War is often waged with something more than weapons :::: Thanks to Negativity ::: "Nagas saw a dream ..... but abundant natural resources became a curse as it brought conflicts"

The founding fathers of Nagaland as a state would have been surprised today for reasons more than one. There would be positive reasons and they would have been surprised to see the modernity and education. The number of IAS officers, medicos and technocrats Nagas have had increased manifold since 1963.

But there were big time failures and limitations too. And they would not approve of the way the state has been managed. This is not to talk for only about last seven years. Even prior to that, the leaders and government Babus have failed. Many leaders in last few years including former ministers, ex-chief ministers, ex-Speakers and retired officials have told me: "...we have lost our way". 

Nature has been so kind, but for men !!

Notably, there has been another refrain. “We have everything...we have been blessed with a beautiful people, land and a lot of resources. But we did not have one crucial quality - the ability to manage ourselves and things in a better way".

Southern end of Kohima : Mega attraction 

I had interacted with Late Shashimeren Aier, a former bureaucrat and influencer of his era who had opposed calling Nagaland - 'Naga Pradesh'. 

He was born into the same year - 1921 -- like Hokishe Sema and was this 10 years elder to S C Jamir. 

Shashimeren had expired 1997. 

“We saw a dream... The statehood fulfilled many aspirations. We wanted more ad there was nothing wrong in it. But the 1970s and the 1960s were just the beginning of things being misused.

We ought to have stood on our own feet and work harder... that did not happen especially in the 1980s. Sadly, we Nagas were no longer master of our own destiny", he had said. 

In fact, he was at pain to see tribalism and violence making such deeper penetration in Naga life.

During the 1990s, some Naga organisations played Robinhood initially and then flourished by pursuing their gross communal and Naga-non Naga agenda. Aier was against such trends because he knew the industrialization cannot come in such an atmosphere.

Those days things were not good in Assam too especially upper Assam. Hence, Shashimeren would feel bad about the overall deterioration of the soothing atmosphere of the northeast. 

Late Aier was instrumental in setting up of first Naga tea garden at Mopungchuket (not far from Mokokchung) and also two PSUs - Tuli Paper Mill and Sugar Mill at Dimapur.

By the mid-nineties, the two industries were already in shambles. Shashimeren Aier had almost given up.

I had accompanied Late K Lasuh of All India Radio for a radio programme with Aier. 

After our interview was done Lasuh summed up it well while thanking him and said - "Sir, I am grateful that you spoke frankly and identified the major problems of our time".

The fact of the matter is Aier's diagnosis would stand relevant even today.  

Country Roads ..... where's thy home of Peace ?

Aier had essentially said -- poor infrastructures and bad roads were 'holding' the economy.

As a result, industries and private entrepreneurs were not coming to Nagaland and hence the younger generation across the state 'lacked opportunities'.

Even the perceived abundant natural resources were not being used. Instead, Aier said ironically the 'abundance' itself had proved both a blessing and a curse.

"It makes me angry because natural wealth had brought conflicts and unrest. There is a strong opposition to use of mineral resources though the Chief Minister S C Jamir government had given its initial clearance to the ONGC," he had said. 

Needless to say the Corruption menace was something that made him more angry. 

"Instead of fighting corruption ... there is competition for corruption between two political parties (then NPC and the Congress) and between leaders and officers of one tribe against the other... one range and one clan against the other," he would say sharing his anger.  

Enforcement of the rule of law is nonexistent, he had said.

Only a few months back on August 14th (1991) the convoy of Speaker Thenucho was attacked. While the Speaker sustained serious injuries, a number of policeman and clerks and personal staff of the Assembly lost their lives.

In reference to this, Aier had said -- "Our good old head hunting days were perhaps better... We knew who is coming and who should be fought. Today fighting has become more dangerous and today influence of high-powered firearms has transformed the traditional conflicts and human rivalries into fatal confrontation. Each man is a human bomb today".  

"Look Lasuh what we have made out of Nagaland... the state we worked hard to attain against such stiff rejection by Indian army and Assam. Violence is not an isolated episode ... killings and violence are our daily experiences," he had lamented.

Unfortunately, the same negativity is flourishing yet again. The tribalism talks have gone down to clanism and even topics like Southern Angami and Northern Angami.

The BJP leaders in Southern Angami feel let down by their own NDPP-BJP dispensation. There are voices being raised - central Nagaland or Eastern Nagaland and Tenimiya region(s). 

The discussions and controversies over ILP is spoiling the general business and working atmosphere in Dimapur -- once hailed as the most progressive town in northeast.

Some protagonists have started raising issues such as Plebiscite and Simon Commission. All these may not help anyone but could undermine and belittle the achievements of the Modi Govt vis-a-vis Framework Agreement and Agreed Position. 

In governance there are some permanent problems. The Govt of India is again too slow to know its real enemies. 

War is often waged with something more than weapons. Propaganda is one of them. 

 

Seeing is Believing: Nagaland capital 

ends