Z. Lohe
[dropcap]A[/dropcap] month has gone since 5th March 2015 incident at Dimapur happened.
Yet, the episode hunts us and it cannot be easily erased from our memory. Every sensible Naga, wherever he or she is, regretted for what had happened on this day. Following which, several individuals and groups, in the most strongest available terms, condemned the action of the mob lynching an alleged rapist. The incident instantly made Nagas of Nagaland nationally and internationally un-popularly popular. Thus, the image of the people of Nagaland was terribly dented. In India, subsequently certain elements took advantage of the situation and equated the Nagas to that of terrorists as ISIS and al Qaeda. This incident entailed wide ramifications painting the Nagas as barbarians and savage.Not in defence of the mob action, but I refused to accept the comparison of the Nagas to that of international terrorist. Had the present day media facilities been there some decades ago, not only one like Dimapur incident, but there had been thousands of worst incidents the Nagas had suffered from the hand of Indian army would have been exposed. Unfortunately, our people had to suffer in isolation and in wrap. Yet, Dimapur incident was not in retaliation. I am sorry for the incident.
The allegation against the late rapist will remain controversial till the investigation process is completed and it is too early to be conclusive. Hopefully the investigation authority will have the determination to dig out all the truths pertaining to this sad episode without fear or favour.
The state Govt. had taken the right decision to hand over the case to CBI, perhaps, after much hesitation. Had the earlier order of Nagaland Govt. for investigation by a local authority not been reviewed, I was apprehensive, that people of Nagaland may face the double embarrassment should such findings on the case be found wanting and rejected, and should another investigation authority be appointed in supersession for the same. Now, the onus is on CBI. I hope that this time, CBI will not come as lion and go back as cat again.
Whatever may be the incident and its ramifications, there had been few factors that steadily and cohesively infuriated and agitated the psyche of the general public in Nagaland. Firstly, India has become a country of rapes. The most insecure place on earth for women is India relating to rape. Our neighbour Assam alone had close to 4000 cases of rape and murders between January 2013 and November 2014. India had 33,707 rape cases in 2013. When that is worked out, in every 15 minutes an Indian woman is raped. In spite of the incessant crime of rapes in the country, people in authority are alarmed in words and never in deed. Right from Prime Minister of India to MLAs, rapes in India are taken casually. We do not find any leader of the country being serious about how much damage is done to the image of the India by few rascals.
Moreover, in doing justice to rape victims, the Indian law is found to be too soft peddling with the cases. Thousands of rape cases are registered and remained indisposed. Victims are compelled to be satisfied with life time stigma under the given adjudication system.
Punitive actions against rapists are possibly not deterrent enough to keep those sadists at bay from repeating rape crimes. Thus, the sadists are not afraid of Indian law. This has made people to lose confidence in the system of delivery of justice.
The Dimapurians are equally distraught and discontented with the incessant cases of rapes in the country. Dimapur has its own share of few rape cases where due justices were not timely done to the victims.
Dimapurians were already tired of witnessing the lackadaisical attitude of the concerned authorities in the country and in the State in respect of all kind of crimes and harassments of citizens by unbridled elements.
Secondly, when Nagaland was created as State, its land and its people are insulated with protective laws as Art 371(A) and BEFR of 1873 commonly called ILP. The laws remain but its enforcements have been immensely abused by no other than the authorities governing Nagaland.
In action, Govt. of Nagaland has tried its best to abuse and literally do away with Art 371(A) through NSDZ. Also, reportedly known that there are powerful syndicates established around District administrative establishments to make money out of issue of Indigenous certificate and ILP. For instance, when an ILP defaulter is detected, the defaulter is fined with Rs.3000/- and allowed to stay on in Nagaland. Unless a genuine and bona fide citizen of Nagaland, any stranger does not deserve or entitled to get Indigenous Certificate.
See a specific incident. Not long ago, there was advertisement for recruitment of Naga youth exclusively to Indian Army. Accordingly, the recruitment interview took place at Indira Gandhi Stadium at Kohima.
Out of the aspirants who faced the interview, 60% was found to be from mainland of India. So, the question was raised as to how those non-Nagas were allowed to take the quota meant for the Naga youth.
Reply from the recruiting officer was that all those had Nagaland Indigenous certificates. The powerful syndicates(Govt-private combined) are keeping those ILP and Indigenous certificates in their portfolios and sell like hotcake. These are nothing less than selling our future just for private individual benefit.
The Dimaprians and the people of Nagaland are tired and provoked at the use of the services of non-Nagas who have doubtful nationalities by Naga national groups to run the errand. Reportedly known that the 5th March 2015 victim was in that category and also had earlier rape case beside the last one.
The Dimapurians and the people of Nagaland are now feeling the pinch and insecurity that Nagaland is becoming the second Tripura sooner than later. It is true that for want of membership in Nagaland Legislative Assembly, we have enrolled thousands of doubtful citizens as electors mostly in local names. We cannot identify who is and who is not a Naga voter by name in electoral rolls as names entered are in Chakhesang, Lotha, Sumi, Angami, etc. Majority of those non-Naga electors are possibly foreigners and on their arrival in Nagaland, they are regularised to be the citizens of India as their voter-ship will ensure the possession of Indian National Identity card called Aadarsh card.
Above all, during the past few years a deep canyon has been developed between the rulers and the ruled, the privileged and the under-privileged and the haves and the have-nots. The sidelined lot are in absolute majority, and they have now lost confidence in the governance. Ultimately they no more respect the rulers and are susceptible to do anything that vents out their resentment. First week of March 2015 was perhaps ripe for such situation, and yet the rulers were unconcerned and pathetic. For the sake of replenishment, few individuals had to be the prey and had to bear the brunt of it aftermath, but let us not forget that fish rots from head.
Smoke precedes flame of fire. As the Biblical story goes that the children of Job, the righteous and greatest man of the East, had feastings after feastings before total destruction. In the same fashion, the State Govt. led the people of Nagaland to have endless festivals and shows over a decade. Our people are misled from work culture to feast culture, from humbleness to high profile culture and from self-reliance to parasitical culture. We have lost our seriousness as a people. We are more divided than thought not.
Had the alleged rapist and victim of 5th March 2015 been lynched by anybody or group before his arrest or had the angry mob seized him from Police custody prior to imprisonment in the biggest jail of the State and did the same thing to him, the dimension would have been smaller. Killing the alleged rapist was one but managing to seize him from Jail, supposed to be the most guarded and impenetrable castle, became the most abhorrent topic. The means made the end more un-popularly popular.
I wonder whether the episode has made anyone wiser. Rather the episode has engineered, as observed, a fresh trend of blame game of ‘Success has many fathers; failure is a bastard’ in the words of John F Kennedy, former President of America. If one is afraid of fire why set it on? Stop blame game and face the reality in the interest of our people.
Now, the people in power are required to accept the challenges and take positive initiatives to instil sense of confidence, of duty and of responsibility without waiting for the second similar or bigger episode to take place.
