I’m no biologist, and my layman’s knowledge of botany wouldn’t make a paragraph, let alone fill a page, but this I know :- A tree grows mighty and strong, it takes its sustenance from the soil it grows in, It bears fruits that others may feed on, it spreads its branches that others may shelter under, it stands firm in the face of the wayward wind, and it has deep roots that anchor it to the soil lest any idle wind topple it over. A weed, on the other hand, grows wherever its shallow roots find space, be it a crack, a nook or a cranny. It survives for its own sake with little or no benefit to others, it is blown every which way by every passing whisper of a breeze and the shallowness of its roots mean that it can be ripped off by any idle hand.
One may question why I, as a Sumi, am commenting on an issue which seems to concern the Aos, but I feel it is for the benefit of the concerned parties to know how they are being perceived by those around them. And when it comes to an issue of the Naga Hoho, an organisation in which, supposedly, all Nagas have an equal stake, I feel I have the right to air my thoughts and concerns.
The silence/refusal of Mr. P Chuba Ozukum on the notification by the Ao Senden asking him to resign as the president of the Naga Hoho proves to the world that he is a weed of the first order. Everybody has an identity of some kind, and in Nagaland it is village, clan, and tribe, in that order. It is common understanding that the Ao Senden is the apex organisation of the Ao Tribe and that its every decision is taken after thorough deliberation of all the pros and cons of the issue on hand, and that every such decision is taken keeping in mind the welfare and best interests of the Ao Tribe in particular, and the Nagas in general.Whatever abilities Mr. Ozukum may possess, it is his membership of the Ao Tribe that has qualified him to be a member of and allowed him to hold the post of president in the Naga Hoho. He has drawn nourishment from his tribe and the Ao’s have sustained him in the hopes that he would grow to be a tree on which they can lean on, instead he turns out to be a weed which grasps and clings to every crack in a desperate hope to survive and is blown about every which way by the idle wind.
The supposed “refusal” by the Hoho to accept his resignation is so transparent a farce that anybody but a fool can see through it. Mr. Ozukum should draw solace from the fact that he will go down in Naga history as the man who betrayed his tribe and that he joins the likes of Benedict Arnold(betrayed the Americans to the British during the American War of Independence), the Vichy Government of France during World War Two(collaborated with the Germans) , Aldrich Ames the C.I.A agent who sold secretsl to the K.G.B./F.S.B. and most importantly, Judas, who sold our Lord for 30 pieces of silver.
This issue has once again highlighted the fact that the Naga Hoho is dead in the water, and the fact that the Naga Haha(thank you Mr. Khekiye K. Sema for coining so appropriate a term, genius, pure genius) is willing to be “led” by a Naga who does not have the endorsement or backing of his own tribe shows its desperate attempt to stay relevant in a state where nearly all major players have abandoned it. When all is said and done, this sordid episode just goes to show us that you will always find people who are willing to sell our tomorrow for their today.
