must fix our gaze on the other essential constituents that need to be added to create the substance that we desire. We must necessarily contemplate, ruminate and ponder over the tasks that we need to accomplish in different spheres of our activities to prepare the foundation of our magnificent edifice. Our developmental priorities undeniably include human resource development, education facilities, infrastructure development notably roads, communication and power, health sector, targeted employment generation schemes, thrust on the IT sector and its various applications, agriculture and horticulture sector, redesigning tourism industry and measures to reenergize our cottage and small scale industries especially in the rural areas to tap the immense creative talent and cultural legacy for the betterment of the state and the nation.
Education is fundamental to the progress and future development of any society as it forms the most critical component of any human resource advancement strategy. Education is not merely the transfer of numerical, language or text book information but the dissemination of knowledge, experiences and value systems from one generation to the other. It is the process of fostering and promoting the inherent talents and capabilities in an individual to enable him to realize his goals and ambitions to the best of his endowments. Our education system should be oriented towards enhancing the competitiveness and entrepreneurship talent lying latent in our youth so that they can proudly and successfully stride the emerging challenges in various sectors. In fact education is the single most important factor which impacts a whole gamut of sectors like social, cultural, economic, law and order and general weal and welfare proposition of any society.
Properly systematized and modernized education framework for the Nagas can act as the best catalyst in the peaceful and harmonious transformation of our society into the modern world. It is important that development of education infrastructure in the state takes into account the regional imbalances, geo-physical constraints, man-power requirements, financial constraints and the overall quality, content and structure of the education set-up in the state. Any new educational development initiative in Nagaland must necessarily aim to bridge the gaps in basic primary and secondary education services, developing institutions of higher and specialized learning, centers of excellence, enhancing teacher training facilities and preparing state-specific comprehensive plans. There are many critical areas that warrant focused attention and concerted action like admission procedure, adult education, curriculum, educational quality and psychology, girls education, managing drop-outs, school upgradation, teacher training, value education, vocational education etc. We must examine and press for setting up of more universities in the state for imparting higher education and research in specialized areas like biotechnology, biosciences, agriculture, forestry etc.
All our efforts must be geared for according a job-oriented and practical touch to the education that is imparted to our youth, so that they can be gainfully employed in primary, secondary or tertiary sector or can progress in self-employment entrepreneurial ventures. We must ensure that our education methodology does not add to the army of semi-educated unemployables who invariably get frustrated and lured into the vortex of violence and fall prey to insurgent’s propaganda. We need more focus on spreading the reach of Computer related software and hardware knowledge and information technology education in our state. Friends, the world today is riding on an I.T. revolution. In fact, information technology has emerged as an area which is impinging on every domain of our social and economic life. If our youth are well-trained and educated in the I.T. related spheres, whole new vistas of employment opportunities open up, both nationally and internationally for our youth to prosper.
I think it would not be out of place to strongly recommend the setting up of a Nagaland Education Development Corporation which will act the nodal agency for facilitating the growth and development of education infrastructure in the state. We can rope in eminent luminaries from the academia from all over the country to share their invaluable experiences in guiding the revolution in education sphere in our state. A specific scheme should be initiated for free supply of computer and its peripheral to every child who reaches the Xth standard in the state. This is essential to engender a computer savvy outlook and can ignite the interest in I.T. in the student at a fairly young age. We must ensure that the number of inter-university study groups and exchange visits are increased for our students so that they are exposed to the best practices and new frontiers of knowledge and information in different parts of the country. There is an urgent requirement of a well-stocked and full-fledged library in each district headquarter with branches at Sub-divisional headquarters. The number and quality of the Polytechnics and Industrial Training Institutes in the state needs a thorough and meticulous review. The training imparted in these critical job-oriented spheres needs to be upgraded to cater to the emerging requirements of the industry.
I fervently feel that out rich and multifarious cultural and traditional skills and endowments have not been effectively tapped for the betterment of our people and society. Friends, we have magnificently diverse and enchanting art-forms, handicrafts, musical and artistic traditions which need to be preserved, protected, developed and showcased to the world at large. This is essential not only to project the richness and grandeur of the Naga people but also to facilitate economic progress of our people in terms of attracting tourists and enhancing marketability of our traditional products and creations. I feel it is right time to establish state of the art academies and colleges dedicated to the promotion and advancement of various facets of our art and culture like College of Music, College of Art and Culture, College of Languages, College of Sports and Games etc. The vigour, natural strength, agility and resilience of our youth needs to be tapped, honed and canalized into excellence in the sporting arenas around the nation and the globe. We must immediately expand the existing infrastructure for coaching and training in various specific disciplines like football, boxing, judo, taekwondo, swimming, gymnastics, athletics etc so that our youth can avail the latest facilities for training and earn laurels for the state and the nation.
Friends, I feel the most important factor hampering our progress as a successful, progressive and modern society is our inherent insecurity and lack of confidence in our abilities and business skills. We must ignite the latent entrepreneurial abilities in our youth by training, exposure, production and management techniques, market analysis and knowledge of macro and micro-economics so as to mentally, intellectually and emotionally fortify them to face the prospects and challenges of conceptualizing, initiating, running and managing a successful business venture. To achieve this, it is imperative that a State level Entrepreneurship Development Institute is established in Nagaland with branches in each district headquarter. The said institute should attract experienced faculty from the academia and private sector to train, educate and disseminate the knack and tacks of business operations. Further, there should be a designated Entrepreneurship Master Trainer in each district, who operates in a mobile mode to aid, assist and troubleshoot in the interiors. This would inevitably facilitate the creation of a critical mass of trained and entrepreneurially oriented youth in Nagaland who can herald a whole new era in the industrial and small scale sector in the state. To complement this streak of entrepreneurial propagation, the government must engineer specific, target-oriented and attractive schemes for promotion and expansion of self-employment ventures in different sectors like bamboo and cane industry, textiles, handicrafts, I.T. related services, BPOs, weaving and dyeing etc. The basic idea behind this approach is to eliminate the possibility of stifling any fresh business venture by the Naga youth due to constraints of financial resources. Further, efforts should be made to foster, facilitate and forge backward and forward linkages for the success of these incipient enterprises in terms of easy availability of raw materials, access to human and financial resources, regular and reliable supply of power, improved avenues for marketability and exposure to the regional and international markets.
Friends, our state is still a predominantly agricultural economy, where almost 70% of the population is still heavily dependent on agriculture and it allied activities for sustenance. This per se is not a drawback or a disadvantage but the disturbing fact is that our agricultural practices are largely primitive, outdated, non-remunerative and unsustainable and our agricultural produce is basically for subsistence only. In our modern age, we must inject a new vision and approach to the way we look at our agriculture. There is a need for some ingenious and out-of-the-box thinking in this regard which facilitates greater scientific and technological input into our traditional agricultural practices and at the same time promotes exploration of new, exciting and profitable avenues in the agricultural realm. This process must necessarily involve the scientific alteration of our cropping patterns, our seeding and harvesting procedures, our use of fertilizers, weedicides etc, our storage and marketing strategies and above all the very choice of the crops that we are growing. There is no doubt that the land is available at a very high premium in our state and most of the terrain in hilly and undulating, which naturally inhibits intensive mechanized agriculture. But, the genius lies in turning this very fact in our favour by utilizing the salubrious and conducive geo-physical conditions in the state for growing high value and high demand crops, fruits and flowers.
There is tremendous scope and potential in horticulture and floriculture activities, wherein our state can truly be the frontrunner in the country. We should make every effort to promote and develop the cultivation of fruits like strawberries, pineapples, citrus fruits, plums etc which not only attract high prices but can also kick-start the proliferation of various food-processing industries in the state. These food-processing units will not only accord much-needed employment opportunities to our youth but also earn precious revenues for the state, which can then be ploughed back into the social and infrastructure sectors. Similarly, the terrain and climatic dispensation of Nagaland, like much of the Northeast, is highly propitious for the cultivation of Orchids, arguably the most exotic and fascinating flowers in the world, widely cherished for their ornamental value. We need to establish nurseries and orchidariums in all district headquarters and a massive campaign needs to be launched to promote orchid cultivation in the state on scientific lines. Further, our state is replete with a wide array of medicinal plants and herbs, which apart from being used in our traditional systems of medicines; also find immense economic potential for industrial use. Every effort must be made to harness this rich and profitable economic resource on scientific lines. This definitely requires the modernization and documentation of our traditional medicinal knowledge and sustainably undertaking the cultivation of our medicinal plants through the modern biotechnological techniques and procedures. In fact, our state lies in one of the richest and most invaluable biodiversity regions of the globe and is a virtual treasure trove of genetic resources and biodiversity. It is incumbent on our part to understand, protect and harness this spectacular wealth of bio-resources through the modern biotechnological interventions in a very sustainable and ecologically sensibly manner. We must immediately press for the establishment of a State Level Biotechnology and Bio-resources Development Institute in Nagaland to guide and facilitate this critical sector of our economy and academics.
Our picturesque and breathtakingly beautiful state in blessed with abundant natural attraction, pleasant climate, enamouring landscape, cascading rivers and streams, miles of verdant green foliage and above all a mind-boggling cultural vibrancy and artistic diversity that intuitively attracts and instinctively fascinates the people all the country and the globe. All the above enrapturing bio-physical endowments render Nagaland as the potential Tourist Hot-Spot of the country. However, it is unfortunate that the present scenario is far from encouraging. We need to consciously and actively cogitate and deliberate our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the growth of Tourism sector in the state. Needless to mention that enhanced tourist inflows, in a systematized and managed framework, can bestow immense economic, social and developmental advantages on our state. First and foremost, we need to evolve a well-considered and widely debated ‘State Tourism Master Plan’ for Nagaland, which should identify our priorities in the tourism sector clearly and unambiguously. It is imperative that we do not blindly ape the tourism models of other states and regions. We have to intelligently study and analyze what kind of tourism activities are best suited for our geographical, physiological and socio-cultural needs and environmental considerations. In my considered opinion, we need to focus on eco-tourism, health-tourism, heritage-tourism, leisure-tourism and adventure-tourism as prospective promotion sectors which would gel nicely with our unique geo-physical conditions and also our cultural traditions. I feel we must scientifically chart out the major tourist attractions and potential growth areas in the state and then embark on an aggressive marketing and advertising campaign across the country and the globe. It would not be a bad idea to rope in some professional consultancy agency to help us in this task. Simultaneously, there is a necessity to enhance the tourism related infrastructure in the state like adequate hotel rooms, road network, power, rail and air links, transport network etc. This area again requires careful planning considering the fragility of our environment and also mandates large investments which can be invited through creative and constructive Public-Private Partnerships as also by way of a Special Tourism Infrastructure Package from the Centre. Further, to enhance the employment avenues for our youth in this sector, we must immediately incorporate tourism related courses and professional training like catering, ticketing, travel agent training, hospitality training, hotel management etc in our Colleges and institutes to equip our youth to tap into this promising and lucrative sector.
Last but not the least important and seminal issue that needs immediate and urgent redress and intervention is the all-round up-gradation of general infrastructure in our state. This includes not only roads, power, communication facilities, rail link and air-links but also social infrastructure in terms of educational facilities and health infrastructure. Lack of commensurate and comparable infrastructural development in Nagaland and the entire North-eastern region is the single most prominent contributory factor in the relative economic, social, industrial and developmental backwardness of the region. Lack of robust infrastructure fostered a vicious cycle in the region wherein lack of economic development and employment opportunities created unrest, frustration and militancy, which in turn further retarded the economic growth and developmental prospects. We must intervene and break this seemingly inexorable vicious circle. As already mentioned above, we must demand and convince the Central government for a committed Annual Special Infrastructure Package for Nagaland and ensure that the funds provided are genuinely utilized for the intended purpose without any leakage or deviation.
I am confident that if we religiously and steadfastly pursue this design, we would definitely notice and achieve substantial progress in as little as five years from now.
Jai Hind.
