An Incautious Mistake of the ‘Sons of the Soil’

The dictum ‘sons of the soil’ is a general expression of truth or principle. It is related to the maxim of expressing a distinctive feature and power of a group of community. No doubt, the pronouncement of ‘sons of the soil’ is also a volatile political issue everywhere in the world. Thus, in the terms of consciousness of identity development and assertion of rights, the ‘sons of the soil’ issue is related to both chauvinistic and prejudice pronouncements which urge for legal and political authority of the aboriginal people. In other word, it constitutes a sense of nationalism, ethnicity and social integrity of collective individuals. Perhaps, the sense of nationalism and patriotism seems to pose stronger intrinsic feelings toward nation-building process than feeling for social and economic development. Yet, the other one volatile issue would be to harness people for a status quo of acquiring all benefits and social influences by the aboriginal people. So, the so-called ‘sons of the soil’ implies a lot of sensitive and psychological perceptions which often reckoned the minds of people in different ways.

Generally, there are disagreements abound in the definition and precept of ‘sons of the soil’, but, in favour of the argument would mean that all the fruits and benefits of development of a particular region should be enjoyed first by the aboriginal people and then to be passed on the people who migrated to that region. Endorsing this ideology in a practical and cautious manner may not produce any despicable incident if it is expedited in a non-fallacious standard. Rather, such prerogative claim and right of the aboriginal people may not stand as a threat or anxious to others.

The main focus of this paper is first to present the mortifying precept of ‘sons of the soil’ of the Nagas. Secondly, in doing so, it touches the ongoing issues of illegal immigrants and capturing of all economic power by the illegal immigrants in the Naga-dominated areas. Thus, viewing on these two critical issues the paper highlights some few incautious mistakes done by the ‘sons of the soil’ – Nagas.

Believably, the dictum of ‘sons of the soil’ in the context of Nagas’ understanding is applicable and connoting too only to the main domains of political struggle and self-determination. In a figurative sense, sensualizing on such domains one can understand the utmost sacrifices contributed by the Nagas in the essence of ‘sons of the soil’ in various political aspects. To the extent, all such esteemed contributions devoted to the cost of national movement could be seen unequivocally in all natures and activities of the Naga political, civil society (CSOs) and student organizations as well. And, no any amount of criticism emanating from any subject matters would able to counterpose against their vision and goal easily.

However, surprisingly or unsurprisingly, Nagas in this present 21st century are diminishing their sense of nationalism and vision as many critics of Naga politics had expressed in various print media and social networking sites. Well, keeping aside all that critical viewpoints, one important point that this paper would like to seriously castigate is the wane of thought in acquiring all kinds of benefits first by the aboriginal people – the ‘sons of the soil’. To revamp such embarrassed-state of the Nagas does not lie only in their pragmatism of political enthusiasm. Therefore, it is important on the one hand for the Nagas to retrospect certain incautious social and economic mistakes done by them. One such critical consequence of such mistakes is the increasing influx of illegal immigrants and economic empowerment in the hands of outsiders. Thus, speculating on recent staggering issues that are happening in the state of Nagaland and the unflagging demand of ILP in Manipur, their main problem is the issue of illegal immigrants and economic empowerment. So, the absence of steel-frame mechanisms, stringent surveillance, and laxity of legal vigilant on the part of the Naga political and civil organizations in the Naga-dominated areas is quite a gloomy scenario. Henceforth, it is absolutely true to say that the fear and perception of posing a serious threat due to unchecked illegal immigrants and incautious permission of granting businesses to non-native people in the past decades is ubiquitously happening today right in front of our naked eyes. What a defective Naga society.

Some Apprehensible Mistakes
Some mistakes can be ascertained indirectly from some strange practices and incautious mentality and attitudes of the Nagas. In the issue of incautious granting of businesses opportunities to non-native, all the three statures of our society, the state and district authority, the Naga civil organization and the Naga political organization are resembling to the 18th century Mughal ruler(s) who unconsciously welcomed their incoming ruler, the English East India Company. The craze and obsession of easy money is probably another relevant factor. The other despicable practice of the Nagas would be the nature of Nagas’ political organization. For instance, it is learned that there is a legal procedure for all illegal immigrants and outsiders to get special approval in setting up any business or corporate entrepreneur from the Naga national political organization. But, as the facts and figures have showed all economic powers entrenched in the hands of illegal immigrants and non-natives migrants, Nagas are like King Aurangzeb who incautiously gave away British the permission and the Farman to resume trade and in return received a huge amount of money from the annual taxation. Moreover, the recently published Ten (10) points resolutions passed by the Nagas of Nagaland to check the influx of illegal immigrants and also to stop granting trade and business avenues just simply substantiates that Nagas are the only reason behind what is actually happening now in the society. The ugly truth.

These incautious mistakes of the Nagas may probably impinge gross disaster to the building of unity among themselves in the days to come. Moreover, the trend of jealousy and tribalism (an entrenched psyche) is also grossly providing invariably a better opportunity for the outsiders to empower their trade and business activity. So, what is notably besetting in the current trend of losing out economic outlays to the outsider and illegal immigrants would have a serious impact than now. Lastly, the present issue going viral on social media and networking sites on the issue of illegal immigrants and economic empowerment in the hands of outsiders in the Naga society is a wake-up call to all the ‘sons of the soil’ who all are entitled to guard the society. Otherwise, all will continue to live in a defective Naga society.

Dr. Paode A
Asst. Prof. Don Bosco College Maram