Well! No bets lost and not surprisingly, Mr. Neiphiu Rio has won the lone Lok Sabha seat from Nagaland. In the heat of the battle, a lot was said and done by the opposition INC party during the election but in the end good sense prevailed and even they, including Mr. Pusa, the INC candidate himself heartily congratulated Mr. Rio.
Congratulations to all.
Anyhow, it seems the world does not go around in a cycle of events where history has a way of repeating itself in happy, sad or whatever mood the times may be. Thus, for us Nagas too in less than six decades or so, the stage is all set once again for another eventful round of political games at the highest level between the NPG leaders and the GOI.
Yes, there is an ongoing peace process and political talks between them; hence I would like to clarify the above statement in order to refresh our suppressed memories of the poignant past in the Naga political history.
During the early sixties, the central Congress government under Prime Minister Pandit Nehru wanted to engage the then Naga underground leaders for formal political talks and as fortune would have it, the then Naga politician in Delhi was Mr. SC Jamir, who was a deputy minister in Nehru’s cabinet and a consultant to the central leaders in all matters relating to the nascent state of Nagaland and Naga political views besides his other duties as a Deputy minister. SO we can safely guess that Nehru and Jamir must have often met in camera to discuss the burning Naga political issue, but whatever transpired in those meeting between the two leaders will never be factually known to the world. What we do know is that the political talks between the Naga underground leaders and the GOI could not materialize in those turbulent days.
Now after more than fifty years of harsh reality, the political wheel has come around a full circle and we have a very similar situation like in the sixties, only difference being a new political party in power at the centre and the Naga representative in Delhi being a wizened, weather – beaten, three times chief minister of the State, who sacrificed the chief ministership to go as a Member of Parliament to serve the Naga people better. He may or may not get a berth in the central cabinet, but as a strong pre-poll ally of Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, he will be in close contact with all the top central leaders as the present political scenario indicates. This is not a comparison of the two esteemed Naga leaders but somehow fate or karma has brought about this situation though fifty years apart which needs a mention. A reminiscent of the sixties? Yes. And what the world is watching minutely and eagerly is whther the politicians (over ground/ underground and central) etc are really serious in solving the unique Naga political issue or will it be just another golden opportunity lost again?
But this time around, even the most hardened skeptics are keeping their fingers crossed, praying that the new central government and the NPGs may strike the right chord while Mr. Rio play a key role to facilitate the political talks every single step of the way tioll a logical, mutual and honourable solution is arrived at.
This is highly hoped for and desired by each and every Naga individual as well as the mainland Indians and the international community of all political, religious and social classes of the present day world.
TS Meren Ao
Former secretary & chairman media cell
Nagaland State BJP
