Now that the Naga Peace Agreement is spoken to be around the corner, and its broad perimeters being speculated in the media, it is important for us Naga people to decide once for all that do we support the prospects of long term peace dawning in Nagaland or do we still keep ourselves disoriented in the labyrinths of various issues, which though inadvertently, but somehow get inked to the Naga pride. While the world around us progressed and moved towards the lights of prosperity, we have been kept in the shackles of darkness. It requires us, the people, to decide now whether we are going to focus on changing our destiny are we going to still agitate.
We have been at the similar junctures of decision making in the past. Despite the decision taken by our visionary forefathers to end the needless strife then, some of the other leaders did not agree. Those leaders who had agreed to end the struggle then, to rather shift the focus on the people and their well being, indeed had a greater vision. They, after having brought-in the requisite consciousness in us did understand the futility to go beyond a point. But some, who did not agree, continued to deny our own people the opportunities. May be for themselves, these leaders have achieved personal wealth and status. The swanky bungalows in Dimapur in dozens, are memorials of their achievements. But for us the common people they are symbols of exploitation and ignorance.
It beckons an answer from the groups which continued to fight since 1975 and then negotiated since 1997, as to what have we gained with all these years of bloodshed. What have we achieved more at the cost of being cocooned and our people remaining in the shackles. Asking this questions is important so that at least now we understand and try to shape our path to glory and development.
In this modern world the globe is shrinking. The power is coming to the nations from its people and their intellectual capital. By remaining steadfast to the old demands and in the confines of isolation will not serve the Nagas. We surely need to be attached to our roots but we must increasingly embrace the modernity, guided by the best practices of the current times. We need to participate in the economic revolution which the world is currently undergoing. This could only be done by ironing out our issues and bridging our divide as quickly as possible and without creating new conflicts anymore. In this order, it requires peaceful coexistence within us, our neighbours and rest of the nation. It requires choosing the wiser path to achieve the true freedom for the Naga people.
Hukato Zhimo
