A New Year for reflection

If the events in the last week of December 2013 are not viewed as signs for a mid-term correction in the Naga nothing ever will. The week saw the unprecedented public ire on erring NSCN cadres and the destruction of their base camp at Mukalimi, in Zunheboto district, the gruesome cold blooded murder of a 16 year old school boy outside the gates of his school and the a church in the heart of the commercial capital of the state and the ugly aftermath of the tension between the Karbi and Rengma Nagas that culminated into a full scale violent attack on unarmed Rengma villagers and the death of atleast six Rengmas, several injured and rendering hundreds homeless and penniless. Ironically, all the three incidents find a disturbing link to the culture of violence that has become synonymous with the movement for the ‘unique Naga identity’. In the process the fight for political rights of the Nagas is reducing and infringing on individual rights The Mukalimi incident was triggered after failed attempts by the Sumi leaders to reach a negotiation with NSCN(IM) leaders over the brutal behavior of its cadres on taxi passengers, including a lady missionary on December 21 when the passengers were headed to Pughoboto sub division in Zunheboto. The death of the 16 year old student also occurred after a man identifyting himself as an NSCN sought the support of several non locals, to complete a fight that had taken place between the elder brothers of the teenager and the alleged NSCN man. And in Karbi Anglong it was the NSCN who trained Karbi militants in the use of guns in the late 1980’s. Today the Karbi militants have trained their guns on the Rengma Nagas leading to mayhem in Rengma areas within Assam and the creation of Rengma Naga refugees ousted from their rightful land and property. In the given scenario 2014, will have to be the year that sees Nagas get down to the brass tacks and shake off the wool covering our eyes. When we can hardly understand ourselves anymore how do we explain or expect others to understand us and help solve our problems. What happened at Mukalimi is just the tip of an ice berg. Whether the manner in which the public overran the camp and razed it to the ground was right or wrong is not the question to ask. We need to read more into what led to this act of pure defiance. The scenes were much like a dam bursting with flood waters in a rush and taking down whatever was along its path. The Mukalimi incident showed that people are not indifferent to what is happening around them. All power at the barrel of a gun cannot weigh down people’s thoughts and determination. But one question to be asked is if the Mukalimi incident has robbed the NSCN (IM) of its locus standi as the sole faction to represent the Nagas and their political aspirations. What is of prime concern and imperative is that we Nagas wish to live in peace under whatever/whichever entity And, it is in this context that perhaps we might even be encouraged to lose sight of the true aims and objectives of our founding fathers. But should we? Therefore, it is definitely time in this New Year that while wishing the whole world a year of peace that we also negotiate for our rights. For this we need some more leaders with vision to step forward and advocate our concerns, our desires, our wishes, our dreams, and our political aspirations. From this it follows that what is most imperative is that we Nagas as a whole must try and be more united and unity will be thence our strongest point. Without it we would still remain fragmented as has been seen in fifty years of statehood. Whether underground or Overground is not the main point. The crux of the matter is can we be really united—as a people who come from the same ancestral roots. Our collective prayer should be for 2014 to be a land mark in the wisdom, and statesmanship of Naga history.