A few months back, this same column ran an editorial about how the Naga society in the form of so many unions and associations is slowly tending more towards individualistic ideas and at times just for the benefit of a few. It was quite co-incidental that two prominent leaders, the Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio and the Parliamentary Secretary Dr. Imtiwapang, at two different events on October 8 echoed the same issue regarding the recent individualistic attitudes of the Nagas, that is plaguing the society. It can be quite subjective if it has to be deliberated at length but nevertheless the problem is real and is now slowly being felt by many.
This can be taken as an indicator and should evoke the minds of the Naga intellectuals too who can assist better in highlighting the issue and formulating better ways to tackle it. It the trend continues it would not augur well for the Naga system to survive and flourish. However it is agreed upon in many quarters that except for a few there is a noticeable eerie silence from our intellectuals. The leaders of both mainstream and the armed Naga political groups need to retrospect why our intellectuals are silent.
It might also be a time for our civil societies, that are in majority tribal in nature, to be completely overhauled hereafter. The way the leaders of our civil societies are nominated/elected also may have to be relooked. Just as the youth of today want their best to be the elected representatives in the Legislative Assembly, it should be the same for their tribal bodies. As pointed out in this column earlier, whatever way it is defined, the role that these bodies play has become more and more political in nature. Therefore these leaders starting from the apex bodies to the students bodies should not be proxies, solely kept for the interests of a few.
The many years of conflict in the region has somehow distorted the concept of unity in the present Naga context resulting in more divisions with more and more fragmentations into smaller groups. However, even though the Naga political issue is still ongoing, a sense of settlement and permanence at least within the tribes should have been in place by now but it is evident that it is still missing looking at the present insecurities being displayed by the people. A population that is insecure can always be swayed by the influential.
