Isak Sumi
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he ACAUT activist like Khekiye Sema having indebt knowledge about various governmental, economic, social and political aspects can ingest crucial momentum on the ongoing Naga struggle. It would have been highly constructive and enlightening had Khekiye Sema taken an extra step to induce NPGs of intellectual and pragmatic ideas about the wide ranging issues connected to the struggle.
He however chose to arrogantly lambast the NPGs through media and public platforms, coining every conceivable idiom derogatory to the struggle. Even though many of the evils of NPGs insinuated by Khekiye Sema are true, it would have been more forthcoming on his part if such issues could have been addressed through mutual dialogues.
The opinion is mooted not to deny the responsibilities but to avoid exposing our weaknesses and incur political embarrassment before the world community. The political leverage to be gained on the ongoing struggle must begin by demonstrating our strength and not in sensationalising our weakness over the roof before the world scornful galore.The Naga struggle requires every bits and pieces, from rags to riches and from mere illiterates to highest intellectual calibre of all kinds. When the intellectuals choose to battle NPGs vociferously and NPGs in return throws suspicions on the intellectuals, both must be at guilt and we become a danger to ourselves. Nothing can be gained from such collision but further fragmentation of the already divided house and further catastrophe.
The intellectuals being more superior in reasoning may also take into account the implications of their vocal and open negative comments against NPGs and vice-versa. When our own Naga intellects opts to expose the weakness of NPGs in an Indian platform, imagine the damages it causes to the struggle and the wonderful opportunity it provides to the aggressor to continue its political onslaught against the Naga. Cannot that be treated an act of betrayal either by default or by intention?
Cannot they explore far positive means to admonish their own NPGs waywardness instead of headlong and thorough condemnation of NPGs in foreign and domestic platforms as well, and we do not see how far these intellectuals have been instrumental in bringing the much needed changes in the functioning of NPGs.
If Naga intellectuals are so much perturbed about taxations, they equally are materialist in their pursuits, being an intellect in itself, they should have been concerned enough to suggest alternate means and ways of sustaining the struggle since the movement cannot survive without proper and stable economic and financial resources besides sacrificing one’s life and family.
While the NPGs give their physical resources, the intellectuals and opulent classes should equally contribute their much needed resources. On the contrary it is the wealthy intellects and not the common masses that prefers to oppose the NPGs. What do we give back to the society that has given us so much? Are the prosperous classes guilty of their nefarious ways of having amassed and hoarded so much ill-gotten wealth that, instead of giving back to the society they choose to incriminate the NPGs so that they can escape the wrath of the common mass? Are they so greedy that instead of giving voluntary contributions, the NPGs are forced to ask from them at gun point what they had pilfered from the government’s endowment to the wretched common lot.
It would therefore be more appropriate to first discuss the origin of corruption rather than diverting the attention to sovereign tax. The ACAUT being guided by intellectuals could have taken the NPGs into confidence and concertedly fight against the common evils snapping the very crucial nerve of progress and development of the Naga society.
The radicalised choice of action by ACAUT against NPGs at the moment may appear befitting however in the long run the impact it imprints on the future course of Naga political struggle shall be left to their comprehension. Let us all hope that ACAUT’s battle for justice bring forth the desired results to the benefit of all the Nagas and also reinvigorate the Naga struggle in a positive manner.
To be continued
