Guest Column: What New Delhi is doing to Nagaland :: In the words of former Speaker Z Lohe

Guest Column :::: Zhovehu Lohe 

My attention was drawn to the political developments of the last few days wherein the foremost of all, elections have been announced to be conducted in the State of Nagaland on February 27, 2023. 

One cannot have any serious problem with that as it is understood that the
Election Commission of India (ECI) is carrying out its constitutional duty.

What matters before us is the issue which is no other than the political stand taken by the GoI to dump the Nagaland political issue in the backbench.

It is a blatant anti-thesis to what the Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi and the key players in the Government have been stating all these while.

During the last 25 years of the political negotiations between the two entities, all the contentious matters were supposed to have been sorted out and the processes of negotiations were officially completed by 31.10.2019. Remarks to that effect were made on the floor of Nagaland State Assembly by the then Governor Shri. R.N. Ravi, the constitutional head of the State.

The WC, 7 NNPGs has been positive, forthcoming and keen to conclude the negotiation into a solution. On the contrary, what we have today was not expected at all.

The GoI has simply sought to ignore its own promise that the issue would be resolved within 18 months time and its “Election for Solution” as was pledged in 2018. The consensus voice of the genuine stakeholders of Nagaland for political solution has been scuttled by the insensitivity of New Delhi. The people of Nagaland have been let down at the behest of those who are hell bent to totally destroy Nagaland.

Let me remind the rulers of the great country, India. All kinds of illegal taxation, kidnapping of harmless citizens for ransom, all kinds of extortion under threats and coercion, peddling of banned drugs and substances, and bootlegging liquor in Nagaland against the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act of 1989 are the regular activities of the people of terror. Anyone who indulges in any of these anti-people activities normally use terror stratagems in pursuit of one’s objective.

A person or a group of persons or an organization might not be necessarily declared as a terrorist, and yet if the activities are of terrorism in nature it becomes the same.

During the last 25 years of political engagement between the GoI and the Naga negotiating groups under ceasefire, the citizens in Nagaland have remained to be the victim of the aforementioned rampant activities. Whereas, through all these years, the NDPP-BJP alliance Govt. has remained helpless spectator to the plight of the gullible common man. Rather, it remains obvious that there remains the tacit connivance between some of the suppressors and the elected Govt.

Besides, I vividly remember what the Prime Minister gave much emphasis on fighting against corruption and its eradication in the country in his address to the Nation on the last Independence day in Delhi. Whereas, whether Nagaland is within or outside the purview of the speech of the PM?

The GoI is super sensitive to any terrorist activity in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The GoI tends to blame Pakistan always for terror sponsor.

It goes to any extent to contain the terrorist activities so as to give security to its citizens in those two Union territories.

Does the GoI has similar policy to protect the citizens of Nagaland from suppression by anti-people elements? Are the people of Nagaland considered second class citizens by New Delhi?

The latest evidence of how the rogues do rule the roost in Nagaland is how the Adviser to Chief Minister, Nagaland and General Secretary Abu Metha was reportedly threatened in connection with BDPP-BJP seat sharing in Phugoboto A/C. The local papers reported that Abu Metha brought it to the knowledge of the attendees which included the Union Home Minister. In the same breadth, the CM, the NDPP and the NSCN(IM) have refuted the news report. Whatever may be the contention, had there not been spark, there would not have been smoke around. Abu Metha is neither a kid nor a dumb and he remained silent, whereas, he is supposed to clarify it rather than those busy bodies.

Not in election matters alone, but in every matter of governance, Nagaland has been under the dictate of rogue elements in connivance with the Govt.

The people of Nagaland being tired and weary of living with the alien culture of unabated exploitation, corruption and suppression of the fundamental rights of the people, the political solution was therefore ardently demanded.

The BJP being the ruling major partner in Nagaland knows well that Nagaland desperately needs healing and deliverance from the bondage of suppression. 

Nevertheless, BJP considers the prevalence of chaotic situation in Nagaland to be a political advantage for its party than refurbishing Nagaland.

What has baffled me is the unfolding of the developments and the announcement of elections shows the Union Govt. soft peddles with the anti-people elements and their activities in Nagaland.

The fact is that election without political solution is ensuring the retention of the status quo. The election has made all the 25 years of investments made by both the GoI and the Nagas a mere wastage. Had this been the attitude of the GoI, the process should never had been started at the cost of the people of Nagaland.

The New Delhi knows well what Nagaland is, and who does what in Nagaland. Knowing fully well the causes of ailments and its remedy, the BJP Govt. in Delhi perhaps prefers to keep the state of affairs in Nagaland as a specimen like maintaining National Park. To the bona fide citizens of Nagaland, New Delhi acts like Pakistan to India.