Our Correspondent
Wokha, Nov. 21 (EMN): The secretary for Finance and Land Resources, government of India, Y Kikheto Sema, has called the Article 371A the most powerful Article in the Constitution of India, but one which Nagaland has ‘yet to grasp.’
Article 371A is for the state of Nagaland, which was born out of the 16-Point Agreement in 1960.
Speaking at the 3rd General Conference cum Cultural Exchange Programme of the Central Nagaland Students’ Association (CNSA) on Tuesday here at Wokha Village, Sema explained that Nagaland was born out of a political exigency through the 16-Point Agreement in 1960 and it was incorporated in Article 371A after the enactment of the Nagaland State Act of 1962.
Calling the 16-Point Agreement a ‘most powerful agreement,’ Sema regretted that many have failed to realise the power and importance their state had under Article 371A. “They are yet to grasp the power of the Article,” he said.
Sema spoke about the genesis of the Naga movement, the inspiration their forefathers drew and the Nagas’ participation in WWI; the Simon Commission in 1929; the Naga leaders’ meeting with Mahatma Gandhi before the British left the Indian subcontinent; and declaration of the Naga Independence on Aug. 14 1947.
He said that the political conflict between the government of India and the Naga leaders under NNC began when the latter conducted a “plebiscite” in 1951. He recalled how many of their parents and grandparents perished, a suffering that continued even to the ‘60s.
“I used to share about the struggle my parents faced during that time,” Sema said. He said the Naga leaders decided to negotiate with the GoI when the situation became worse—the willingness of the Indian government to negotiate indicated India’s realisation that the Naga issue could not be solved through the Indian Army. He added that the negotiation led to the signing of the 16-Point Agreement, paving way for the creation of Nagaland as a state. However, the Naga political issue continues to this day.
Sema expressed regret that the British divided the Nagas in two countries viz. India and Myanmar. The Nagas on the Indian side were further divided, he said. The most unfortunate though, was the way the Nagas resorted to dividing their selves.
“The darkest period was Nagas killing Nagas,” he rued, adding that Article 371A was given ‘not for dividing the Nagas.’ He urged the Nagas under the CNTC to bridge the gap among the Nagas. “You are the heart of the Nagas,” he said.
