A lonely impulse of delight.
It's time to reflect how Nagas fell into 'proverbial devil and the deep sea' with no escape route yet !!
Formation of NSCN certainly changed the entire paradigm of Naga movement and the situations in Nagaland and Manipur.
Violence and indiscriminate killings became the order of the day.
Fear .... threat against a person's life and his family became a Mantra.
As violence, bloodshed and an unbridled reign of terror and hell’s mayhem were let loose, the Naga public and others in the states of Manipur and Nagaland and later even in Arunachal Pradesh were caught helplessly between the proverbial devil and the deep sea.
The escape route is still invisible.
Entire villages were uprooted and often caught between underground factions and security forces. The concept of 'human shield' made news in Jammu and Kashmir decades later -- but things started in Nagaland long back !
Security forces also at times herded poor and helpless villages into camps and even Churches and those associated with religious works were not spared. Things changed a lot and somewhere the transitions were drastic.
In 1990, S C Jamir, then Leader of the Opposition, told Peace Day function (Sept 6th) at the old Zonal Council Hall --- "You (those working with churches) are Dividing the God".
Chief Minister Vamuzo and senior church leaders including Rev V K Nuh and NBCC general secretary Pongsing Konyak were also in attendance.
This is not the time to be indulging in self-perceived vainglory or in the vanity of self-destruction. While the future destiny of the Nagas hang in delicate balance, this is a time for Nagas everywhere to be humbly united in prayer to God for his favour and lend every possible positive support for an early peaceful solution to the protracted Naga political issue. Let us be
Nagas have never been realistic and pragmatic. Many say Mizoram got a peace agreement in 1986 and bid farewell to violence and insurgency because they were an ear-on-ground community ... very practical and knew their strengths as also the weaknesses.
Instead -- Nagas enjoyed thriving and indulging in self-perceived vainglory.
The 'vanity' of self-destruction was hardly understood in its proper perspective.
While the future destiny of the Nagas continune to hang in delicate balance, people are 'not humble'
... not united in prayer to God for his to achieve an early peaceful Solution.
What's my benefit --- is a norm even while a pledge was made to 'sacrifice' and facilitate the Solution?
Today ... that Selfishness is being legimitised making the silent Cock a living witness.
During Rajiv Gandhi era, Hokishe brought things close to a Peace Accord
Turning Points and mass massacre !!
In 1975, Shillong Accord was signed between Governor L P Singh and top-ranking NNC leaders.
Thuingalleng Muivah and a few others disagreed with the Shillong Accord the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) was floated in 1980.
Maoism was accepted as political philosophy justifying killing spree.
Many were eliminated even leaders such a Hokishe Sema and J B Jasokie were branded as Indian agents.
The slogans and whispering message was spread - "Religion is a poisonous pill".
Not many Nagas appreciated that and then 'Nagaland for Christ' was adopted as a mandatory statement in every paper document etc.
AK- 47 wielding militants entered the scene. They gave stiff resistance to security forces but people were slowly forced to cough up 'substantial amount of donation'.
There was well organised media management -- something Indian government and departments like SIB were just incapable to counter.
"Even for good roads constructed by BROs and other central agencies; the Govt of India was blamed that roads were being made only to facilitate movement of armed forces," a senior retired army officer said in the 1990s.
People in olive green in that era knew whoe Mon and Tuensang had become the battlefields. Churches were attacked and even reverends and missionaries were assassinated by both sides - underground and security forces.
The story however goes in many places -- Indian jawans simply kept on watching the snake-mongoose fight.
In between top leaders Hokishe Sema and S C Jamir were attacked multiple times. In 1992, Jamir survived an attempt on his life in Delhi's Nagaland House.
Several others were killed including an editor-turned-politician Chalie Kevichusa. His wife later wrote an emotional letter pointing out how the particular underground faction was wrong in their functioning approaches.
In 1995, DC, L V Reddy was shot dead in Kohima -- again for a very weak reason that he gave wrong information to the media.
Two journalists of popular news agencies PTI and UNI had to flee Kohima.
Other anecdotes and stories and analyses:
2015 Framework Agreement was a result of situational compulsion. That Isak Chishi Swu was in deathbed forced both R N Ravi and Thuingleng Muivah to work on sometime ... that would be workable.
Inked on Aug 3rd, 2015 in the presence of PM Narendra Modi -- it sought to solve two major 'hurdles' in talks -- the Sovereignty and Integration.
In Oct 2019, popular writers and analysts felt -- "the Angamis are different from the Aos or the Konyaks and for that matter the Tangkhuls of Manipur, the tribe to which Muivah belongs, have more cultural and historical affinity with the Meiteis or the plainsmen of Manipur. And while the Nagas of Nagaland use Nagamese as a means of communication, the Nagas of Manipur use Manipuri or the language of the Meiteis as their lingua franca."
Thus - Muivah felt it was necessary that any pact with New Delhi should have endorsement from Isak Swu - a Sumi/Sema from Zunheboto region of Nagaland state.
On Integration:
While the Nagaland State Assembly had at least on three occasions resolved on calling for the merger of the adjoining Naga areas of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, it was only in 2001 that the NSCN-IM made its first formal attempt to broach the idea.
They were then able to convince then Home Minister L K Advani to extend the Ceasefire to areasbeyond Nagaland by inserting the term “without territorial limits” in its term of reference.
Meiteis had resisted the episode vehemently.
There was a complete breakdown of law and order and chaos reigned for three days during which the State Assembly building, the Chief Minister’s Office all Ministers’ residential buildings were burnt down.
Eighteen people lost their lives even as it was rumored that the then Governor had taken refuge in the Army Cantonment in Leimakhong.
That day, the 18th of June, is still almost a sacred day amongst Manipuris, who stood for the territorial integrity of the State.
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