Stage set for passing of Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority Bill :::: History is always made of three elements - Celebration, Anguish and being Sad !!

History is always made of three elements - 

Celebration, Anguish and being Sad !! 

Nagaland also has its version of "CAS".

Mega Celebrations have been planned across the 'eastern Nagaland' region. 

Stage set for passing of Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority Bill

Some people may be 'Angry'; as the "administrative and Governance failures" resulted in "Eastern Naga people" opt for an "autonomy" ... "isolated from mainstream Kohima system".

"Our boys never could become president of Naga Students' Federation (NSF)" - lamented a retired Health department official when I met him in Oting in 2023.

Entry to Longwa/Mon district 

 

Two Naga veterans S C Jamir and K L Chishi blasted BJP-NPF (NDPP) dispensation in Kohima for "fault and sins of favouritism and nepotism".

Both the former chief ministers were also "Sad". Chishi had told me: "I tried my best ... In my one-month long tenure as chief minister, my deputy chief minister was Mr Chongshen, a stalwart from the region". 

Veteran Jamir, who has all that in one life had told me in a rare pensive tone: 

"Dev, it all has happened in one life for me....Eastern Nagaland people joined us in the 1950s and 1960s deciding to be part of Nagaland state; and sadly I am still around and they have parted ways".  

K L Chishi lucidly explained Corruption showing "layers of onion" 

"What strikes you about the region most, sir"," - I asked. "Well, essentially people are simple and good-hearted.. 

My favourite character will be one village headman from the Noklak area, now it is a district. Every time I visited him in the 1990s and later, he would say, "ami mora nae dey...".  

"I vaguely remember his father too...He was a gem of a person and very proud of his native roots," Jamir had said. (as reported in 'Nagaland Page') 

To another question, Jamir said, "Oh, some of their leaders grew up in front of me who were really committed  for the state of Nagaland like 

Chingwang Konyak, 

P Enyei Konyak, Sao Chang, 

Chogshen Chang, 

Tochi Hanso, Yokten Konyak and S K Sangtam". 

Rajesh Pilot and S C Jamir : 1997 

K L Chishi also ventilated his anguish and sadness. "Chief Minister Rio is solely responsible and therefore owning responsibility, he should voluntarily resign admitting his weakness and fault and sins of favouritism and nepotism".

(remark was made in January 2023) 

"The concentration of power and development in a few areas of Nagaland state has led to such disastrous consequences," Chishi said and also had complained that the funds meant for the development and for equitable distribution of funds for the state and people of Nagaland with particular reference to developments of areas of Eastern Nagaland region" were diverted or misused.

In 2023, Jamir also said :

"The present arrangement (reported assurance on Autonomous Council) was made even without routing through the elected state government", 

"..... It speaks volumes about the status and image of the state under NeiphiuRio," said Jamir, an one time political mentor for the incumbent Chief Minister.

"As a citizen of India and also an indigenous inhabitant of Nagaland, I take this opportunity to point out the difference  between the Regional Council appeared at no.10(3) of the Sixteen Points Agreement of 1960 and Creation of Frontier Nagaland Autonomous Council  2023. It is both historical and political reality which cannot be denied by any one," Jamir had said.

"We are talking about autonomy of the Frontier Nagaland but what happened to the autonomy of Nagaland guaranteed under the Constitution? Who is at fault ? 

Let the enlightened citizens of Nagaland decide who is to be blamed," he had stated. "Nagaland of today is a land of factions and groups, multiple authorities without any authority, and misgovernance and corruption of the highest order," Jamir had lamented,

K L Chishi when asked to share anecdotes about his relationships with Eastern Nagaland leaders; said, "My favourite colleague used to be Mr Sedem Khaming. 

India-Myanmar pillar 

We were in the NPC....but once defection games started, he lost his way.  Often I was not sure whether he was with me or with the Vamuzo camp or away from all of us with Jamir in the Congress camp".

Chishi laughed out and added, "Yes, this was the time I told the then Speaker Thenucho, it is of academic interest to know which side Mr Sedem really belongs to".

Then he referred to an important episode of 1990 politics. Tiameren and Chubatemjen Ao had played key roles in organising the 12 dissidents to topple Jamir. Chishi recalled, "The homework was done. All 12 hiding in a particular bungalow...They were still not sure of the name of the new legislature group and who would lead them".

Neiphiu Rio was also among them.

"It was then I had suggested, call it the Congress Regional and make Chongshen the leader...Thankfully both my ideas were accepted and thus Chongshen became my deputy Chief Minister. Incidentally he was the only Deputy CM from the Eastern region".

Chishi is always also fond of Chingwang Konyak. 

"We were classmates in Shillong St Anthony's and sat on the same bench....In politics, he came as MLA much before us. But as colleagues we fought on a number of occasions on how to topple the Rio ministry or corner Jamir in the 1990s".

Chingwang Konyak 

(There was a joke or rumour in 1990s - one Chief Secretary had committed a mistake and called out Chingwang's name instead of S C Jamir .. just before the swearing in)  

"Anything more Sir," -- I asked innocuously.

Chishi responded: "Oh, I still remember the day we launched the NDM in 1997. Some  journalists came from Kohima and as the Working President Chingwang in Dimapur was supposed to have organised things...And in Dimapur summer, there were not even cold drinks. 

Some of you might have cursed us and NDM did not last long" -- obviously making the statement in a jovial mood.

Along with BJP, NPC, Janata Dal, the NDM also had boycotted 1998 assembly elections. 

The NDM had won five seats in 2003 polls. 

Chingwang Konyak almost became chief minister. First, he lost the assembly elections from Wakching (to P Enyie Konyak - who had Jamir's backing). In 1995; Chingwang as pradesh Congress chief wanted to contest by-election from Tehok. 

Paradox: S C Jamir had deputed K Therie and Rio to meet AICC general secretary Sushilkumar Shinde so that the ticket was given to W. Wongyuh Konyak, a former Tourist Dept official. 

Longwa village ,,, Blogger with local Konyak Naga king .... 'Aangh' Tonyei Phawang  (i cud be standing in Myanmar ???? )

Ends