The generals who changed the course of Indo-Naga history

DIMAPUR — All the photographs are passport-size. The first two are in black-and-white; the first one is so old that it’s already sepia-tinted. Only the third and final photograph is in colour. In sequence, their names read: Gen. John Ranjan Mukherjee; Gen. Sankar Roy Chowdhry; and Gen. KM Seth.

Three photographs, three names, and three former Indian Army generals. Plot twist: Their current pride of place is in the NSCN (IM)’s latest edition of ‘Nagalim Voice’, the Naga group’s bi-monthly mouthpiece.

Their photographs and names are splashed across the top of the third page, underneath a banner headline that runs: ‘The three Indian Army General’s political foresight that changed the course of Indo-Naga political history’.

In the piece that follows, the NSCN (IM) puts on record that the tough stand adopted by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru “that it would be a matter of few days for the Indian armed forces to crush the Nagas was proved wrong by the Naga army as the years dragged on without any sign of suppressing the Naga’s political aspiration as the Nagas stood the ground to face any given situation to defend their rights as a people and as a nation”.

It argues that this strengthens the notion that the Naga army could never be done away with “in the name of counter-insurgency operation”.

“More than anything else, the Indian Army had learnt the unforgettable lesson of endurance, fortitude and the invincible bravery of the Naga army against the much superior Indian army with modern weapons,” it reads.

Then it introduces the three former Indian army generals in the piece. “Finally, three top Indian army generals—Gen. Shankar Roy Chowdhury, Gen. JM (Johny) Mukherjee and Gen. KM Seth—conferred to advise the top political leaders at the helm of affairs the futility of seeking military solution to the Naga issue, pointing out in no uncertain terms that the Naga issue is purely a political issue.

“We understand what must have compelled the Indian army generals to come to the conclusion that it was a futile war with the Naga army: The Indian army, battle after battle with the Naga army without any sign of the Naga army wearing out, and heavy toll on Indian army side, the reality was established beyond doubt that it is not going to be easy to keep on confronting the diehard Naga freedom fighters,” the piece stated.

It went on to read further: “Therefore, the decisive battle for Naga issue must be explored sitting across the negotiating table accepting the fact that the Naga army had withstood the much superior guns and bullets of the Indian army with indomitable spirit. This awakened the political consciousness of the government of India on the Naga issue.

“With this new-found realisation accepted by the political leaders of the government of India on Naga issue it doesn’t take much time for the GoI under the then Prime Minister of India, PV Narasimha Rao to dispatch his emissary to meet the top NSCN leaders abroad.”

The next section in the article acknowledges the three generals’ wisdom and foresight. “Today, we remember the three Indian army generals for showing the way to the political leaders of India to set aside the fruitless military aggression against the Nagas and go for the pragmatic political talks.

“The three generals of Indian army who have tasted the determined spirit of the Naga army in the battlefields against the mighty Indian army outmanoeuvred their political boss on the futility of wasting money and manpower in seeking military solution. Today, they should be happy with the Indo-Naga political talks that have resulted in signing the historic Framework Agreement of 3rd August, 2015. We can imagine their sense of pride for having applied their wisdom to convince the government of India to follow political line of approach discarding the outmoded military approach in order to bring about Naga political solution with win-win gains for both the parties, while giving recognition to the historical and political rights of the Nagas.”

Whether by chance or by design, the lead piece in the front page of the group’s latest publication is titled: ‘Unveiling the truth’.