Kaka D. Iralu
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n the world of philosophy, with the coming of Hegel (1770-1831) and his idea of thesis and anti-thesis leading to synthesis, the world’s thinking process was changed. Prior to the coming of Hegel and his thoughts, philosophers as well as religious thinkers had always thought in terms of absolutes and their opposites. In other words, man had always thought in terms of absolutes which mean that if something is right (Thesis), then its opposite is wrong (Antithesis). For example-if not stealing is right, then its opposite- stealing is wrong. But Hegel’s idea was that truth is not to be found in absolutes (Thesis) and their opposite (Anti- thesis) but in synthesis which is a combination of the two. This idea of Hegel opened the door to pragmatic relativism. Pragmatic relativism is a position where one does not stick to absolute right or absolute wrong but choose the pragmatic relative alternative. (Pragmatic is here related to the word practical and relative is here related to the word compromise)The consequence of this new way of thinking was: Truth or Right, as absolutes, disappeared and man was subjected into thinking and acting in a compromised relative manner in all areas of morals and ethics. This meant not sticking to absolute right or wrong but going for the practical alternative.Commenting on the invasion of this new way of thinking that had swept across the world, late, Dr. Francis Schaeffer wrote like this: “Wherever you look today, the new concept of thinking holds the field. The consensus around us is almost monolithic; whether you review the arts, literature or simply read the newspapers and magazines…on every side you can feel the stranglehold of this new methodology… It is like suffocating in a particularly bad London fog. And just as fog cannot be kept out by walls or doors, so this consensus comes in around us, until the room we live in is no longer unpolluted… The tragedy of our situation today is that men and women are being fundamentally affected by the new way of looking at truth, and yet they have never even analyzed the drift which has taken place.”(The Francis A. Schaeffer Trilogy. p. 5)
I am afraid that many Nagas are not aware of how this new way of thinking is also affecting our religious, political and social lives today. But in this article, I would like to draw the reader’s attention to the political synthesis and relativism that has overtaken almost all Nagas. It is like the London fog that Schaeffer had mentioned. I for one feel suffocated by the invasion of this new way of thinking that have overtaken Naga society like a stranglehold threatening to strangle Naga society to death. So let us examine how this new way of thinking is affecting our politics and in turn affecting our religion, culture and even our economy today.
To bring out the glaring contrast, let us first examine our former political stand and the present stands. Our former political stand was quite simple. It was URRA UVIE which means our land belongs to us or Nagaland belongs to the Nagas. It was an absolute truth and right (Thesis) that all Nagas defended. The opposite (Antithesis) was that Nagaland belongs to India and Burma. But under the banner of URRA UVIE, all Nagas rallied together under the NNC/FGN and defended our lands against the invasion of India and Burma from 1946 to 1960. But under the Naga People’s Convention (NPC) the first step towards (Synthesis) was undertaken by some Nagas and Nagaland became a part of India as a State under the Constitution of India. This first step towards synthesis was undertaken for” pragmatically relative” reasons of economic development which came in the form of MONEY. And as the money factor took the central stage, more and more compromises were added to the synthesis. Very soon, synthetic Naga Civil servants started issuing arrest orders for the detention of their own fellow Nagas who stood for the Thesis that Nagaland belongs to the Nagas. Many of these arrested Nagas were beaten to death by the Police, Paramilitary and Indian Army. They were of course first branded as secessionist, hostiles and even gangsters and dacoits before they were tortured to death.
Now over the years, what shape and language has this synthesis adopted? Of course it is paraded in presentable language and terms which can easily fool the naïve and the credulous into thinking that the proponents of this synthesis are even Naga patriots. After all, are they not saying that they are willing to step down en-mass if a settlement takes place? In the meantime, their official stand is one of “Equi-distance” from all Naga national groups! (While they go on harvesting the Central Indian Government’s lavish funds that is). Equi-distance is a nice way of not taking an absolute stand and also not offending this group or that group by sticking to a neutral stand. Do not such words reek of compromise and exploitation?
However, a more disgusting picture is emerging from some of our own so called national workers. They too are now going for synthetic solutions like Federal relationships with India, integration of all Naga territories under the Constitution of India minus all our brothers and sisters in the East etc. And on top of this, many of them are also reaching their hands into the Indian money bag to build their own mansions and properties- all in the name of Naga nationalism and Nagaland for Christ. Their exorbitant taxes are also strangulating Naga economy and the poor man’s income is being squeezed like a wet towel. But most importantly, how has this synthetic political ideology affected the rest of the overwhelming majority of the Naga civilian population? In one sentence-under this compromised and synthetic influence, they have all run away from their political duty and obligation. They are also all engaged in this business of money making for their own benefits. Many of them cling on to their political Ministers, MLA’s and Bureaucratic Lords like leeches. From time to time, they also of course, give a patriotic statement here and there; but come election time, and they all become NPC, BJP, and Congress fanatics ready to even kill their opponents in the rival Indian political parties.
As far as I am concerned, today this political synthetic cloud has enveloped most Naga citizens like a thick London Fog. I have also seen this fog in London and it is so thick one can hardly see a few feet in front of one’s path.
Today this synthetic fog has started to affect even our religion, culture and economy. Under the cloud of this thick fog, our religious sense of right and wrong, truth and falsehood are rapidly becoming blurred and compromised. There is of course a lot of “Holy Spirit Noise” in our lands today; but what of the Holy Spirit’s fruits and works which are Love, Joy and PEACE? (Gal.5:22).Under the shadow of this fog, where money has seemingly become the only value in life, our cultural values of honesty, integrity and its opposites like shame and dishonor are fast disappearing from our culture. As for our economy, the classless Naga society of yesterday is fast disappearing and in its place, classes of multi-millionaires, millionaires and the struggling masses who are desperately trying to eke out a living for their family’s survival have appeared. Now, God’s moral and ethical truths, whether it applies to our spiritual wellbeing or our political and social wellbeing, are all absolute truths that cannot be compromised or synthesized. These absolute truths are to be obeyed in every facet of our lives whether it is in our religious affairs or political, social and economic affairs. The compromise or disregarding of one command in one dimension, can lead to the compromise of others in other dimensions. After all, God did not give us His commandments and then give us a choice of either obeying them or disregarding them. His command is to obey them and have life (Thesis) or to disobey them and perish (Antithesis). The word of God had clearly stated thus: “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursing; therefore, choose life that both thou and thy seed may live.” (Dt.13:19)From such verses we can clearly see there is no synthesis involved in God’s commandments. In the history of mankind as recorded in the scriptures, this truth has been clearly demonstrated again and again. In this context, in Is. 3:9, God, lamenting on the judgment that had befallen Jerusalem and Judah because of their disobedience and sins says: “…woe unto their soul! For they have rewarded evil unto themselves.” Note that, it is not God who had rewarded evil unto them, but it is their own disobedience and sins, that have brought evil upon themselves. (The whole of Isaiah chapter 3 is very relevant for Nagas today) Let me end by asking a simple question: What will be the choice of the present upcoming generation of Nagas today?
“If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ…Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved. To be steady on the entire battlefield besides is mere flight and disgrace, if he flinches at that point.” (Martin Luther)
Comparison of yesterday’s slogans and today’s slogans.
NPC led us into the chasm of despair.
Thanking the state but like a political doll-that is now in the hands of the Zeliangs!
Commandments not choice but obedience
Martin Luther’s statement
