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DIMAPUR — Former Nagaland Chief Minister and Padma Bhushan SC Jamir on Saturday said that the evolution of Nagaland as a state over the past six decades evokes a sense of majesty, mystery and misery.
“As an old man, I have been observing the evolution of the state for the last 60 years. I feel it is my duty to share experiences of what I have come across and the vision to focus by young people. We want to have a world where we should feel proud, free to move and develop our capacity,” Jamir said.
He was addressing the 10th cultural day of Mount Mary College in Chümoukedima.
Nagaland’s story evokes majesty because the state is still regarded as Switzerland of the East; evokes mystery because it is a land of both “conflict and peace” and of factions and authorities, opined the veteran politician.
“Nagaland is the only state in the whole world with so many Prime Ministers to name a few, constitutional or extra constitutional. They have become leeches. A single Naga family has to feed the mouths of so many factions,” he said, adding that people are afraid of speaking up because of the “severe misery of gun culture”.
“Today even to utter a word, we are afraid because for the last six decades the gun culture has destroyed the courage and spirit of Naga people. Anybody speaking out the truth is not allowed in Nagaland,” he said while encouraging the students to be brave, honest and upright to remove the darkness cast on the Naga society.
The nonagenarian pointed out that “one side, we are talking about peaceful solution but on the other hand, we are conflicting with one another with division, disunity and conflict”.
Lamenting the lack of unity, he said the Naga people have two options -- ‘unity is strength’ or ‘divided we fall’ – while expressing hope that the younger generation, with better education, will definitely choose the former.
Commenting on the cultural display by students of the college, he insisted that Nagas not talk about tribes but of Nagaland, and encouraged the students to imbibe the culture of unity, understanding and harmony.
He went on to remind the students that cultured people appreciate the views of other people but uncultured people do not.
“In Nagaland, leaders of both underground and overground talk only about the past. They are obsessed with events of the past. Present is the most essential period for us and what are we doing today will determine our future,” he said.
Asserting that culture is dynamic and not static, he said only cultured persons can understand what is good or bad.
“Culture alone can bring understanding, harmony and reconciliation in the society. How far you develop this culture is entirely up to you,” he said.
Nagaland can be one of the jewels of the country because the mindset, vision and knowledge of the younger generation, he said, adding that the state government should provide a space for the younger generation to grow by solving the insurgency problem.
Withour referring to any Naga political group, he said, “They have already signed two agreements on the basis of contemporary political relevance. Whatever they have done the people should accept.”
Another serious malaise prevalent in the state, Jamir said, is the tendency to look everything with a jaundiced eye.
“The government is doing enough but all we do is criticising them. Remove this from our jaundiced eyes and try to look from two angles. What we lack is appreciating the good works done by others and we are suffering from negativity,” he said.