Abraham Lotha
Unification? Who doesn’t like unification? Every Naga wants unification. But what happens when unification is prostituted?
When I was young, I loved to go fishing in the streams. The fresh fish, prawns and crabs steamed in bamboo tasted delicious. But on one such trip with two of my friends, each of us, without the others knowing, put salt in the curry. When our catch was finally cooked, we couldn’t eat the fish because it was too salty. We ended up washing the cooked fish in the stream, but by then the delicious flavor was gone. As the saying goes, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” Naga unification is something like that. With too many people working on unification, the result is a naklification (duplication) of unification and that causes a mess.
The one bit of good news is that factional killings have reduced since mid-November. For some, this can be read as a sign that those involved in this “unification” are well intentioned.
On the other hand, Nagas’ mistrust of this “unification” is realistic and not unfounded. Whatever it is, the present “unification” has not received the blessings and support of the top leadership of any of the factions.
A positive thing emerging is the fact that Nagas are not as gullible as they were at earlier times. We are becoming more analytical about the future of our own nationalist movement and becoming more critical of the various factions who are claiming to champion the cause of the Nagas. It is also about time that Nagas should be critical of their leaders and their integrity instead of blindly following anybody who cries unification. Nagas should seriously question who their leaders are – many of whom are self-styled.
If the current “unification” efforts by some of these self-styled leaders is to unify the warring Naga factions, the intention is good and should be supported. But if in the name of unification, the intention is to start another faction leading to more tax, extortion and intimidation of Naga people, it should be stopped as soon as possible.
The other day, a prominent Naga businessman in Dimapur told me, “We are being over taxed in the name of unification.” Another Naga businessman in Dimapur said to a friend of mine, “We are wondering what this unification is really about. In the name of unification the organizers have asked us to give them a new vehicle. We have given the same people so many vehicles when they were in IM and K. Non–Naga businessmen have been abducted and forced to give money, and they (sic) have already collected several crores already that way. We are all so tired of these people."
From what has gone on so far, the present “unification” has the typical character traits of another faction: alleged kidnappings, extortion, intimidations, threats, split groups and self-styled leadership. Instead of GPRN and FGN we now have PAN (Peoples Army of Nagaland). I wonder who vested all the ranks and positions on these people? And as usual, intimidation is the only language our Naga undergrounds know. Observing “the prevailing silence of some Naga intellectuals, social leaders, civil societies and some Naga tribes on the “unification” issue,” “brig” Niki Sumi of the ‘unification” group even warned, “If non-cooperation and non-participation of such section should jeopardize Naga unification and thus consequently bring woes and destruction upon the Nagas or their own tribe, sole responsibility would be borne by them and none (sic) should be blamed”. But, for anyone intent on genuine unification of all Nagas, intimation and coercion will only be counter productive.
Rightfully and prudently the Naga intellectuals and many of the Hohos are keeping their distance and silence. It is about time that Nagas question and refuse to be bullied by force and guns.
For the interest of all the Nagas, there are some questions that we need to ponder in order not to become victims of manipulation. If unification is the real intent, why are we having so much war of words? I have been reading the press releases, rejoinders, allegations and counter allegations by the “unification” group, all of which have been authored by a Sumi or someone claiming to be a Sumi, with all self-styled ranks, of course. Of the 27 members dismissed by the NSCN (IM) on January 21, except for two Yimchungers and one Kuki, the other 24 are all Sumis. To any intelligent observer, this speaks volumes. Aren’t there members from other communities in the “unification” group? If yes, what rank and role are they playing? Or is it supposed to be a monopoly by one community?
Most of the press releases by the Hohos and NGOs have emphasized a unification of all Naga areas. So, if people are serious about unification of all Nagas, why are the Nagas, including the ones in Manipur, Assam, Arunachal and Burma not included in the dialogue? I have read that the Sumi Hoho met with the Konyak Hoho and other NGOs, but I have not read that they met with the Southern Nagas or with the Tangkhuls for that matter. If not, why is it so?
Why are certain communities being singled out as non-supportive when most other tribal Hohos have kept silent? Most press releases by NGOs such as tribal Hohos and Naga Hoho, have supported unification which is inclusive of all the Naga tribes. Why it is then the “unification” group continues to alienate a particular Naga community? Isn’t this a contradiction of the very word unification? Or do Undergrounds have a different meaning for unification?
Naga factions have been too busy building up the factions and solidifying their territories like some warring gangs or warlords that there is no space for a common good and vision of the Nagas. Or perhaps, as Akum Longchari once shared with me, “We focus so much in terms of state building, in terms of the demarcation of the territory, but we have not dwelt enough on nation building which is building good relationship between the different nations.”
One of the elements that unite the various Naga communities is our food habit. Among the Nagas, Lotha dishes are very popular. So I felt deflated one day when an Angami gentleman told me he didn’t like Lotha chicken curry. “Why?” I asked him. “The taste of chicken is lost because they put too much bamboo shoot. Even when you eat, your fingers smell of bamboo shoot and not chicken.” This unification is something like that. We have put too many ingredients such as power mania, false ego, shortsightedness, gullibility, and opportunism in it. The end result is that what is happening is not unification but baklafication (creating madness). Indeed, there ARE too many cooks in the stew of Naga unification.
