Every word in the Bible ever remains relevant to humanity all the time, and it shall remain so. And particularly, the word of the Lord Jesus Christ in John 8:32 as quoted here is very imperative as for the Nagas at this particular crossroad.
The Nagas of Nagaland in particular and the rest indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland may be having sense of freedom living in our own land, residing in our own homes, owning our own fields, etc. and yet it does not mean that we have been enjoying the complete and genuine freedom. The freedom of speech, the freedom of entrepreneurship, the freedom of business, the freedom of association are all but curbed. The elections in Nagaland are interfered with threats and intimidations in a manner of culture. In many cases, even the elections to the posts of VCC and VDB Secretaries are interfered and in several cases even our churches are not spared in matters of refurbishing its set up to say the least.
The citizens of Nagaland have been enslaved under the weight of the unabated illegal taxation for decades, and the protests of the organizations against such taxations are simply ignored by the State Govt. as the Govt. rightly feels imperfect to throw the first stone at the culprits. The enhancement of the rate of any item from hardware to that of vegetables are left to the whims and fancies of the private traders. Just for instance, taking undue advantage of the successive lockdowns, the rate of powder milk per kg (Everyday) was raised from Rs.300/- to Rs. 390/-, the rate of egg per plate was raised from Rs.150/- to Rs.220/-, the rate of tomato was raised from Rs.30/-/40/- per kg to Rs.60/-/70/-, etc. as per Kohima market. What adversely impacts every household is the controllable price rise of the essential commodities to uncontrolled inflation is due to sheer negligence of the public welfare by the State Govt.
To be very brief, the Public Health sector, the Education sector, the due benefit to cultivators and farmers, the entrepreneurial avenues, etc., etc. are in shambles. Look at the most vital project like the Dimapur-Kohima 4-lane road as it has been in pathetic condition. Half of the distance, from Pherima to Kohima, is almost abandoned in its nascent stage. I wonder who has permitted the contractors to neglect the distance in question for too long. Look at our Dimapur Airport allowing the junior States in NE to overtake us whereas Nagaland is invariably lagging much behind others due to our refusal to cooperate with the Civil Aviation Ministry which is ready to upgrade it. At this rate, our Dimapur Airport may be reduced to just subsidiary airport with hardly two or three flights a week sooner for want of the basic facilities just citing merely few instances.
Thus, Nagaland has been in mess for decades so created by ourselves. And so long as we remain in this mess, the worst to come is inevitable. We have no other alternative escape route lest we overcome it with the power of truth. As quoted in the caption, when we decide to accept the truth, that truth will set us free. I do not talk about this truth on my own but I am talking about the truth that Jesus Christ has promised us in the Bible. And we know whatever promise made by God in the Bible, He never fails to fulfill it. And I have a hope of getting a chance of reforming Nagaland to certain extent if at all the people of Nagaland wake up from our slumber and rise to uphold the truth without fear despite wasting much given opportunities.
Here, the truth I am talking about is specifically the inordinate pending of the logical conclusion of the Naga political negotiations. There is no ambiguity that the GoI has been sincere to work out the political solution for the Nagas. Had it not been so, the GoI would never have had ceasefire with any of the Naga political groups followed by political negotiations. Particularly the intensive political negotiations during the tenure of the last Interlocutor Mr. RN Ravi who along with the Naga negotiators, the NSCN(IM) and the WC, NNPGs were very encouraging as they managed to bring the business to its official closure on 31.10.2019. To my understanding of the said closure of the official interlocutions, the following implications are made clear: a) That only the signing of agreement for the solution remains. b) That there will be no more negotiations beyond the given dateline implies that since all the issues so tabled by the parties during the negotiation processes were ironed out. c) And that the Interlocutor Mr. RN Ravi was the last Interlocutor after whom no successor could be there since the negotiations were officially over.
Having arrived at that final stage, the NSCN(IM) suddenly accused the Interlocutor Mr. RN Ravi by citing reasons followed by severing the official tie with him. The NSCN(IM) then tactically mounted pressures directly and indirectly through different lobbies on the GoI for removal of Mr. RN Ravi from the Interlocutor-ship. From 1997 till the WC, NNGs was invited to have similar negotiation by GoI in 2017, the NSCN(IM) had its exclusive negotiation for 20 years. Despite of the two decades dialogue, it failed to bring political solution. It is therefore obvious that NSCN(IM) is just interested in continuing in ceasefire and endless negotiation which is perhaps considered to be the ultimate objective. The determination of the last Interlocutor Mr. RN Ravi to work out early political solution cannot be doubted, and the NSCN(IM) might have taken him to be a threat to their political scheme. Therefore, the removal of the Interlocutor was considered a solution to its political problem.
While such pitched battle was on, beside other cohorts, the then PDA Govt. joined the chorus for removal and thus the Interlocutor was finally removed. The removal of the Interlocutor Mr. RN Ravi is a very serious matter because the removal became a great set back to the expeditious process of the political solution. The removal of the Interlocutor Mr. RN Ravi has jeopardized the political future of the Nagas as I analyzed as follows: i) The legal political negotiations have been placed in doldrums. ii) For the Naga negotiators to have any political parley with any deputed authority representing the GoI but below the rank of the Interlocutor only demeans the political status of the Nagas. iii) At this rate, if the Naga political issue is to be brought down to the level of the State Govts. of Nagaland and Assam, then it is demoted to a mere law and order matter since such State Govts. are neither the Naga negotiators nor are they the Interlocutor.
To those who are against the political solution or who do not value the political status of the Nagas, to them the removal of the Interlocutor was an achievement. Having removed the Interlocutor has indeed delayed the logical conclusion of the negotiations or it may even ultimately sabotage the solution. What greater harm being done to the Naga political cause than what the NSCN(IM) and the then PDA Govt. and their cohorts could seriously stalled the progress of the negotiations.
Recently, Mr. K. Therie, President of NPCC alleged the UDA Govt. of having maneuvered “an attempt to derail the ongoing peace talk” as published in local papers dated 17.12.2021. The NDPP promptly refuted the allegations and even went unethical by being very personal. An allegation remains an allegation till it is legally proved. Again, I am quoting the version of what the Akukau Kahuto Chishi Sumi has published in local papers dated 9.1.2022 “Officials of the Govt. of Nagaland refused to take any steps on the night of the 4th of December, leading to the death of 8 people (7 civilians and a soldier) and on the 5th of December, leading to the death of one person and injuries to unknown numbers of civilians.” Having read between the lines, the sequence of events appeared to have been engineered so as to let the following consequences superimpose the importance and the urgency of the Naga political solution.
The spontaneous reaction of the Nagas to the unjustifiable massacre of the 14 civilians in Mon District was natural as such crime was heinous. The perpetrators perhaps considered the precious lives of those Nagas to be less than the value of cows. Any butcher or transporter of cows would have been jailed by now in Assam and yet mowing down number of innocent civilians in Nagaland, both the State Govt. of Nagaland and the Centre are soft peddling. It is the primary responsibility of the State Govt. to see that such utter violation of Human Rights is never allowed in our land again in the guise of defending the country, and the violators are punished befittingly.
In the midst of hysteric demand for the removal of AFSPA even to the extent of the emotive Nagaland Legislative Assembly Special Session’s resolution dated 2012.2021, it had to face a smack of the 6 months extension of the same law by the Union Home Ministry. The Home Ministry should have been more frank without camouflaging its intention by setting up of such Centre-State Committee as though its reports could be absorbed as the parameters. Duping the people of Nagaland and taking the leaders of the State for granted are but rubbing salt to the injury. Nevertheless, it is time for us to introspect ourselves too as to why we do not command respect in the country. We have lost our seniority status in NE due to retrogression. In the Index of corruption, we topped the list. Not an iota of regard for our Nagaland by the Centre is due to obvious reasons.
Now, the NPCC President’s allegation since it is to be proved, and yet when he alleged that it was a game plan to upset the political solution which was strengthened by GB’s version, it sounds logical. Firstly, the then PDA had actively lobbied for the removal of the Interlocutor Mr. RN Ravi in support of NSCN(IM). Secondly, the turn of events post the Oting incident, the hue and cry against the AFSPA has indeed pushed the importance of the political solution to backburner and till date the political solution is superimposed by AFSPA. These developments have its share on the prospect of political solution. As of today, the Nagas have become quiet about political solution as if that is secondary to AFSPA. Though the allegation in question is to be proved, the sequence of events indeed effectively worked towards upsetting the political solution.
Coming back to the core issue, besides the professional exploiters, in Naga society there are varied opinions on the Naga political solution. Certain section opines that such solution is contrary to our original aim for struggle and brands it as a sell-out despite those being bereft of better option. Whereas, certain section considers the whole exercises to be a misnomer being ignorant of the objective of the end result. The other section has sectarian fear that there will be disparity in sharing the solution dividends as though the negotiators may fetch solution booty and thus the section objects to solution. And yet all these sectarians are but armed-chair dogmaticians. Whereas, much higher percentage of the Nagas indeed know the imperatives of the political solution and yet they prefer to remain neutral without being identified for the cause. This section is found to be people of ‘let it be.’
This is how the Nagas of Nagaland in particular have miserably failed to cohesively put our acts together in the interest of the ground reality. As observed, the major reasons that impeded our openheartedness and our fortitude is the timidity, the evasiveness, the farcicality, the selfishness for cupidity and our rejection of the truth knowingly
Do the Nagas really believe that our future is better secured without solution? Is the existing situation in Nagaland in particular is better for us and for our posterity? God forbids. No solution means the Damocles’ Sword hangs above our head as for Nagaland. If not others, Nagaland in particular desperately needs political solution without any further delay and not to speak of thwarting it under any circumstances. Without political solution we get just political minus or political zero. As of now and at this rate we are indeed asking for political zero.
Nagaland has been in ICU for too long requiring immediate healing. When we ignore this altar call, it will collapse. The procedure of healing Nagaland is simple: overcome the inhibitions, the fear and the double mindedness and uphold the truth, nothing but the TRUTH. Let us focus and gather our courage to call upon the GoI to fulfill its promise made to the Nagas by signing the agreement of the Naga Political Solution with whosoever Naga negotiator agrees to sign. No better chance may come or may never come.
Z. Lohe
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