“Freedom is my birthright and I shall have it.”: Bal Gangadhar Tilak
I grew up reading and getting inspiration from the great freedom fighters of India. We recited the famous quotes of Indian freedom fighters and had to learn them by heart. Those words uttered by the great freedom fighters of India when she was under the yoke of a foreign Nation left deep imprint. From fleeing to jungles with the whole of my villagers when a tire burst and the army started resorting to blank firing – to watching bollywood movies like ‘Border’ which the army graciously screened for whole of the village in our Council ground. I would be lying if I said I didn’t grow up feeling proud about the great country that was India.
Of course, after watching the Bollywood movies I wanted to wave at the army convoys and couldn’t understand when my mom shuddered at their sight..
We would be led to any hiding spot available whenever we heard the sound of any passing vehicle..
As I grew up I was horrified by the tales of atrocities meted to my grandparents and to all the Nagas . My late grandfather who bore the ire of the Indian army just because he was a Naga used to tell me about the time he almost died from their beatings. At the point when I was about to be unconscious I pointed up to the sky and uttered, aren’t you afraid of God? They miraculously stopped hitting him after that and he survived. He recounted that they didn’t understand our local dialect but when he pointed up to the heavens something must have touched their conscience if they have any!
My grandparents believed that freedom is a God given right and a sovereign Nagaland should be a reality.
Like my friend Azo, I grew up being fed with how Indian I was. From school books to Hindi serials on TV, we are systematically brainwashed to consider ourselves Indian but when I landed in Delhi for my graduation I realised how so not Indian I was, starting from how they treat us to how they look at us. Reality hit me hard. We are socially, culturally and politically different I discovered the reality on who we really are, that we were never Indians and we never will be. It dawned on me that we never were secessionist but in fact our land was invaded by outsiders and how much they are trying to wipe out the truth and history. I couldn’t fathom how the largest democracy in the world could subject the Nagas with every military might they have. Those ideal values I have learnt from the books is a stark contrast to the Indians we are!!
We conclude that we are now faced with multitudes of predicament solely because of some selfish vested interests of certain individuals. The divisive tactics of our oppressors are working right in front of our eyes, we are getting splintered into bits which is preventable. The universal wickedness of mankind which is greed, Nagas are not immune to it and our oppressors have fed on that wickedness more particularly on the greed of some few vested individuals. These individuals to continue on their easy source of wealth have wreaked havoc on the unity of Nagas. Look at us where we are now?
Divided into different regions, blocs and groups. Was this what our forefathers dreamt of?
Was this why our forefathers shed their blood for?
Are we not spitting on the blood they selflessly shed?
I implore our leaders to kindly come together and think for the common good of the Nagas. To all the youths and laymen please do not remain complacent and speak up, we need to be more unyielding and United now more than ever!This is our future, the legacy we will live with and will leave behind. Lest history judge us.
Let us not be blinded by the cheap and easy stuffs offered by our oppressors. Let us unite keeping the common good and goal of Nagas in mind.
Kuknalim.
Rukewezo Wetsah Kevitho Kera .
azowetsah7@gmail.com
