Thepfulhouvi Solo
Nine Naga National Political Groups (NNPG) published anniversary declaration of 76th Naga Independence Day of 14th August 1947 in all the Nagaland newspapers: Viyalie Metha of NNC (Adinno Phizo); Kiumukam Yimkhung of NNC (N/A); N Kitovi Zhimomi of NSCN (GPRN); Yilow Humtsoe of NNC; Y Wangting of NSCN (R); Kiyelho Wokhami of (NNC/NPGN); Akato Chophi of NNC (N/A); Thinoselie M Keyho of NNC (PB); Gen Shinya of UmH NNC.
Most of the Leaders of the Groups were member of the original Naga National Council NNC, formed on 2nd February 1946 in the Class 6th Room of Government School at Wokha.
This Article is not intended at construction of the Political History of the Naga National Groups. The sole intention here is to discuss the question of:
What will unite the Naga?
Every Naga, whoever and wherever he is or she is, longs for the Unity of the Naga but no one has attempted to give an account of what has seeded the divisions in the Naga and unless the Naga themselves know what caused the troubles, they wouldn’t be able to repair the troubles. A sick man does not know what has gone wrong inside his body; unless what has gone wrong inside the body is known, the ailment cannot be remedied.
Unless the Naga, honestly, frankly and openly discuss their defects themselves, the malady cannot be remedied. It is necessary to openly, boldly, honestly and even brutally discuss the matter ourselves!
There is a general feeling of expectation in the Naga in the street for the NNPGs to unite as if they are the only ones responsible for the divisions of the Naga.
The Naga political division is not responsible only to the NNPG alone: the entire Naga population have their share in the divisions.
The ‘Over-ground’ population provides moral support to this and that political NNPGs. This civilian over-ground support consists not only hard physical, materials or fire arms, but consists of morally soft forces in fund, mental and social supports in line of their Tribe: The civilian soft support may consists of Prayer too for this or that Group!
Each Armed Group physically maintains its Territory for Tax separate from the others. In this, the Information support of the civil over-ground is significant to the violent Political Group like the BJP Government runs and acts on the soft-forces of the RSS ideology in India.
No wonder, Group either the vociferous or the silent, would not like to suggest a Road Map for Unity or for Peace openly in public and reveal their partisan Stand to others in Public! Therefore, to date, none of the NNPGs has brought out any Road Map of Peace to let the public consider it.
The local papers often describe the Naga of today as divided as they never before were. This is because they too don’t have the courage to bring out their Road Map of Unity for fear of causing the displeasure to the hegemony of this or that NNPG Groups.
The writer was once invited to a big Public Consultative Meeting by an NNPG to share my opinion. I thanked them for the invitation but expressed my inability to attend the Meeting because I shouldn’t discuss personal private opinions on the Groups in the public, in the presence of people unknown to me.
I can express my personal private suggestions and opinions honestly and truthfully in private to one Group, but I don’t dare to express it openly to a mixed Group in Public.
Nobody would honestly like to express naked confidential personal private opinions to a mixed group with different partisan groups in public!
I wrote back to them it would be better if they discuss the matter with one person they could trust separately, in a person-to-person meet, privately and confidentially, than discuss their mind in public openly in the presence of this and that unknowns persons.
The FNR has spent quite some Time on ‘Forgive & Forget’ and on ‘Reconciliation’ in the NNPGs. It is necessarily good to bring the contending Groups to a common negotiating Table, the way Nagaland Tribe Council (NTC) had done between the Prime Minister of India and Working Group of 7 NP Political Groups on concrete Agenda.
The FNR also had brought the warring Groups together but without any concrete political Agenda other than on the Theme of Fasting & Prayer and Forgive & Forget. They arranged NNPG Soccer Matches zealously played in the muddy football Ground of Nagaland, but after the Match no Political common Agenda seem to have emerged.
The first Joint Reconciliation Meetings of the NNPGs at Atlanta, Georgia (USA), hosted by Ken Sehested, Executive Director and Editor of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, Lake Junaluska, North Carolina with FNR acting as the Master of the Ceremony in July 38 to 3 August 1997; the FNR also recently arranged the Kolkota CNR&C, (Council of Naga Relation & and Co-operation) to forge Peace and Reconciliation in the Naga National Political Groups, but nothing has been heard come out of the CNR&C since.
Shortly after signing the great Atlanta USA Meeting in 1997, the General Secretary of the Socialist Council of Nagaland, Dally Mungro, a participant of the Atlanta Meeting of the Khaplang Group was shot dead by the other Group at Science College area Kohima.
The FNR remained spectacularly silent like the Sleeping Beauty Cinderella in the mountain at the Machiavellian politics of the IM.
To usher Peace to a people’s long ragging political Storm by an Individual alone requires unquestioned Moral Force like that of Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela or Mahatma Gandhi in the person with unwavering backing of a strong lasting established political Organization or Religion than just a simple zealous nice Rev, Doctor.
Since 1997, the FNR had in the last 22 years arranged 4 loud concordant meetings of the NNPGs:
1. 24/8/2011: The Naga Concordant Meeting
2. 4/2014: Lentent Agreement
3. 14/9/2002: Joint Accordant
4. 17-18/ 10/2022: Kolkata CNR&C (Council of Naga Relations & Co-operations)
Just after the meeting that arranged the Kolkata Meeting, a member of one of the Group, a person I don’t know, phoned me a meeting has been proposed further at Kolkata. I enquired over the phone whether the Agenda points have been agreed for the Kolkata CNR&C; I was told, “No such points have been discussed.”
It was reported in the local paper that “in the Next Meeting the FNR is entrusted to prepare the draft proposals for the concord.” Whether such a proposal has been drawn up or not has not been heard of since.
If it has not yet been done, then the time has come for a person without any real mass following and lacking uncommon moral authority, to come to his good senses to end attempting to forge a Concord personally alone between truculent groups of a People’s long lasted political movement.
Some of the reasons that seeded the differences in the Naga have been brought out here in this write-up, for the public to see and come to common conclusions, if possible, for the good of the common People in the State.
Some may think the Naga Political Declaration is the main cause for all the Troubles in the Naga Society; my view is: a people without a Vision, is no better than a beautiful dream. The Naga Vision to live a life of its own culture freely, is more than an ill-advised Idea of any of others in the North east Communities.
Let me cite the story of an incident, and the Reader has the freedom of his or her own conclusions:
Quite some years ago Rajmohan Gandhi, a great friend of the Naga and the Grand-son of Mahatma Gandhi, while an MP, was in Kohima attending a grand civil Meeting at the Zonal Council Hall in the city and any Naga who was interested attended.
I don’t remember who & who said what and which things in the meeting, but quite a number spoke on matter related to the Naga. Rajmohan Gandhi also expressed some of his comments in a few words.
At a very interesting stage of the meeting, Tobu Periatsü, the young General Secretary of the NNC asked Rajmohan Gandhi a poignant question: “What should the Naga do to get Independence?”
Grandhi promptly replied: “The Naga should be united.”
Immediately Tobu answered: “The Nagas are united.”
Rajmohan Gandhi then, said: “I hear that the Nagas are killing each others.”
(It was during the heat of the barrel of the gun)
But Tobu, the young General Secretary replied: “The Nagas have been taking each other’s head from very ancient times; but on the question of Independence, they are all united.”
Rajmohan then suddenly put a retro-question surprisingly back at Tobu: “Then, what do you think India should do?”
“Get out of Nagaland!” shouted Tobu in an imperative voice, full of the packed hall!
Rajmohan Gandhi immediately replied: “I have already sent for my Ticket; I am leaving tomorrow!”
Everyone in the Hall broke into laud laughter: Tobu laughed the loudest!
