Khekiye K. Sema
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]CAUT members have just concluded a consultative roundup of most of the Eastern Nagaland Districts: Mon, Longleng, Mokokchung , Tuensang, Wokha and Tseminyu. A village level experiment was also carried out at Khandinyu. The writer is not a member of ACAUT but he holds a firm conviction that the slogan of “ One Government, one tax “ is the only other alternative message left beyond the efforts of FNR for the masses to induce the NPGs to UNITE to find that elusive settlement with the GoI. He therefore responded to the request of ACAUT to join their effort at Mokokchung, Wokha, Khandinyu and Tseminyu to feel the pulse of the masses at the grassroots level on a one to one experience. This is a sum up of the public response to the message of ‘one Government, one tax”, a serious impression derived from the sessions and direct interaction with the key citizens, the GB, DBs, VC Chairmen, VC Members and concerned town/village elders, the cream of Rural Nagaland who ultimately bear the burden of unlimited taxation of the NPGs. It included the participation of all the Frontal Organizations like the Tribal Hohos, the Women Hohos and the Student Unions during this campaign.The message that was shared with the grassroots masses was a simple honest presentation of our reality. Since the times of our forefathers, Nagas had lived as free independent people un-subjugated or un-dominated by any foreign powers…until the advent of the British in the later stages of the 19th Century-(1879-80). Even within this changed scenario of a partial domination, the British left the Nagas free to self-govern in every village as was the case before their arrival…except to discourage the ancestral head hunting practices. The Naga Club, the only possible Naga Tribal represented forum of their time, submitted their all important, well perceived and considered memorandum to the Simon Commission way back in 1929 asking the British Government not to include the Nagas within the other British Indian States and to leave the Nagas alone once they departed from the Indian Sub-Continent. One of the salient issue addressed by this memorandum was the question of taxation. The Nagas expressed their fear that foreign tax will eventually reduce the Nagas to a status of a servant in their own land in the absence of liquid assets to pay the foreign tax. The British too sensitively acknowledged the Naga sentiment with British India Act 1935 defining the Naga country as “Naga Hills Excluded Area”. In the later political development, Mr. Phizo enunciated and amplified the danger of taxation and further aroused a latent philosophy of Naga Independence as a common aspiration. This was a monumental achievement by any human standards for which the Nagas owe Mr. Phizo an eternal gratitude, no matter what his critical default may have been in the later part of the Naga History. After all, he too was a mere mortal, susceptible to human error. The British betrayed the Nagas in their final departure from India, leaving the Nagas at the mercy of the superior Indian force. Nevertheless, the Nagas declared their Independence on the 14th of August 1947, on day ahead of Indian Independence. India then invaded Naga Country on an antiquated principle of ‘might is right’ and trampled the birthright of Nagas’ freedom. The 1951 Plebiscite endorsed, reinforced and confirmed the absolute legitimate will of the Nagas that we were born free and shall remain free people and that we have the right to defend ourselves and our land from forceful foreign usurpation. Despite the helplessly unequal war that was forced upon us, the Nagas bravely responded to this aggression with crossbows and arrows, daos and spears, muzzle loading guns and a few condemned rifles, remnant from the World War II. What the Government of India failed to understand was this simple truth…that they were facing a people with an indomitable spirit fostered and kindled through the core understanding of our moral birthright and our ancestral pride and honour as free people. Mortals as we are, the Nagas were unprepared to give up this birthright without a fight, no matter what the odds. The Nagas showed disdain, not fear, when the likes of Morarji Desai, the Prime Minister of India, threatened to wipe out the Nagas race from the face of the earth if necessary, knowing full well that India could very well obliterate the Naga people with their superior army but would never be able to subdue the inherent free spirit of the Nagas…however powerful their armies be. For the Christian Nagas it was a justified war against unjustified alien aggression and therefore “Nagaland for Christ” was an apt guiding principle to strengthen our resolve at that time…which is now being defiled on a routine basis in the present times. With every confrontation against the Indian Army, the Naga Army grew from strength to strength instead, salvaging and replenishing their arms and ammunition from the slain adversaries. It was a glorification of a united spirit within our National Workers and the staunch undivided determination shown by the masses in their support, no matter how dear the cost! Our National workers earned true respect of not only the Naga masses but that of the GoI. Throughout this entire period of earlier aggression the Nagas had stood as a United House…with NNC/FGN in the forefront and the masses behind them in complete solidarity. It was therefore a force to be reckoned with and India finally recognized this UNITED STRENGTH OF THE NAGAS. After a couple of decades of criminal efforts of forceful domination through their Army, India realised the futility of it all and finally conceded that this problem had to be politically sorted out. Along the road India too learned harsh lessons of reality from their costly mistakes and finally gave way by converting Naga Hills Tuensang Area, a small District of Assam, into the State of Nagaland in 1963 through the 16 Points Agreement. To the National aspirant this has grudgingly been perceived as just an interim inconvenience but never a final solution and so the fight has been going on to date.
Then a gigantic tsunami in the form of the “Shillong Accord of 1975” slammed into the United Naga House and obliterated its cohesion within the NNC/FGN. Mr. Phizo was the architect of this destruction by his refusal to condemn this accord. At this crucial point of our history, God seemed to have withdrawn His wisdom from the Nagas. Instead of getting rid of this obstacle through the decree of the Naga National Parliament, and force the hand of Mr. Phizo to either condemn this obnoxious accord or be impeached from his leadership position, the Nagas decided to compound our problems by launching another independent organization in the form of NSCN, thus gifting the GoI with an opportunity they were unable to create on their own…disunity within our own kitchen. The one and only strength that the Nagas ever possessed…UNITY…was forever destroyed. From this point onwards, the Nagas have been journeying down the hill. The NSCN then further fragmented into so many Factions, thus reducing the moral strength of the 1951 Plebiscite into a meaningless redundancy. No matter how much each Factions may shout from the top of the roof that they own the mandate of this Plebiscite, the fact will bear out that none of the Factions have a legitimate claim over it…least of all NNC/FGN after its failure to condemn the terms of capitulation embodied in the Shillong Accord. The Plebiscite of 1951 lies within the ruins of our disunity…and can only be salvaged and revived through the UNITY forged between the NPGs, and not before. The once proud Naga Army has now been reduced to a rag tag band of Mafia activists, intent on raising Tax for self aggrandisement in the name of sovereignty. No matter what arguments are proffered by the Factional Leaders, the simple truth and reality is that all the butchering that take place between the Factions has nothing to do with sovereignty but to do with protecting their respective revenue turfs to secure their independent comfort zones. The Factions may find solace in their belief that as long as they hold the AK 47 they will always be in command of the public will through instilment of fear…forever. Granted, that this philosophy has worked for them is evident from the silent indifference as a response from the masses thus far…but mark my words…the times they are a changing. The questions that have remained dormant for so long are slowly but surely beginning to raise its legitimate head and the uncomfortable time to respond to it all is on the horizon for the NPGs. At the top of all the questions stacked up is this one: How is the tax collected from us being utilised? The subject of accountability cannot be dodged forever. How will the NPG Leaders and thousands of their henchmen explain the fairy tale ‘rags to riches’ stories that abound so glaringly within their fold and seen by every living soul in Nagaland? An honest answer to this question has all the potentiality to spark a civil war within our own…where sovereignty would be forced to take a back seat! The once proud Naga Army that was held in high esteem by the populace has now become a source of irritant and a curse to our society. Does this drastic paradigm shift of the masses’ perception not even tickle the conscience of those NPG leaders in command? That ‘conscience’ has abandoned them all is evident from the ever increasing competition between their lot in designing new irrational ways and means, like that of the syndicate system, to suck dry the public blood…indeed the Factions are beginning to resemble a perfect picture of Mafia Draculas fighting for their blood turf, the blood being ours of course… the evidence of their actions seems to proclaim…”Bhha! The hell with sovereignty”!… even as they freely use sovereignty as a camouflage for every paisa being extorted! And to think that our Naga National movement began on a ‘no tax’ sentiment. Gentlemen, the ‘fear blindfold’ will eventually be replaced by ‘visible reasoning’ but before this time is forced upon them the NPG Leaders must cast aside their petty pride, ego and differences and determinedly forge a united vision of a United National Movement and a United Naga National Government. Once this is achieved the Nagas tend to have a short memory…they are likely to forgive and forget about the ill gotten wealth so far generated by the NPGs and together, fight for the promised land without further acrimony within ourselves.
While everything written here has only partially been shared with the masses, it is apparent that the overwhelming majority feels that the Nagas have lost our way and are in desperate need to find a united path. It was made clear to them that a District/ a Tribe may be in support of one faction or the other only but that does not qualify the slogan of “One Government, one tax”. This sectoral support is in fact the reason for perpetuating the survival of each Factions, and at the end of the day, we are the ones responsible for encouraging Factionalism to thrive as they are. However difficult and trying this proposition may turn out to be therefore, the answer lies in all Districts, all Tribes withdrawing financial support to any faction without exception and insist on a United National Government for which the masses would be prepared to pay tax… then and only then. The Factions have been quick to brand everyone and anyone at a drop of a hat as Anti-National when rational voice is raised. Well, this is the only true and pure expression of Nationalism as can ever be defined…minus ego, minus self perpetuation and self indulgence. The Nation building priority must precede all else in one solid voice by the National Workers and the masses as was the case in the good old days. The final analysis of the Tour of ACAUT has registered a reverberating affirmation across the board that “One Government, one tax” is a rational solution towards uniting our Factions… and each Districts and Sub Division thus far visited, have endorsed this slogan full heartedly in principle, assuring ACAUT that all efforts and support will be officially declared after their respective Districts and Tribes are given time to have this issue further shared within their constituents. Each sector has shown tremendous enthusiasm to achieve this end…UNITY.
Meanwhile, it was most heartening to read news on Saturday, March 29, 2014 while still on tour, that the “Lenten Agreement, March 2014” has been signed by all the top leaders of the NPGs for the formation of Naga National Government. The best Naga breakfast news read thus far this year!… but is this just another momentary flash in the pan? One has not forgotten the fact that the “Naga Concordant” was also signed on the 26th August 2011 for the same stated purpose…without a sincere follow up initiative. Faction brothers have died since and are still dying after signing of such a document. One can only fervently hope that this is not just another recurring Hornbill Festival. The grand front page portrait of all the NPG Leaders in the Morung Express was an impressive one. However, it provoked some wandering thoughts as well: Never in the history of the Nagas has so many Presidents and Prime Ministers sat together…each uncompromisingly defining their respective brand of sovereignty for the Nagas; Never in the history of the Nagas has so many Presidents and Prime Ministers sat together…each jealously guarding their secrets and causing all kinds of confusion with their respective brand of Naga National objectives for their people…while we, the beneficiaries, haven’t got the slightest notion as to how our future is being bartered away for the past 67 years without even a question being raised for fear of an untimely death; That a handful of people in this picture holds the arbitrarily authority to terminate a life of a Naga at their whims and fancies in the pursuit of raising their National taxes, to build their National Houses and buy their National Foreign SUVs and send their children to affluent National Educational Institutions at the cost of a struggling National public…all in pursuit of our National sovereignty that we know nothing about; And yet, having said that, if this magnificent portrait spell REAL UNITY, the people would full heartedly congratulate them all and hope that something positive will emerge from it. The NPGs needs only be reminded that this portrait would be worthy to occupy a place of honour in the National Gallery in the future and worshipped as heroes of the Naga National Movement or conversely be looked at with contempt as a gathering of National Vultures. The choice lies in their hands. The people wish them and the FNR all the very best. May the Almighty bless and guide each one of them as we all endeavour towards a better productive future.
The writer is IAS (Rtd)
Forest Colony, Kohima.
