There appeared, first in the minds of certain Retired NNC Workers, known themselves as: NAGA NATIONAL WORKERS CONFERENCE (NNWC), who objected to bringing the dead Body of NNC President Zapu Phizo from London to Kohima for Burial. They now demand the present incumbent must come back and stay in our own Country.
I. They alleged it was wrong to bring the dead Body of the President to Nagaland now.
This odd incomprehensible opinion now seems to have traveled to certain misinformed Naga Elites and are at variance with the mood of the People in Nagaland that prevailed that morning in 1990 at News of the unexpected death NNC President in London reached our land.
The News spread faster than wild fire to every nook and corner of Kohima and the whole of Nagaland. The atmosphere in Kohima was charged with a great sense of loss and despondency. The sense of shock, gloom and despondency were so thick it appeared it could almost be touched with our hands. Time seems to have come to a stand still and Government seemed to have vanished! Life seem to have stopped. Indeed a Spirit uncommon seems to have descended upon the whole of Nagaland.
This Writer was one of those involved in the episode of arranging the Funeral as the Treasurer nominated by the sardine packed Public Meeting in the Naga Club Building that fateful morning of 1st May 1990 that he feels an obligation to set the records straight.
The news of the death of the NNC President came from London first to late Vamuzo who informed Beilieü Shüya, the Niece of the late President, who next informed Mr. Guu Phizo and they together contacted Nidelhu Khate –neighbor of NNC Transit Peace Campers at Tanquist Compound Kohima- to inform the NNC Members there.
At London, some Staff of the Indian High Commission did not like to allow the Naga Leader’s Body to be taken to Nagaland and they went to the Ambassador not to allow the Body to be taken to Nagaland.
The then Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Mr. Kuldip Nayar told his Staff:
“there is nothing wrong in the Nagas wanting to take the dead body of their Leader to their Land, it is natural that people would like to bury their Leader in their own Land; let them take it” (first hand information from the High Commissioner personally to the Writer much afterwards).
True; the place where a political Leader is buried, is sometimes a controversial issue but in the case at hand, there is no such a controversial thing. To keep a dead body unburied is an Anathema to Nagas like in other human Race: There is no political imperatives to prevent the burial of President Phizo in his own native land. It is unimaginable any Naga, leave aside Naga National Workers, expired or alive, to oppose the burial of Phizo in Nagaland.
It was the NNC General Secretary late Mr. Tobu Periatsü to call an emotionally charged Public Meeting at 10: AM on 1st May 1990 at the Naga Club Building that Morning.
Mr. Tobu Periatsü, the Chairman mentioned the NNC has no Fund or Connections with the Government of India and “since Nagas regard Zapu Phizo as the FATHER OF THE NAGA PEOPLE, our Organization gives it to the Naga Public to arrange his Funeral.”
So saying Mr. Tobu stood up and vacated the Chair. Therefore it is clarified here that it was not the NNC who buried the dead Body.
Then Speakers after impassioned Speakers spoke repeatedly, again and again only of the same thing:
“The dead Body of our Leader must be brought to our Land. His body will not be buried in foreign land. It must be brought to our Land:
i. sooner or later,
ii. by any means,
iii. rightly or wrongly,
iv. by hook or,
iv. by crook.”
The Government of Nagaland and Indian High Commission at London gracefully offered to Transport the Body to Nagaland but it was the NAGA PUBLIC, not by the NNC who organized the burial of the late President through a Funeral Organizing Committee (FOC)
Immediately, ‘tomorrow morning’ an amount of `3 lakh was to be collected to buy the Pound were donated by the following:
i. Ao. Community------------ `. 1,00,000/-
ii. Angami (AGOK)-----------`. 1,00,000/-+
iii. Nagaland Contractors-----`. 30, 000/-
iv. Minister I. K. Sema: `.1,00,000.
(afterwards demanded back and so returned the amount).
Ultimately an amount of some `16 lakhs was received and spent for the Funeral and the Phizo Grave Yard at Kohima.
The Body was brought up to Delhi by Air India and then by a Chartered Russian Plane to Dimapur Airport and as the Plane landed in the Airport, a Rainbow appeared in the Sky. Then it was brought up to Kohima in a brand new Mini Tata on which no one has ridden before.
The second misunderstanding by the ‘Retired NNC Group’ is:
II. Phizo’s Body was surrendered to India.
The Khonoma Rüpfhüno in the middle of the Funeral Processes petitioned to the FO Committee to allow them to take the Body and bury it at Khonoma but the FOC thanked the Village for producing such a Leader to the Nagas and arranged the Funeral at Kohima. Besides this, No other Organization or Authority demanded nor the FOC surrendered the Leader’s Body to any. The allegation was a baseless fear only.
The third misunderstanding was:
III. Phizo’s Passport was surrendered to the Indians.
The Passport is not the property of the Funeral Organizing Committee and is not with the Committee. It is the property of the Family and on enquiry, it is learned the Papers are with them.
It is very unfortunate the whole cleavage of a Nation’s political Agenda should arise from such Peanut and nano matters. It shows the standard of perception of some of our so-called Leaders.
Thepfulhouvi Solo
