The term, “malafide” has a number of meanings; here, I use it in two senses, namely, “dishonest” and “illegal”. The Naga Hoho and the Naga Students’ Federation are dishonest organisations because they have included non-Naga tribes into organisations which, by their very titles, are meant for Naga Tribes alone. And due to this act of dishonesty, they have rendered themselves illegal; for the law will not recognise a Mechanics’ Union whose members include Carpenters.
Let us begin with the word, “Naga”, and who is a Naga? The word, Naga, is an exonymous word; an exonym is a word given to one by foreigners. The most commonly accepted origin of the word, “Naga”, is the Assamese word, “Noga”, used by them to describe the Hill Tribes that came into contact with them; in most cases, when the latter came to the plains of Assam to buy salt. The British anglicized the word “Noga” to Naga. Apart from the negative impact of European Colonization of the world, there was a positive aspect to it too. For in the wake of the Colonizers came scientists from all fields, including the Social Scientists, i.e. ethnologists, anthropologists, linguists, sociologists, et al. The Flora and Fauna of the world was studied and recorded along with the different races, cultures, customs and languages of the many different people they encountered.
With regard to the People inhabiting the North-East border of India and Myanmar, on both sides, the early British and European Social Scientists classified us into two major groups; the Naga Tribes and the Mizo (Lushai)-Kuki-Chin Tribes. The Naga tribes were distinctly classified under 2 groups; the first group was called, simply, Nagas, the second group, living south of the Angami Tribe, Manipur Nagas (including a tribe called, “Kutcha Nagas”). The second were called Manipur Nagas because they lived under the suzerainty of the King of Manipur.
Like the Nagas, with their many different tribes, the Mizo (Lushai)-Kuki-Chins too, have many tribes; the British classified the Kukis into two groups, the Old Kuki Tribes and the New Kuki Tribes. The book, “The Lushei Kuki Clans” authored by Lt. Colonel J. Shakespeare, under orders from the (then) Government of Eastern Bengal and Assam and published in 1912 clearly lists the Aimol, Anal, Chawte (Chote), Chiru, Maram, among others, as Old Kuki Tribes. So, how are they part of the Naga Hoho and N.S.F.?
It seems that there has been a clear policy on the part of the Manipur Nagas to include Old Kuki Tribes into the Naga fold as a vote bank to select the Executive Members of their choice and control the Policies of the Naga Hoho and the N.S.F. This cannot be allowed to continue. The Naga Hoho is on its death bed, due to the earlier withdrawal of the Eastern Nagas and the recent withdrawal of nearly all the remaining Naga Tribes of Nagaland. Now, suddenly, the N.S.F. seems to be in the limelight, poking its nose into affairs which do not concern it. A case in point being its attempt to hijack the celebration of the Centenary of The Naga Club. How can a Student Organisation, which saw the light of day decades after their elders formed The Naga Club, presume to celebrate the Centenary of the Club without invitation?
An organisation survives on the wishes of its members; the Executive of the organization cannot act in defiance of its members. I, therefore urge all Sumi Students to insist on the withdrawal of the Sumi Kiphimi Kuqhakulu (The All Sumi Students’ Union) from the Naga Students’ Federation. Just as the Sumi Hoho has withdrawn from the Naga Hoho. As torchbearers of the Future of the Sumi Tribe, the S.K.K. cannot be seen as part of a spurious organization like the N.S.F. Our past association with the N.S.F. lay on false grounds; our ignorance of the many Tribes of Manipur was taken advantage of; but now that the Truth has been revealed, there are no further grounds for associating with the N.S.F. And I would be grateful if our Politicians and many Underground Factions would refrains from interfering in a Tribal decision which must be based on the facts on the ground, not political expediency, or for the good of a few, at the expense of the masses.
God Save Nagaland
Kahuto Chishi Sumi
Kahuto107@gmail.com
