Every Human, as a Social Being, owes Responsibility to the Society he lives in. Part of this responsibility lies in looking out for the welfare of other members of our Society. This entails not only caring for the less fortunate among us, but also ensuring that the Customs and Laws which regulate the smooth running of Society are not broken. A Society that ceases to adhere to Laws and Regulations is a Society that has succumbed to Fear; fear of the Law-breakers amidst us.
There was a time when the People of Nagaland, both Naga and Non-Naga, lived under the shadow of fear; fear of the Undergrounds and fear of the Indian Armed Forces. That was the time when the Nagaland Police was paralyzed; when playing cards or carom could get you a merciless beating from the Undergrounds; a routine frisking by the Armed Forces could turn ugly in an instant, if you happened to have anything even remotely considered suspicious; for instance, a magazine with an article on the N.S.C.N. That was the time when kidnappings, extortions and murder ran rampant in Nagaland.
How did things descended to that level? The answer is simple, “It is because, we, as a Society, did not speak out against small infringements of our rights that the Law-Breakers became emboldened to commit greater atrocities upon us.” Our attitude was, it did not affect us directly, it did not concern our village, it did not affect our tribe, and it was not our “Kitchen Matter.”
Well, the reality is that it is “Everything is Our Kitchen Matter.” You have your Personal Kitchen, your Family kitchen, your Village Kitchen and your Tribal Kitchen; but we have the Collective Kitchen called Nagaland. The Aroma or Stink from whatever you cook in your various Kitchens either Sweetens or Fouls up the air of Nagaland; so what you do in your Kitchen is your personal business, unless it happens to be Illegal, then it becomes everybody’s business.
I bring this up in the context of the kidnapped tanker driver, Tula Ram Bura Gohain and his helper, Adman Surin; who were kidnapped in Tuensang District. The recent past has seen a rise in kidnappings; this trend must be stopped before it becomes a way of life, once again, in Nagaland. The responsibility for their safety lies, not in the hands of the Administration or Police alone; but in the hands of every Person Living in Nagaland. We are the Citizens of Nagaland and it is Our Collective Responsibility to ensure that Nagaland is not polluted in any way. Today, it’s two Non-Nagas in Tuensang; tomorrow, it could be a Naga from your District, your Tribe, your Village or your Family.
The following steps must be taken:-
- The Policy of our Underground Groups to accept all comers as recruits has led to them being viewed as a Refuge for all the Anti-Social Elements in Nagaland. Therefore, every Underground Group must either categorically claim or deny responsibility for this crime. Furthermore, they must ensure that none of their Cadres are acting independently in the matter, if they are not to be suspect in this crime.
On a personal note, I have not fuelled my vehicle, nor do I intend to do so in the nearby Fuel Outlets in Assam, until this issue is resolved. This is not a time for fear or secrecy, but a time for every Person in Nagaland to do something to absolve the State of Nagaland from a COWARDLY, CRIMINAL ACT.
GOD SAVE NAGALAND
