Kaka D. Iralu
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]omething much higher than article 371(A) was given by God to the Nagas. But tragically, Nagas have turned their backs to this extra-ordinary special provision and have been wandering in the jungles of India and Article 371 (A) for the past 52 years (1962-2014).
The extraordinary special provision that was given by God to the Nagas is found in the Constitution of God (The Bible) in Article Acts 17:26. The wording of this article goes like this: “And he (God) made from one (Adam) all the nations of the earth (Including Nagas) and gave them their respective periods and the boundaries of their habitation.”Now, it is a universal fact of history that no citizens of any nation on earth have ever created or made their own geographical lands. On the contrary, every citizen of every country is born into a country that has already been there for a long time. As to the creation of any nation’s geographical lands, there is no historical or scientific record that the ancestors of any nation have ever created the mountains, rivers and lands of a country. The Bible is therefore not making any nonsensicle statement when it reveals that the author and creator of all nations and their respective geographical and national idendities ares a work of God.
In the same vain of truth, the special provision of land ownership and its rights for the Nagas was given by non other than God himself who is the creator and real owner of all the Naga Lands. (The same is true of all nations on earth). This special provision also supercedes or even nulifies anything that India can give to the Nagas. This is so, because Nagaland was never a part of India nor was Nagaland created by any ancestors of India.
Now to be sovereign and independent within ones own God appartioned lands is the inherrent right of any nation on earth. This right is also recognised by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights under aticle 15 (1) and (2) and 21 (1) and (3). We also must accept that to be sovereign and independent is to be responsible for running one’s own governmental affairs like civil administration, building one’s own economy, industry, defence, finance etc. It means responsible governance which is a very tough work involving sacrifeces, toil and sweat.
But what have Nagas gotten from India under Article 371(A) of the Indian Constitution? We have no time or space here to quote the whole of Article 371(A) or the 16 Point Agreement. But if we go through these documents, we will find that all the important factors of running a state was to be handled by the Government of India. On top of this, the funds would be generously provided from the Consolidated Fund of India (Art.371 (A) (c). As for the responsible and gigantic task of running law and order problems in a state, article 371 (A) (b) quarantees: “The Governor of Nagaland shall have special responsibility with respect to law ans order in the state of Nagaland…”
What this means for our Naga leaders who negotiated the 16 Point Agreement and made Nagaland a puppet state in India was that they got Ministerial posts complete with household Assam Rifles bodyguards, massive travel CRPF escort parties with sirens and of course access to the massive development funds that poured into Nagaland after it became an Indian state in 1962. As for running the affairs of the state , they were providewith a lot of manpower right from Chowkidars, Personal Peons, Malis and office staffs to obedient burreaucrats who would pre-fix and su-fix every word with “Sir” and “Sir everytime their services were required!
But tell me, can any nation become a stong nation if it is spoon fed and “Govenored” by another nation?
As for the rest of the Nagas who constitutes about 80% of the overlwelming majority of Nagas in the villages, their share of the deal was heinous laws like The Armed Special Powers Act 1958/1970, Nagaland Regulation Act 1962 etc. When these acts and Regulations were applied into Nagaland, these village folks, on top of their hard works in their fields, went again and again to Indian Jails and many even died. This was because they refused to give up their dreams of an independent Nagaland where they could live in freedom and liberty. They have suffered the brunt of all these heinous laws for the past 52 years of statehood. That was their share from the so called grand Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India.
Now, at the end of the day, or to put it in years-after 52 years of marriage with article 371(A), what did Nagas gain as a nation? May be 5% of the people who have lived on the top ladder of the Naga society got the lion’s share of the consolidated funds of India. Perhaps another 10% got a steady job with which they were able to raise their children. As for the rest of the Naga population, ask them what they got from this deal with India.
But for those who have been feasting on the sumptous meals of Article 371(A) set on the externally polished table of the Indian state of Nagaland, watch out for the legs of the table. Over the years, the legs of the table have been ravaged by different Naga political ants -some even wearing national uniforms. They have all been eating away the soft wood of the table legs so much so that the table might soon crash down in a cloud of dust. The best solution of course would be for India to come and take away this Indian made dinning table that has already cost the Indian exchequere billions of Rupees.The moment this is done, Nagas will be compelled to stand on their own two legs of equality and hard work again.The sooner this is done, the better it will be for both Nagaland and India who are two different and distinct countries.
