Yu-Wan Bomi
In the remote antiquity, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus laid his worldview that the earth is changing (The earth is becoming) and Harvey Cox in the last century stated that humanity has come of age (Secular City). When we look into the present situation in historical perspectives then Nagas have really come of age. The modern Nagas descended from the naked ancestors are no more than those headhunter predecessors. The media is full of factional ideologies, fight, accusations, even assaults on church leaders (Rev. Lurou of Pfutsero on 3rd January 2007). If saintly church leaders are physically assaulted in their very residences, then how about the public who have no say at all? I will not be wrong if I say it is not freedom fight but a struggle for ideological supremacy and tyrannical demonstration.
Since 2004 after the return of the collective leadership the newspapers were flooded with headlines about the Peace Talks with the Government of India as positive, results positive. But what was positive about the talk was never put in the papers to let the public know. The people were always kept in darkness. We didn’t see any positive result from the talk. Is it not befooling the public who are actually waiting for news of their dreams and answers to their long awaited prayers? Rather the factional fight started and the list was handed to the media to weigh their cruelty, demonstrating savage acts, barbarism, tribalism, fear and confusion making the struggle for freedom a system of human sacrifice. Since November 2004 there was not a release in the newspaper without any information about killings and not a day passed without killing each other to show which faction is better in killing their own brethren with different ideologies but for the same cause/tract.
One of the most funny things is the new map of Nagalim which covers the area from Assam, Burma, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. The funny thing was not that the map was big and Naga inhabited areas were taken under the umbrella of map of Nagalim. In one sense, regarding places like Manipur, Burma, Assam, it somehow sounds good where many writers have given their opinion that Naga ethnic tribes had dwelled there for centuries but the jurisdiction which had been taken from Arunachal Pradesh is illogical because the jurisdiction of the map covers upto Tezu. Even in broad daylight, if we were to search for a Naga in that area, no one will find any Naga who has ever lived there in history in the contemporary world, and neither will there be any in the future also. For readings we can find in B.B. Kumar’s ‘Trends of British Expedition in North East India’, J.N. Chouwdhory’s ‘Arunachal Panorama’ and H.M. Bareh’s ‘North East India Encyclopedia: Arunachal Pradesh’. I know the place, the districts where the jurisdiction of Nagalim covers. The Lohit district is inhabited by Mishimis, Adi, Singpho, Khmapti, Deori (a minority group) and few refugees like Chakmas and Hajongs unfiltered by Indian Government. Someday India might even bring many unrecognized refugees to that part of the world giving Indian citizenship putting everything at stake the calls for justice of the Indigenous people. And the Naga freedom fighters try to paint their own picture of imagination over there which will never happen because no one builds castles in the air. This is just like the story of Sisyphus who tries to roll up the big bolder to the hilltop but the stone rolls down and he again rolls it up. The same thing happens to him repeatedly; he was in the starting point all through his life.
The taxation in Nagaland is too high and people do not really understand which collector belongs to which faction. On the other hand, the factional groups have levied heavy taxation, which makes the lives of the poor people hard to live in Nagaland in their own homeland. This marks not India but Naga factions as the real enemies of the Nagas. Only the air is not taxed where at least people are living with platonic view because the nation is ruled by India and the properties are taken away by the factions in the guise of tax. I have seen many families who earn very little and the parents first take out the share for the factions. They divide their scanty monthly salary into many parts: Like one tenth for the church, taxes for the factions, life taxes, monthly household expenditure and expenditures for their children and then there is nothing remaining. All the dreams of the parents are soiled like fragrant pollens. Nobody seems to care about the muted screams of many poor people. Life of the poor people in Nagaland is just like a wood that never burns but gives columns of smoke. The Indian regime had already weakened the economy and in addition to that Nagas are exploiting their own people. W.E. Durrant says, “A Nation is never in danger of destruction from outside if there is no danger from within.” The Nagaland and its people are in danger from their own people and inhabitants.
The state has many theological colleges or training centers or other vocational centers and every year committed youths and people are sent to other parts of the world for ministry as Missionaries. The same time many are sent to Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand. The Gospel message of the Naga missionaries especially in Arunachal Pradesh does not make sense anymore. It is reported that some unidentified cadres in one of the villages north of Khonsa town converted some of the villagers into Christianity without any conviction and in the same village a young lady of 19 years was brutally raped by them. Even the missionaries are looked upon by the people with a negative perception that they are some way or the other connected to the NNC, Federal, NSCN (IM) and (K) and for the rest of the world the factions, no matter how beautiful their ideologies may be, are seen only as terrorists. I should say that they are right that a nation which is exploiting its own people cannot be beneficial or helpful for other people. Tangsas, Nocte and even some Wanchu people submitted a memorandum to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi during her visit to Itanagar in January 2005 under the slogan “Identity Crisis” that they are not Nagas. Where is the evidence or proof to call them Nagas? Not all the tribals are Nagas and no one make Naganess a racial identification to those who are a minority and cannot raise their voice against this kind of injustice.
When Nagas in Nagaland have no freedom and right, then who would like to join Nagas to bear the stamped identity of Naganess out of fear, self willingness or out of nowhere. Some cadres are killing the innocent students in open daylight to create terror in the hearts of the people (Incident of Velasie Sanchu of Selouphe), running in Mobile vehicles, pointing guns ready to pull the trigger around the village areas, attacking each other in the towns, creating terror and havoc to the lives of the civilians altogether. After having said, seen and observed all these things, can we expect our factions to be respected considering them as freedom fighters? Do freedom fighters act like this and that towards their own people? The Tangkhuls and the Semas have already demonstrated their savage and barbaric act of violence by the attack and the mayhem in purana bazar. This mayhem was a total act of insanity, an exhibition of crime and a demonstration of barbaric tribalism. The Semas and Tangkhuls of IM might someday fight and bring out a communal faction. Most of the cadres’ motive is not freedom fight but revenge for his bitterness over something towards someone. When the principle is wrong how can the practice be right?
The Shillong Accord has divided the Nagas forever which had laid down the milestone for the killings, hatred and rational blackness. On the other hand, the Govt. of India is employing a lot of Mongolian soldiers in the army and posting them in North East’s disturbed areas and whenever there is any Mongoloid soldier seen around there is no underground cadre at all. They are aloof from the scene as if a snake has gotten the smell of a mongoose. The accord has no doubt divided the Nagas and indirectly led them to fight among themselves, while on the other hand, all the Northeastern Mongolians are played under the policy of “Divide and Rule of Indian Colonialised Mongoloid Regions.” Especially for the Nagas the factional fights have pushed back distances away into many years behind the real desired goal “Freedom of Nagaland from India.” But we have become the weapon of our own subjugation to them. India will never solve the economy of North East or its boundary problems but instigate something or the other to create something or the other and send their armies and stamp a seal on North East as “Disturbed Territory.” And the societies will be hampered there only. Indian Govt is sending NHPC to construct Hydro electric hydel in River Siang with an estimate of around 30000 crores per annum. But the Arunachalese will be exploited and will be fed on banana skin after taking the inner fruit. India is like a dark black cloud hovering over North East to devour it economically, politically, emotionally, educationally and philosophically. Nagas don’t just say Mahatma Gandhi said, “If you do not want to join Indian Union then you are free.” I have heard this statement repeated by Naga leaders but they do not make any sense because there is no written document like that. Who cares about the statement made by Mahatma Gandhi or Nehru because their words are of no value these days for India. Nevertheless, even if there is such a document then also India will not expose that to the world.
Most funny thing of all in Nagaland is the University. The officers are in Kohima for convenience; the university somewhere else, around Medziphema; and the real site for the university is in Mokokchung. What a universal university covering almost the whole of Nagaland. So it is time for us to think where we are going and whether we are on the right track. If we are wrong then it is wise to reprimand ourselves and put ourselves into the right. The factions will one day become extinct if they continue their tyranny to extinguish the society. Time is the greatest witness to have record of everything and books will be open someday before that Great Lamb when all people will be seen and counted as per their own conduct, but the greatest is the judgement to those people who nullify the truth. Woe to them who create trouble, woe to them who do not repent, woe to them who practice wrong Christianity, woe to them who bring tears to innocent lives and make people hopeless. Woe to them who levied high taxation more than necessary for buying things for killing. Woe also to them who pray, fast, study the Bible and kill and misprophesy. Religion always calls us back when we are on a wrong destination and today we should not be surprised at our own situation and ask ourselves “Where are we going?”
