This author was bogged down with other immediate pressure cooker issues already in the boiling pot and could not promptly congratulate the Six NNPGs uniting for a common cause on 14th December 2016 as it so rightly deserved. Nagas of Nagaland especially the Apex Tribal Hohos and other NGOs should have shared their appreciation with prompt recognition of this momentous decision as one of the more refreshing news in the midst of the entire corruption infested ‘nonsense news’ of the year 2016. It was a worthy Christmas gift to all with sincere Nagas national political concerns! Yet again our overall silence on this issue is saddening to say the least.
One surmises that the “Working Group”(WG) will have to travel on a rough road that will undoubtedly be even rougher than the PWD roads so indifferently facilitated by the NPF/DAN Government of Nagaland distracted by ‘other’ priorities. However, as long as the WG sincerely uphold what they have resolved to prayerfully place GOD as the CENTRAL PILLAR of this UNITY with personal ego being kept out of bounds, God will surely bless them abundantly with wisdom to see them through difficult discourse.
Considering the hyper-sensitive nature of the playing ground for the WG to interact with one another it would seem important that a few other elementary considerations and understandings should squarely be put in place in addition to the ones they have already determined:
(1) What need to consciously be acknowledged with utmost concern and sensitivity is the fact that each “Six NNPG Factions” has hosts of both the disciplined and the indiscipline characters within their respective cadres, capable of creating unwarranted and unintended friction amongst them. Strict restraining order must therefore go out to keep the respective cadres in strict check and ensure that the WG is allowed to exercise their minds together in harmony without infighting distraction unwittingly being perpetuated by those with less discipline and imagination;
(2). It would also serve the WG well to open wide their consultation doors and windows and allow as much fresh air to filter into their common room…the more wide open the better;
(3). WG should decidedly avoid ‘stage-managed mass platform’ for participation of sycophants and ‘yes-men’ who would be prepared to blindly endorse anything and everything on the table … like the consultations that have been conducted by NSCN (IM) at Niathu Resort and elsewhere…if they are searching for real constructive inputs towards (a) ‘unity’ and (b) ‘a dialogue with GoI’; Instead:
(4). The WG should interact with intellectual Nagas with critical minds who are unafraid, capable and prepared to candidly point out both the positive and the negative perspective of a given issue in fairness without bias. They are the ones who must selectively be drawn in for exclusive and real consultation. This approach has thus far been arrogantly thwarted by the other AK 47 wielding Tangkhul dominated faction called NSCN (IM) who seems to unbelievably believe that there are no capable thinkers amongst the Nagas other than themselves. This Organisation is averse to opinion of others that would cause indigestion to ‘His Dictatorial Highness’…The NSCN (IM) General Secretary; The WG must make effort to learn lessons from the mistakes of others. Pragmatic approaches would hopefully help the Working Group to think ‘out of the box’ for matured balanced conclusions in their endeavour towards a final settlement.
In conclusion, let me say a very deserving “Well done” to NTC for this laudable initiative and a very big “God Bless” to the Six NNPGs for finally awakening to the core sentiments of the Naga majority of Nagaland. May the New Year bring forth an insightful Chapter of Naga History structured on a foundry of true upright Christian principles.
Khekiye K. Sema IAS (Retd.)
Upper Forest Colony, Kohima;
e-mail: kksema@gmail.com
