Collective Wounds:
#peace #NNPG #NSCN
Some organisations are now out to destroy the peace process in Nagaland. They have started flagging off 'uncomfortable issues' such as declaration of Naga independence and even a memorandum submitted long back in 1929 to the British colonial masters.
These are unwarranted bogies in today's reality. Those who slam New Delhi by raising such issues actually want to reap benefits. But they want to deprive simpleton people some facets of development.
Poverty and health issues are areas of deep concern for masses while for some few hundred lakhs remain like small pocket money.
The refrain from New Delhi is well measured. Do not look back at old wounds and mistakes. The forward looking approach therefore ought to be the two preliminary pacts - the Agreed Position of 2017 and the Framework Agreement of 2015.
In fact, on the hyped occasion when the latter pact was inked by the then interlocutor R N Ravi and NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah; Prime Minister Narendra Modi had ensured that such a key development should happen in his presence.
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The August first week of 2015 was already hit with cacophony in Indian Parliament. A number of Congress MPs were suspended by the Speaker Sumitra Mahajan over some other national issues. But the Prime Minister understood the significance of the Framework Agreement.
Modi had faith in his personal political instinct. He believed that a vibrant mix of ethnicities, cultures, religions and political credit seeking-blame giving approaches actually give LIFE to the Democracy. Hence in his speech on the solemn occasion, the Prime Minister has said:
"The Naga courage and commitment are legendary. Equally, they represent the highest levels of humanism. Their system of village administration and grass-root democracy should be an inspiration for the rest of the country.
The respect for the infirm and elders, the status of women in society, sensitivity to Mother Nature, and the emphasis on social equality is a natural way of Naga life. These are values that should constitute the foundation of the society that we all seek."
These are not ordinary words. These reflect a big advantage our Bharat enjoys as a nation. It's not any rocket science. Democracy and India are inseparable. Moreover, one BJP leader Jay Panda had said a few years back -- "What's unique about India is that has survived as a Democracy despite consistent predictions of its demise".
Nagas have in the past taken help from countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh (East Pakistan) and China. But today's generation of Nagas will appreciate the difference between what we offer in India and what is perhaps 'already decided' in China or even Pakistan. The Bangladeshi chaos need not be mentioned at all.
None in India question the Naga 'aspirations' for a better tomorrow. But the past experience would tell any reasonable man/woman that had things turned otherwise in the 1950s and 1960s; what would have been the fate of things in South East Asia in the Indian neighbourhood. Look at the situation in next door Myanmar.
Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore may be better economies today but all of them have kept Democracy under leash. The giant China monitors all kinds of social unrest and imposes heavy hands of discipline and military to quash dissent.
There is a 'revived' debate that Nagas had declared independence on Aug 14, 1947.
The Govt of India functionaries - when contacted - do not want to speak on these in 2025. One of them proudly argued - "Nagas are as patriots as me".
Another informed personality maintained -- "I will quote what the Prime Minister Modi had said on Aug 3, 2015 ... the Naga problem is only a legacy of the British. The colonial rulers by design kept the Nagas isolated and insulated. They suppressed the reality that the Nagas were an extremely evolved society".
Well. This also makes sense.
But what would have made a better sense and what the functionary forgets to tell us in that speech, Modi also had pointed out that -
"The British colonial rulers propagated terrible myths about Nagas in the rest of the country".
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| Blogger with an Angami Naga |
The fact of the matter is even after years of negotiations, the Govt of India is not showing any desperation to abrogate the ceasefire that was announced in 1997 when India's Home Minister was a veteran communist Indrajit Gupta.
Basically, the Modi government is giving out a message. We believe any structure of a good governance and Democracy can work better when it 'welcomes' every shades of opinion and every protagonists of identity politics in it.
Look at the intent of those who are flagging off most controversial issues such as Plebiscite, declaration of Naga independence and Simon Commission.
Now let us take a jaundiced view of the declaration of Naga Independence. The Govt of India will soon put forward an argument that as late as 1956, the Federal Govt of Nagaland was not established.
In fact, even before that -- around 1954 ; at the Yemishe village, "....the opinion of NNC stood divided on the issue of organisation of the Armed wing. Most of the NNC members and leaders opposed Army wing being organised in the hope of getting Naga sovereignty restored without arms".
(Source book 'Hails and Blames - An account of Naga Independence Struggle' by Scato Swu.
He was the first Naga graduate to join the Naga national movement. Swu was FGN President (Kedahge) between 1959 and September 1967.
Hence the New Delhi's counter theory to those raising controversial issues will be - the fact that the NNC could survive along with the spirit of Naga aspiration without any armed wing -- it talks volumes about Naga struggle and also the obvious that the so-called 'government apparatus' was not established.
This is not a drawback or a fault-line; but a fact of history.
This chapter of history is also a tribute to Indian democracy. Of course, the violence due to clashes between Assam police and Nagas were reported from time to time. But violence occurred even in Telangana region in far off Deccan.
We will have to draw an inference here that the Indian nationalism emerged hand in hand with a pledge to uphold democracy.
About three decades back any new visitor to Delhi would also visit Jantar Mantar. Located not far off from Indian parliament or the busy Connaught Place, the pillars and stone curves created one of most reliable scientific instruments. It was a case of future looking.
If that can be a forward-looking avenue; in today's world too Indians and the Indian government want to 'do something ahead' of the time. The Naga issue is such a paradox.
If the problem is resolved and there is guarantee of peace; the Govt of India's Act East policy will herald an era of immense progress and prosperity for the people in northeast, Nagas and Manipur people included.
Saying no to Solution is therefore a risky proposition for Nagas as well as for those in Delhi who want to deliver something for the legacy.
ends
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