In the course of our discussion a few years back, I asked veteran S C Jamir whether he ever thought that the Naga insurgency had been encouraged by the British colonial masters just before their departure from India.
Jamir, a former Nagaland chief minister and former Governor of Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Odisha, told me: “Many Indian officials at one point used to argue on these lines. In 1947, I was 16 years old, so I did not know much.
But one thing is certain: Nagas were always a very proud community.”
“Nagas believed we had our own world, our own religion and our own Naga customs. In fact, each Naga tribe had its own traditions,” Jamir said.
He stated further that “the idea of Naga independence was almost inbuilt. Uncle A Z Phizo (founder of Naga movement) did lead us the right way.”
However, Jamir hastened to add: “But it is true, I had differences with him, especially when I began to work as a parliamentarian.
We wanted to be practical. Once we had statehood and we and our party, NNO, were in power, we realised development, education and healthcare were very important to survive in the present civilisation.
Jamir shared with me some anecdotes about his meeting with rebel leader A. Zapu Phizo in London in 1963.
Phizo is better known as the founder of the Naga “freedom” or militancy movement.
Apparently, the meeting between Jamir and Phizo was necessitated by the directives of the Government of India.
In fact, many believe that during the negotiation stage too, Indira Gandhi — when Jawaharlal Nehru was prime minister — played a key role in trying to bring the situation in the Naga Hills under control.
Nagaland got statehood in 1963.
Jamir tried to be practical and impressed upon Phizo the need to be flexible in his approach so that peace and a lasting solution to the Naga issue could be worked out.
Jamir also stated further that “the idea of Naga independence was almost inbuilt. Uncle Phizo did lead us the right way.”
However, Jamir hastened to add:
“But it is true, I had differences with him, especially when I began to work as a parliamentarian. We wanted to be practical.
Once we had statehood and we and our party, NNO, were in power, we realised development, education and healthcare were very important to survive in the present civilisation."
He said: “That means the economy was important. We had only rice cultivation and horticulture. We were dependent on the Government of India.”
“So, when I met Phizo, I told him, ‘Economics is important. Americans are doing well today. You are in London for so long; the British Government allowed you to stay, but they never uttered a single word supporting you or the NNC for Naga independence. Can you tell me why?’”Government
Jamir apparently asked this of Phizo. The response was: “Oh, they are just stupid.” Jamir started laughing.
While narrating the story after so many years, Jamir was again all smiles. I too joined him, almost in a natural manner of conversation. At one point, Jamir added: “I think Phizo liked the word ‘stupid’.”
Of course, I had to ask why he thought so.
Jamir told Phizo: “Uncle, you are not at all practical. Let us try to solve the problem in your lifetime. Otherwise, we Nagas are going to suffer.
We owe this to our people. The Government of India can be convinced if we also understand their position.”
Jamir went on: “But Phizo was simply not getting my point. He was not agreeing to the idea of a negotiated settlement in the manner New Delhi had drawn the parameters. Indira Gandhi and others in Delhi wanted everything within the Indian Constitution.”
“I had served as an MP and a parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs and PM Nehru. I understood the gravity of the Constitution. Even I was under oath,” Jamir told me.
“I think I said this in a jovial mood to Phizo: ‘Even one of your close relatives married an Indian Army officer.’” Phizo, understandably, according to Jamir, again said:
“Well, she is also stupid.”
To this, Jamir reportedly told Phizo: “No, sir; this is not stupid. This is life. When a young man and a young woman meet, many things work.”
I knew one of S.C. Jamir’s sisters was married to a Dimapur-based Bengali medico, Dr. S. Sen. I asked him: “Sir, even your sister married a Bengali doctor.”
Jamir was not at all embarrassed.
“Exactly. My family members initially said so many things. I loved my sister. I told her, ‘Nothing doing. If you marry him, he is also part of our larger family.’
“He was Sylheti, from the Sylhet region, originally in Bangladesh.”
During Jamir’s conversation with Phizo, when it came to British policy vis-a-vis the Naga issue, the former chief minister told the Naga rebel leader:
“You know why the Britishers are silent? It is because they handed over India, and that included the Naga Hills, to the Government of India under an international law — the Indian Independence Act, 1947.”
“The British Government is not stupid.
The Indian Independence Act, 1947, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that partitioned British India into two new independent dominions: India and Pakistan. This law was given royal assent on July 18, 1947.
Hence, they could not eat back their own words.”
“I was interviewed by a senior journalist in Mumbai. I told her that, to a large extent, I agree with the argument that the Government of India did not create the Naga problem. They inherited it from the Britishers,” Jamir added.
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