Treason means to act against the existing government of the day, an authority to who you owe allegiance; and treachery is the act of treason; betraying the person or authority to who you owe allegiance. Whether a person has committed treason and is guilty of treachery, or whether the same person, judged upon the same deeds, is a patriot; depends on who emerges the victor in the struggle for power. The Colonial Americans were considered treasonous by the British Crown. Benedict Arnold was a general in the American Revolutionary War and originally fought for the Americans but later switched sides to the British. So, at the start, he was considered treasonous by the British and a patriot by the Americans. When he switched sides, He was considered a patriot by the British and treasonous by the Americans. The fact that the Americans ultimately won their Revolutionary War branded Benedict Arnold as treasonous and a traitor for all time.
I bring this up in the context of the N.S.C.N. (I-M)’s statement published in The Eastern Mirror and Nagaland Post (25/2/17). It speaks of “...some individuals...trying to sabotage the Peace talk between the N.S.C.N. and GoI by projecting a new means (?) as ‘Nagas of Nagaland’ and spreading treacherous venom to mislead the people by their menacing atrocious strategy with a tagline ‘The content of its ‘Framework Agreement’ to disgrace the aspiration of the Nagas.”(E.M).
I am uncertain as to who the individuals referred to are. All I can think of is Mr. Khekiye K Sema and I. I do not presume to include myself in the august company of Mr. Khekiye K Sema, nor do I think my views matter to the N.S.C.N. (I-M); but since I have publicly mentioned “Nagas of Nagaland”, and wondered as to the contents of “The Framework Agreement”; I guess I must be one of the individuals. At the outset, I would like to make clear to all that I do not know Mr. K K Sema. My father knew his father, and I know his younger brother and sister, but the gentleman and I have never met, nor have we corresponded or had contact in any manner; thus, I cannot presume to speak for him. So, in case I am one of the individuals referred to in the statement, I, on my part, would also like clarify my views and opinions.
1. Whether I am committing treason by expressing my views, opinions and beliefs; and whether I have committed treachery and am a traitor to Nagas, Nagaland and The Naga Freedom Struggle, I will leave for the reader and History to judge.
2. I do not believe my personal opinions, or anyone else’s for the matter, can sabotage the Peace Talks, unless there is truth and substance behind them.
3. On my views of Nagas of Nagaland, I have mentioned in an earlier article that I am not aware of any Grassroots Movement among the Nagas of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh for a union of any sort with the present day State of Nagaland. Therefore I am unchanged in my opinion that Nagas of Nagaland should look to ourselves to solve the numerous problems that plague us. Some of our Eastern Naga Brothers have already expressed their desire to break away from present day Nagaland; this and the issue of corruption of those in power have been the main focus of my opinions. If the N.S.C.N. (I-M) choose to see it as the spreading of “treacherous venom” I can do nothing about it. And I doubt that the Indian Authorities will view my humble opinions as something that can sabotage or cause a logjam to something as important as the “Framework Agreement”.
4. As to the contents of the “Framework Agreement”. I wonder who would not be curious as to its contents? It is not a question of having an “itchy drive”; but when a person’s future is at stake, it is natural for him to want to know what his future holds. For I have never heard or read of any struggle for freedom of any people, nation or race in the history of the world, in which the people whose freedom was being fought for were unaware of or kept in the dark about the points of settlement of their struggle. The N.S.C.N. (I-M) must be aware that there are copies floating on the internet of what are, allegedly, some clauses of the “Framework Agreement”. It behoves the N.S.C.N. (I-M) to clarify if the allegations contained therein are true or false. If they are false, they must track down the source of this treason; just as they did with the person who maligned the Late Mr. Isak Chishi Swu on Facebook. For if it is true; I can understand why the contents are being kept secret, for it speaks of altering the nature of the Naga relationship with our land.
(a). One clause states that only a “Permanent Citizen” of Nagaland can own land in Nagaland and others can only lease land. Which begs the questions, “Who is a ‘Permanent Citizen’ of Nagaland. And on what basis will Permanency be decided?”
(b). Another clause states that, “Government of Nagaland will have its own armed forces which will be exclusively responsible for the internal security of Nagaland”. Not a Police Force, but an Armed Force for Internal Security. Does the N.S.C.N. (I-M) foresee any uprising by the people of Nagaland against a future semi-independent Nagaland State, that it would need, not a Police Force, but an Armed Force for Internal Security?
It is because rumours like these keep cropping up that I, along with many Nagas, am curious about the “Framework Agreement”. I believe that the N.S.C.N. (I-M) is obligated to clear up such rumours if it considers itself to be heading a Popular Freedom Movement of the People; not some sort of Military Junta that would enforce its decrees on the Masses. We have been fed on vague promises and hyperbole for long enough to want to be curious of what the future portents. We have seen the forms, now I believe we should be shown some substance and not presented with a fait accompli. For in the latter case, if there are laws and statutes which see the Nagas of Nagaland ending up with less than what we already have; who will be answerable for any consequences that may arise? This is not a threat, but a question that History will ask of all the players in the Drama that is Nagaland.
