Kaka D. Iralu
It was shocking to see one of the bludgeoned faces of our Naga student leaders who were assaulted and later badly beaten by the Assam Rifles right in the heart of Kohima town. In reaction, I want to remind the Assam Rifles and all Indian para military and military forces in Nagaland that this kind of tortures (out of suspicion), were precisely the pictures that provoked a whole nation to take up arms and defend themselves from your occupational forces way back in 1955. Sights and pictures like these roused a non-violent nation to terrible violence when all our pleas to “to be left alone” were replied with rape torture and murder on a mass scale from September 18, 1954 onwards. Consequently, the first shots of self defense were fired back on 25th March, 1955 at Huker, Panger and Kiphiri villages in the then Tuensang frontier region. We reacted in total counter violence when we were treated like animals in our own villages and towns.As for the NNC (Naga National Council), from its inception on Feb2, 1946 to March 25, 1955;that is, for nine long years, it non-violently, sought India’s understanding of our position to be left alone. But when unprovoked violence killed more than 2000 Nagas between Sept 18, 1954 and March 1955, total counter violence was unleashed against the occupational forces from thenceforth. In the most unequal combat that followed, over 100,000 Nagas were killed within 1954-1957. Most of these victims’ were innocent civilians.But we also must admit that we also left many headless and handles torsos of our enemies all over Nagaland.
But whatever the case may be, I would plead with the Indian soldiers not to repeat history in all its ugly violence again. Nagas are also human beings who cannot forever bear violence inflicted on them without resorting to counter violence. Please remember that yesterday’s counter violence involved all Nagas in whose veins flowed blood that was Naga. On many occasions Reverends, Pastors and Deacons were also in the forefront of fierce battles that resulted in terrible bloodshed. When the rallying cry of “Naga manu asieto” was sounded, even the Church members did not watch from behind closed Church doors. The result was a free flow of both Indian blood and Naga blood intermingled in a ceaseless flow for all these years.
To conclude, I have also seen the mourning faces of the wives sisters and daughters of the Indian soldiers who were killed in our lands in the recent past. These sights and pictures in the TV and newspapers did not evoke any pleasure in my heart or soul. Rather, I grief with them and hope that Indian politicians will do something positive to finally resolve this 67 rears conflict. As far as our Naga position is concerned, it is still the same slogan of “LEAVE US ALONE.” To this plea, we can also add: “leave us alone even in our chaos.” I would even say “Leave, after taking even all that you have built in Nagaland in all these long years of interference in the name of Naga security, Naga development et etc.”
