S C Jamir is in news once again.
He has been experiencing this and so all others - those - associated with Nagaland now for decades. You may disapprove Jamir's politics; but he would come back among the headlines. Now he is among the headlines because the NSCN-IM apparently stayed away from the Fed Up Nagas (FUN) show because Jamir too was expected to attend the rally.
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| R N Ravi and S C Jamir |
Jamir represents a rare quality stuff among Naga politicians.
One could call him an "adulterated Congressman" -- but at the same time has has been an unadulterated Indian patriot. A true protagonist of nationalism.
Only the towering Hokishe Sema (his friend, colleague and rival for many years) could match him on certain key aspects.
Quite often, he tells me that the Constitution of India has 'everything' and its uniqueness remains in the fact that it can "accommodate everything".
As a young journalist in my twenties, I have consistently attacked him and his politics in 1993 and later. However, post-2019 we became great friends If I may use the phrase.
At times, I am also surprised and I feel like telling him that ... as if Sir, we have done some black magic to one another.
I almost told him so once when he raised the subject of 'Bengal's magic' in a different context.
When Narendra Modi completed 4399 days in office as PM surpassing Jawaharlal Nehru, veteran SC Jamir, who has seen the Nehru era, had drawn out a rare yet unique distinction between the two leaders on June 10ths this year.
“Panditji was a philosopher. Modi ji is a practical man. That’s the difference,” said Jamir, who was Governor in Gujarat when Modi was the state chief minister.
This was a very sharp and candid comparison.
Jamir, a former chief minister of Nagaland, had also served as Parliamentary Secretary to Jawaharlal Nehru.
Jamir’s unique perspective on the contrasting differences between two leaders was shared by 'Modi Story', a popular social media handle dedicated to sharing details of the Prime Minister's life journey. Now that the NSCN-IM has expressed its unwillingness to share stage with Jamir -- one can say the rivalry between Jamir and the aging Muivah of NSCN-IM is a very old chapter.
On Aug 16, 2020, during the peak of Covid-infected crises; the NSCN-IM in a statement had said:
"Nagaland Governor and peace interlocutor R N Ravi "had got himself a good partner in ex-Chief Minister of Nagaland and ex-Governor Mr. S C Jamir who is tooth and nail against Naga solution defending the 16 Point Agreement.
Both of them had been surreptitiously working together and they are responsible for holding the NNPGs in the grip and misled the GoI, particularly the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi)".
The NSCN(IM) had entered into ceasefire and formal talks with the Government in 1997 when S Chubatoshi Jamir was the Chief Minister.
Jamir has 'survived' multiple attacks on his life allegedly from the NSCN(IM) and that included 'closest' one in Delhi in 1992 at Nagaland House - 29 APJ Abdul Kalam (earlier called Aurangzeb) Road.
When Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister, Jamir could win over Congress high command blessings.
Jamir befriended the then AICC general secretary in-charge Sushil Kumar Shinde. Paradoxically, Neiphiu Rio, the incumbent Chief Minister, and K Therie used to be Jamir's 'men' hobnobbing in Delhi in typical Congress style of politics.
No wonder, once I quizzed Rio (in Delhi when Shinde was Home Minister under Manmohan Singh) asking how could he work so closely with Home Minister Shinde as Jamir was his 'original Naga friend'.
Rio had shot back: "Arey, If Jamir was close to Shinde, I was also close to Jamir".
Standing near us, Chingwang Konyak, who later headed the NDPP (a party floated with Rio's blessings in 2017-18) pulled me in a friendly gesture and remarked, "Niren, you are being naughty".
In reply to a question during an interview with me in December 2023, Jamir referred to his only meeting with NSCN-IM leader Thuingaleng Muivah (when Jamir was Maharashtra Governor) and described it as a "good meeting no doubt".
Elaborating further, the former Chief Minister said,
"For the first time I met Muivah on that day.
Our discussions were in the presence of his Kilonsers and Ao Senden Office bearers. When I provoked Muivah for his inability to find solution with the Govt of India even after more than six to seven years of negotiation, may be out of anger or probably his conscious might have pricked him and he said that “I have asked the Govt of India not to put any condition so that I will also not raise the issue of sovereignty.”
I think as a Naga he spoke out the truth".
Jamir also said, " .....Furthermore neither sovereignty nor Integration appear in the two official Agreements between two groups of the underground. My first and last meeting (with Muiavah) was in Delhi and while departing from the scene while shaking hands;
.... Muivah told me, “Jamir, so we may not meet again”.
I (Jamir) too replied "No need because I told you everything during the discussions" and then everybody laughed.
ends
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