Imkong L. Imchen MLA
IN the distant past, Nagas lived in their own villages as free people and not as tribal people. The early Nagas were first recognized and called as tribal people by the European explorers. Thus, Nagas became part of the global tribal family which Nagas themselves were quite unaware of it. The British India Government gave safeguards to the tribal people from exploitation by non-tribals through various notifications and regulations. After independence, the Nagas were notified as Scheduled Tribes/areas in the Constitution of India.
Naga society is a complex tribal society divided mostly on linguistic and indistinct topographic lines. Naga society is deeply interwoven on tribal tenets so much so that, everything seems to move on tribal line. Tribes were given official recognition for positive development on all fronts. But Nagas have used it for negative means and ends. Almost everything has been shared on proportionate tribal distribution formula. Tribalism sentiment has become so prominent, especially on educational and employment domains due to educational gap. There have been resentments and ill-feelings. The Naga society has been sharply divided on forward and backward line.
Feelings of alienation, suspicion, exploitation and discrimination has brewed over the years and become prominent recently. These feelings have led the Nagas to develop deep ‘ism’ against one another that often erupted into violent confrontations on tribal lines. Tribalism captures the centre-stage when it comes to any conflict. Tribalism has not spared even church or the civil societies. In recent past, polarization of electoral politics and governance on tribal lines has posed dangerous threat to the harmony and peace to Naga society. Nagaland’s politics have become tribe-centric.
The emergence of tribes and sub-tribes conglomeration in the principle of common interest has not only been disturbing but also alarming. The Nagas seem headed for self-destruction because of our own folly on narrow tribalism. Today, the Nagas stand on the threshold of disintegration due to these many seen and unseen forces. This needs to be arrested from its malignant progress. Only then, Nagas can hope for love, unit, peace and progress.
The need of the hour is to do away with tribalism. We have to shun tribalism if we want to survive and live as one people. The intellectual section of the Nags should shed their tribal colours first and take it as personal responsibilities to enlighten the larger uniformed section of Nagas on the dangers of narrow tribalism. The call is for systematic campaign against tribalism. The challenge requires ‘political will’, which alone will be able to give the right direction and determined effort.
Wither tribalism! Save Nagaland!
