Khrietuonyü Noudi
Manipur CM Okram Ibobi Singh, the Manipur BJP unit and some other frontal Manipur organizations seem to have reacted sharply to the visit of the Nagaland CM Mr. T.R. Zeliang to Senapati on the 19th of October 2016. During his speech made at Senapati on 19.10.16, Zeliang is alleged to have said that the land inhabited by Nagas were never part of the erstwhile Meitei kingdom and that the land of the Nagas were later brought under the geographical boundary of Manipur by the British for administrative convenience. The Manipur CM has termed this remark of TR Zeliang as anti-national and has even stated that Manipur map cannot be redrawn. The Manipur BJP unit has also remarked that it would never compromise the territorial integrity and boundary of Manipur and even alleged that Zeliang’s statement was tantamount to instigating disintegration not only of Manipur but the unity of India.
Furthermore, the Manipur CM has also asked Zeliang to stop dreaming the impossible and said that Manipur is like a mini-India and the people there are living in harmony since time immemorial. As if this was not enough, the Manipur CM has even gone to the extent of saying that the history of Manipur goes back to 2000 or more years while Nagaland was created only in 1963 by carving out a small portion of Assam after the region became part of the union. (Source: Nagaland Post 21st October 2016 Frontage)
I was certainly not amused reading all these in our daily papers. Rather all these arguments and counter-allegations have left me dizzy and perplexed. Once the Indian government reacted strongly when some US leaders had mentioned Kashmir as the most dangerous place in the world. But for us Nagas the most dangerous place in the world may be just somewhere in our backyard. It is no wonder for any people to be strongly associated and attached to its land and territory because land does play a crucial role in determining our identity, heritage and survival. But coming up with meaningless, distorted, baseless and unauthenticated allegations and arguments just to protect and safeguard one’s so-called ancestral land is mere stupidity and brings out one’s lack of confidence, knowledge, security and character.
This episode has once again vividly exposed the naked and raw mentality of the Manipur CM towards the Nagas. No wonder Ibobi Singh is considered by many Nagas to be an unfriendly neighbour. Yes, it is too unbefitting for a man who occupies the top office in Manipur to be making such childish, ridiculous, unprovoked and baseless allegations against his neighbors whatever maybe the compulsion. It is clearly visible that he felt intimidated and challenged by the visit of his Nagaland counterpart to Senapati. But if he really wants to challenge his Nagaland counterpart for the Senapati visit, he should first get his facts and figures in the right order before going all out attacking others with raw allegations and wild fantasies. Yes, one should not argue just for the sake of arguing. Or even if one really wants to argue even though he knows that all the facts and realities are against him, then at least he should come up with some believable stories, some catchy slogans or some well-drafted lines that can at least make some appeals to someone’s ear or heart. But sadly, Ibobi Singh failed miserably at this also.
I am neither a fan nor a supporter of TR Zeliang. I am also certainly not an admirer of our CM. For me, TR Zeliang is just the present Chief Minister of Nagaland – nothing more nothing less. And this article is also not meant to elevate our CM as a hero in the eyes of the Nagas or others. But I write this article purely as a Naga who has a deep concern and anxiety for the unjust demarcation and distortion of our Naga lands in the past. I believe every Naga has the full right to visit any Naga lands anytime anywhere. And if Naga brothers and sisters live in Senapati or any other Naga lands presently under Manipur, Assam, Arunachal or even Myanmar, then no authority can or should stop a Naga to go and meet his own Naga brother or sister living in their own lands.
Now the Manipur CM has directly insulted and challenged the Nagas by saying that the history of Manipur dates back to more than 2000 years whereas Nagaland was created only in 1963 by carving a small portion of Assam after the region became part of the Indian union. This is serious allegation and no person with Naga blood in him should remain unmoved to such unprovoked insult and distortion of our history coming from the mouth of an outsider who is currently occupying the top office in Manipur. Such comments cannot be kept unchallenged because it is a direct insult and challenge not only to all the Nagas living today but also to all those who sacrificed their lives for Naga identity, Nagaland and Naga freedom.
As far as Manipur history dating back to more than 2000 years, I have nothing to say. If they say that Manipur history dates back to more than 2000 years, I can only say ‘Congratulations’ and ‘Well Done’. But today I write this article because I feel that I need to reply to the allegation that Nagaland was created only in 1963 by carving out a small portion of Assam after the region became a part of Indian Union.
The creation of Nagaland as a full-fledged state of the Indian union in 1963 was one of the most unbelievable, remarkable and ground-breaking episodes that India encountered after her Independence. This is so because it defied all logics, all reasons and all parameters. Remember, when Nagaland became the 16th state of the Indian union in 1963, all the other 15 Indian states in existence at that time were more than 10 times bigger than the newly created Nagaland state in terms of both geographical size and population. Now, how does someone explain such a scenario? It was nothing short of a miracle though the Nagas in the first place never asked for statehood status within the Indian union.
Even before the British withdrew from the Indian subcontinent in 1947, the Nagas had made their intention and desire known to all concerned that they would remain as an independent people after the British withdrew from the subcontinent. Numerous appeals and letters were submitted to the outgoing British government and the incoming Indian government about this political aspiration of the Nagas. Consequently the Nagas under the banner of the NNC declared their independence on 14th August 1947 one day ahead of India’s own declaration of her independence. A national plebiscite was also held on 16th May 1951 wherein 99.9% of the Naga populace gave their thumb impression to remain as an independent nation. Consequently the Nagas refused to participate in the first general election of independent India and all the ballot boxes were returned empty to India. But India, in her new found moment of glory and arrogance, refused to acknowledge these aspirations and rights of the Nagas and sent her mighty army to unleash an era of terror and trauma never-before experienced by the Nagas. This invasion of India put the whole Naga populace on the run and literally put all Nagas on the verge of extinction and annihilation. But still, the Nagas refused to relent. It was all these unfortunate and horrific events coupled with the landing of A.Z.Phizo in London in June 1960 that compelled the Indian government to even agree to grant full-fledged statehood status to the Nagas who stand nowhere near the other Indian states in terms of both geographical size and population.
Thus, it is obvious that the creation of Nagaland as the 16th state of India in 1963 was a direct product of the Naga national movement. In other words, if there had been no Naga national movement, there would have been no Nagaland state today. And the creation of Nagaland state in 1963 turned out to be the ‘Pandora’s Box’ as it ultimately led to the creation of all the other NE states that we know today (apart from Assam of course). Thus the creation of Nagaland as the 16th state of the Indian union in 1963 ultimately changed the map, territory and scenario of the whole so-called North–East India. Yes, would it be wrong to say that all the tribal communities of North East India today enjoy the reflected glories of the Naga national movement?
The Naga national movement created the scenario which led to the creation of Nagaland state in 1963. And the creation of Nagaland state in 1963 opened the ‘Pandora’s Box’ whereby the Indian government could not withhold granting full-fledged statehood status to the other North East tribal communities like the Meities, the Mizos, the Garos, the Khasis etc. Because the logic was that if even the Nagas can be a full-fledged state within the Indian union, there is no reason why the Meiteis, the Mizos, the Khasis, the Arunachalis etc cannot enjoy full-fledged Indian statehood status because most of these tribal communities have bigger populations and even higher standards of living than the Nagas. So I certainly have no hesitation to say that all the North-East tribal communities who enjoy statehood status today owe their status to the Nagas (especially those who sacrificed their lives for the Naga national movement)…….. So Mr. Okram Ibobi Singh, we would appreciate very much if you could first acknowledge these historical facts before hurling wild and unprovoked allegations and arguments at your neighbors……..Please stop trying to put the cart before the horse.
