Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Jan. 24: A leader of the new organisation, ‘Sumi Naga Labour Corps Association,’ has questioned as to why the Naga Hoho was ‘not interested in Naga history’ when 2000 Nagas went to France during the First World War during 1917-1918.
Instead, group’s convenor, Dr. H Hotokhu Chishi, said the Hoho was fighting about the establishment of the Naga Club. He was addressing the inaugural programme of Dimapex-19 (Dimapur Philatelic Exhibition), on Thur. Jan. 24 at the Livingstone Foundation Higher Secondary School in Dimapur.
‘There is a need to know about our history to be retold for the next generation,’ he said. ‘Why was only the centenary of World War-1 Naga Labour Corps celebrated,’ is the question every Naga should ponder on, Chishi said.
‘Naga Hoho was fighting for who established the Naga Club, but the association and the Sumi Naga are not interested in who established the Naga Club, nor do we have any issue but the honour and respect should be accorded to those who established it,’ Chishi asserted.
Also, Chishi asserted that it was important to realise that the Naga Labour Corps was the ‘pioneer’ in submitting a memorandum to the Simon Commission on Jan. 10 1929; and of the formation of the Naga National Council on Feb. 2, 1946. ‘Those who went to France have sowed the seeds of Naga political identity in 1918, which sprouted in 1929 (memo submission) and flowered in 1946 (NNC formation).’ He remarked that the government of India should realise that Nagas had the concept of political identity in order ‘in 1919 and not 1946.’
The convenor said that the British took the Nagas to war for three main reasons: ‘To incite fear in the minds of the German allied forces as the British sent propaganda that Nagas were savage; to be used as labourers and; and Nagas were ordered to act in ‘traditional’ manner with machetes and spears.
‘Although it was uncertain on how many died, dead bodies returned or came back alive, Nagas left for France in two groups—the first group left on April 21 1917 and reached France on June 21 1917, while the second group left in the first week of May 1917 and reached France on July 22 1917. The Naga Labour Corps returned home during the second week of June 1918,’ he maintained.
The Naga Labour Corps were 2000 in number comprising 1000 Sumi, 400 Lotha, 200 Ao, 200 Rengma and 200 Chang including those from upper parts of Tuensang. 35 Naga graves have been identified in various foreign lands including five in Tunisia. Out of 1000 Sumi, the identities of 718 have been confirmed so far, Chishi said. He questioned as to why the Nagas not talking about the hundred of Nagas who died in foreign lands.
Chishi explained that there were misgivings that the Nagas went to France solely as labourers and to earn money. But during that time, he said, they were told to take the best machetes and spears with them.
“If they were taken as manual labourers, why were they asked to carry machete and spear?” he queried and clarified that the Nagas were taken to France not only as labourers but to ‘fight.’
The deputy commissioner (DC) of Dimapur, Kevekha Kevin Zehol, supplemented Chishi's statement. He remarked that the event was what ‘we can actually do for the supreme sacrifices’ of the Naga Labour Corps. He was addressing the event as its special guest.
On other matters, the DC talked about school performance. Private schools are doing better than the government schools; there is hardly any govt. school among the top 20 positions in the HSLC/HSSLC examinations in spite of the government institutions having qualified and well-paid teachers. It is time to reason and find ways to improve the performance of government schools, he reminded.
