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E-Pao! Opinion :: A Z Phizo still haunt from grave

A Z Phizo still haunt from grave


Anthony Gangmei *


When a developed society or a developing country faces a serious problem like insurgency, all sort of developments come to a dwindling halt. The blind lust for power, pomp and gaiety slices the human heart in to edged rapiers.

As such these triggered hands, hallucinated with up roaring sentimentalism of region, language or religion mars down human sensibilities. Killing innocent lives and damaging the interest of the healthy society is the work of the unlawful insurgents.

It is this menace that is responsible for the slowed on the development activities, eclipses economy and thus hamper down national economy growth. The wild fire of insurgency has been hitting the nation for decades and particularly the seven sisters.

The flame of the insurgency of Northeastern states (NES) was shaped under the naga leader, A Z Phizo who was fighting for the naga sovereignty, he is a naga nationalist who dreamed of unifying the Nagas but died without fulfilling his dreams but has left the scar of insurgency. Though he has left the world for a decades but he still haunts from the grave.

Whenever we discuss about the northeastern part of India the only thing that struck the mind of common man or the mainland of India is that the entire northeastern states is fully disturbed by the insurgents and going beyond that the people from seven states have also been greatly recognised of, the love of music and a huge stock of music talents and sports personalities making a big headlines in India and abroad and this proves to be quite true if we look into the present scenario.

NES states once a great place to live in and an ideal place for the tourist's influx is now feared by many because of the puffing insurgency prevailing there.

Presently, the situation in Manipur, Assam, Nagaland and Meghalaya is deteriorating in chequered manner. Near about two decades ago the seven states wore regarded as the domain of peace and law abiding people devoted to socio economic and culture upliftment. But the political turmoil has pushed it down on back foot. Movement of armed vehicles can be observed everywhere.

Most of the Northeast insurgents that are now active and prevailing were created, designed and motivated by the naga's insurgency it all started when Assam (of which Nagaland was then loosely a part) was annexed by the British. Having annexed it, the British put in a system of inner line permits controlling the movement of outsiders and pretty much left the tribes alone with a nominal allegiance to the Chief Commissioner in Shillong.

Right after India independence, A Z Phizo, an Angami Naga, who had sided with the Japanese in the hope that it would help throw the British out (quite like Netaji), began the Naga insurgency under the auspices of the Naga National Council and started a movement against Indian government.

After a long struggle and the lost of many naga lives few educated and patriotic persons took stock of the then prevailing situation, and resolved the problem coming into the terms of recognising their land, identity and individuality of the Naga people by remaining as a district of Assam and finally the state of Nagaland was born on 1963.

From London A Z Phizo pleaded the naga people not to merge with the Indian government but nothing could be done as he wishes too for the naga people to remain as one. He remained a charismatic figure but could not achieve much and after his death in London, the dominant body became the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) and at present they are holding talks with the Indian government.

After his death NSCN took up arms against the Indian government and largely help in creating the northeast insurgents in India. Today the ideology of A Z Phizo has greatly influence the insurgency groups of northeastern states whether it is in Assam (ULFA & Bodo Militants), Manipur (UNLF, PREPAK KYKL) and many others, Nagaland all the insurgents that is prevailing in these states are now fighting for sovereignty like the A Z Phizo demanded before from British then to India government.

Even in the past Phizo ideology has greatly move the people sentiments of Mizoram, under the leadership of Laldenga, Mizo National Front (MNF) was formed and took up arms against the Indian government for sovereignty but it doesn't work out as planned and after a long fight with the Indian troops MNF finally lay down their weapons and sign a peace accord and look towards peace, stability and development.

The educated person of this generation thinks that the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) is the mother of all the insurgents in the Northeast states of India today even though NSCN officially lay down their weapons because of the ongoing peace talk of naga problem.

Under his umbrella the much talked about insurgents groups of Assam, ULFA was born and many insurgents groups of other states are also formed and trained under the leadership of NSCN and today these groups are creating a havoc in the northeastern states.

A Z Phizo once said "Our land is our heritage to none shall it be surrendered; as whetstone our opponents sharpen us" so strong is his words that the insurgents of northeast today speak the same words against the Indian government asking for sovereignty.

Today in any of the news channel or national newspaper if it make headlines from northeast it will be of all the unlawful acts killing, kidnapping and asking for ransom and frequent strikes etc. Excessive insurgency has led to complete breakdown of peace and progress in the northeastern states.

Frequent bomb blast in a public place and the killing of the innocent people further spread in communal tension among the Indians due to this tension the people who came in northeastern states for trade and business has diminish the growth and development of the northeastern states.

Frequent strikes and closure of schools has cut down the interest of the students and lead to the rise of illiterate in the states. With no development taking place in these states and feared by many outsiders who have a keen interest on setting up a business has set up a barrier of not allowing freely to do their business and this resulted further in increasing unemployment.

Northeastern states are described as the "Paradise Undiscovered" by the Ministry of Tourism and has been widely advertised in national TV channels, Newspaper and Magazines to boost the northeast tourism but few tourists came to visit for the fear of insurgency.

Such is the situation in northeastern states though there is a huge potential and resources the excessive prevalent of insurgents has closed all the doors of development. Even though A Z Phizo has died and hardly remembered by few but a dangerous virus like insurgency spread by him is continuously affecting the lives of the people and today it is the need of the hour to come forward and eradicate this deadly virus.

In spite of all the problems in northeastern states the open minded and educated people from these states contradict with the ideas of the insurgency, from music to sports the people from these states are participating in every platform that is organised in India and abroad and makes a headline in our country.

Now it is accountability of the habitant of these worst effected states' people to fight with insurgency.


* Anthony Gangmei, a journalist from Delhi, contributes regularly to e-pao.net. The writer can be contacted at mathonlung(at)gmail(dot)com . This article was webcasted on 20th November 2007.


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