We are all born into one tribe or other. Our affiliation towards the tribe is very much in us. A child born into the tribe is raised and nourished with all the mannerism of his tribe. He is influenced by the way the tribe thinks, behaves and acts. His actions and mannerism of life reflect the tribe in general. To make the tribe alive or dead lies in the hands of every tribal man and woman.
Nagas are tribal people. The hills, mountains and rivers that surround them give a sense of high security. Moreover, every tribe is well secured politically and socially. Such tribal security has also made the Nagas more individualistic although by nature they are not. The term, ‘nijormanu’ or ‘nijormati’ is a slip of tongue for many Nagas. Go to any office and you will see the reality of tribalism highly activated. The office doors may be rotten, the windows may not have glass, the floor and dustbins may be filed with red spittle, yet the moment you speak the dialect of the one sitting in the chair, nothing will disturb you anymore. No smell and no dirt will hinder you. You feel comfortable because he is your ‘nijormanu.’ Even the works are done at the fastest rate in a very cordial manner. If your tongue speaks different dialect/s you become like a fused bulb with blinking eyes not knowing how to speak and what to do. Your one minute work becomes one hour. Time can expand and contract depending on which tribe you belong to.
Tribalism has become a negative marking instead of adding some taste and ingredients. Methanilie rightly sang the song to mark out the standing position of each tribe/place. “Kohima the thakia khan nishilagephutani, Wokhapora aha khan chalakchalakahi she, Mokokchungthakia khan style kuriahi she, Zunhebotopora aha khan jakara.”We are branded with such way of life because of our tribal behavior. The good behaviour of one or two in the society brings laurels to the tribe, whereas the bad record of just one person is enough to bring condemnation to the whole tribe. People in Kohima need not necessarily be drunkards with proud attitude. All men and women hailing from Wokha region may not be cunning. The flocks of people in Mokokchung may not be too stylish and those from Zunheboto may not be always quarrelsome. Human behavior is same everywhere. It depends on how we bridle our behavior within and outside one’s own tribe.
A small misunderstanding between two persons belonging to two different tribes will bring down fire and storm from heaven. The bystanders who first watch the game begin to take active part supporting his ‘nijormanu’ although the fault lies with his fellow brother. By this the enmity between people of different tribes are enlarged and enraged with anger and hatred for each other. Such hidden anger and hatred are vulnerable because they can burst out any time and moment.
The major causes of tribal conflicts are boundaries of land and rivers. Together with these come all the other small evils that never depart from us. We all have heard or even saw such conflicts. The consequence of such tribal conflicts take its course in the wrong place. No one dares to go the disputed land or river for real settlement because it is a sensitive zone. Therefore, the only alternatives is to ransack and break houses and pull them down, burn vehicles, chase the people out of the jurisdiction and if possible kill one or two. Unless some drops of blood are spilled, the gods may not be appeased. I believe that for most Naga tribes, any person who enters your house and disgraces your family can be done away. We hardly search for the real solution, we only end up in alternative and temporary solution. This is the usage of wrong means to achieve the end, but the means and the end are completely opposite. They will never meet each other. And people taking such course of action worsen the situation.
How many elders and leaders have stimulated the young people to take up such acts of violence in our society? Those people need to cover their heads in shame. They do not want the same to be done to their families, but have the courage to do it to others. You eat the flesh and throw the bones at other people because they do not belong to your tribe. This is an absurd way of filling your stomach. The young people may act with feelings and emotions, but the elders and leaders must be led by wise and mature decision.
I have seen such wild behaviour of tribal conflicts in two districts of Nagaland. The sound of the guns, the glittering machetes, the black smoke of the burning vehicles, the torching of homes, the flames of fire rushing up towards the sky, young and old hiding in fear, women with their nursing children in arms lest their children be snatched away by the enemies. Such history will be remembered for generations to come and peaceful co-existence become too impossible. I am sure God is disturbed by such noise and cries of agony and pain of the innocent. We have awakened the justice and anger of God upon ourselves. The gates of heaven will store such events for Nagas. Lucky that the dead do not come back to you to narrate their story because they only wait for you to experience the same along with them.
We take pleasure in inflicting pain on others not knowing that by this we are digging our own graves inside our own homes. Can you stop visiting each other’s districts or land because of tribal conflicts? No, you cannot. You may never cross your land, but your children may reap your own barren land empty handed. Are your fellow tribals not in other districts of Nagaland? You may beat up the other person black and blue but your own brothers and sisters are also living beyond your land and rivers.They breathe the fresh air of others’ land joyfully. Therefore, do not send black smoke to them, neither pollute the water of life with your own selfish actions.
Be proud of your tribe because it has nourished you till date but such pride should be more constructive and beneficial for all the other tribes of Nagaland. If such attitude is nurtured by everyone, then we can live in mutual understanding with the other fellow Nagas. Failure of this may result in shattering Nagas into pieces of unwanted scrap.
Your fellow tribal,
G. L. Khing
Kohima
