Nagas are subhuman and filthy and due to this consideration a big gap was created between the Nagas and Indian government after the British
left. Nagas are subhuman and filthy but do you know who consider you as subhuman and filthy?
According to Concise Oxford Dictionary, subhuman means "less than human in behavior and intelligence. And filth means
disgusting dirt, which means the Nagas are very dirty."
Do you need to know others' perception on you? Some people say that let
others think and say whatever they like - its okay for us if we are
not.
So what is your perception? One of the Indian officers who served in
Naga Hills in 1953-57 truthfully writes what the Indian officers'
perceptions were on Nagas. They (Indian officers) considered the Naga people
as subhuman, filthy and not worth mixing. I believe that what he writes
was right because many Indian army officers had displayed through their
actions after 1956 when the Naga Hills was declared Disturbed Area; the
Indian army started moving to Naga Hills and on March 27, 1956, section
144 of the Indian Criminal Procedure Code, was enforced almost in
entire Naga Hills.
When the Indian military forces came to Naga Hills, "the
military forces went on burning almost all the villages with all
contents in the Naga Hills District and the village were regrouped in a
central place and confined under strong stockades and the inhabitants not
allowed to go out from the stockades so that the underground Naga workers
were cut off from their families communication and supplies.
The church
leaders were persecuted by the Indian Military Forces, churches were
desecrated which were used as rest camp of Indian forces. The inhabitants
were collected in the church and tortured there, girls and women were
molested, raped and beaten by the Indian forces sometime inside the
church." (Op.cit.Vashum: 81). Till late 1990s the Indian army officers were
showing that the Nagas are subhuman and filthy through their action in
violating the Human Rights in Naga Hills.
The Indian army officers considered that posting to Naga Hills was a
punishment and they did not want to mingle or study about the Nagas.
Kanwar Singh was an Indian officer who served in Naga Hills from 1953-57
writes the perception of the Indian officers in his book, "The Nagas of
Nagaland". To quote, "None of the officers from Assam stayed for any
longer period with Nagas as they considered it as a punishment posting.
They naturally were always keen to get out and often managed it through
contacts. The question of studying Naga way of life, mixing with them,
knowing them and their customs etc therefore did not arise with them. In
fact, they considered these people as subhuman, filthy and not worth
mixing. Therefore, naturally a big gap was created between the Nagas and
the government after the British left." (Kanwar:194).
Even before
Kanwar truthfully writes about the Indian army officers' perception on Nagas
in his book - the ill-treatment and Human Rights violation to the Naga
people was conspicuous, which was reported by Jasokie in 1954. The Naga
National Council sent Publicity Secretary Jasokie to Mokochung to study
the situation and submit a first-hand information report. An extract
from his report read as follows:
"They (the plains people of Hindustan) believe that their way of life
is the right way; but such way of life horrifies us. They are
disgusting to us.(they Hindustani) are not prepare to accept us a human beings
and, therefore, it is easier for them to go out of all human decency in
their dealings with us.
I say this not to agitate the emotional
feelings of our people but that they have such an attitude towards our people
is an undeniable fact..they think that by harassing the people they
have done a great service to India, but actually India lost the friendship
of the people." (M.Zinyii:32)
Well, why they consider Nagas as subhuman and filthy? If we study the
tribe of Assam and some tribes in Bastar region in central part of India
- these tribes are still very backward as compare to Nagas. Why such
kind of attitude and understanding was created among the Indian army
officers and commenced to torture the Nagas and violate the human rights?
Are they considering the Nagas as subhuman and filthy because they have
different food habits?
The people in different geographical location
have different food habits; religion and personal likeness also make us
to vary in food habits. So because of Nagas' food habits, they should
not consider the Nagas as subhuman. Nagas are not only the people who
practiced headhunting; headhunting was practiced worldwide. There was
headhunting in Indonesia, Africa, Europe, Philippines, Malaysia etc.
Therefore because of headhunting practiced by the Nagas cannot be considered
them as subhuman and filthy. In fact, there was a great essence of
headhunting and the modern people still practicing headhunting in different
ways or forms.
Should we consider that the Indian officers were
ignorance about the Nagas and because of this, they considered the Nagas as
subhuman and filthy? But the Indian officers are well-educated people and
they do not consider the other human being as subhuman.
We need to know the others perception and treatment on us otherwise we
will be like some one who always assume that the other people also eat
what we eat. I do not know if any Nagas had earlier rise any question
regarding the erroneous perception of the Indian Army officers on Nagas.
Even if our elders or seniors had rose earlier - today our youngsters
also need to know others' perception on us. It cannot say that today the
Indian officers (civil or army) have not such kind of perception on
Nagas but definitely we can say that the Indian officers are gradually
learning the culture and customs of Nagas and who Nagas are. One of the
serious problems with the Indian officers is that they do not mingle and
study the nature and customs of the Nagas.
I am sure that Nagas are
very honest and amicable people. The Indian officers posted in Naga Hills
still need to study the Nagas' culture and customs so that they can
work together peacefully with the Nagas. Some of the Indian officers like
Kanwar Singh, Maj.Gen. Sardespande, Mullick, B.N., Rammuny Murkot etc
had studied the Nagas' culture and custom and had written their books on
Nagas.
The Indian officers (civil or army) who mingled with Nagas and
studied on Nagas have very positive attitudes towards the Nagas. One of
the Indian Army officers, Maj.Gen. Sardespande writes about the Nagas
as,
"Nagas are magnificent. You have to see and live amidst them to believe
this simple statement. A very large majority of us know little about
them. The little that we know is about their nakedness, headhunting and
anti-national, hostile, underground, insurgent activity for the last
thirty years of independence India's consciousness of it northeastern
periphery.
By nature they are suspicious, sensitive, wary, distrustful,
inward-looking, volatile and very very proud. There cannot be a better
friend than the Nagas once he identifies his friend; there cannot be a
worse foe than the Naga once he feels deceived or let down. Deep inside his
inscrutable exterior and penetrating eyes there is tremendous warmth,
great geniality, sharp intellect and immense good will" (Sardespande:
vii)
The Indian officers study on Nagas in 1980s had brought some changes in
their wrong perception and apathetic attitude towards the Nagas.
However the human rights violation is still reporting in some parts of Naga
Hills even after the Cease-fire with the NSCN (IM) and the Government of
India was declared in 1997. The recent 15 Case studies on "Violations
of Cease-fire Agreed Ground Rules" by R.N. Kumar with L. Murthy for
Civil Society Initiatives on the Naga Peace Process - shows the Human
Rights violation in Naga Hills that in September 2000, at Khongsang village
in Tamenglong District, Manipur, the Army Screened Video Films, which
was suspected to be pornographic.
The church building and school
building were occupied by the Indian army. The churches in many villages were
occupied and desecrated. What would be the sentiments of the Hindu
people if the temples are desecrated? Again in the early of 28th December
2000, a unit of the 15 Jat Regiment patrolling the State Highway in
Tamenglong District, Manipur was attacked by suspected Naga underground.
In this attack - one officer was killed and four others were wounded. To
avenge the attack by the underground the Jat Regiment - led by Lt.Col.
K.S. Madan trekked down to Tabanglong village and randomly picked up ten
persons and shot them down in different location in the village. Eight
of them died instantly while two persons survived with serious
injuries. (Ram N.K.: 152).
Whenever the underground attacked the Indian army,
to avenge the attack - the Indian army tortured, raped and killed the
innocent villagers which became the customs and culture of the Indian
army like the Nagas killing the innocent wild animals in the jungle. The
above cited human rights violation and illegal occupation of buildings
and churches are just some examples of recent occurrence during
cease-fire.
The Armed Forces Special Power Act, 1958 (AFSPA), which is still in
force allowed a person of any rank in the Armed Forces to shoot to kill
for the maintenance of public order to destroy any position or shelter,
to arrest, without warrant any person and enter and search without
warrant any premises, without fearing prosecution, suit or other legal
proceedings. Not only given Armed Special Power to the Indian Army Forces -
most of the Indian Army officers also have apathetic attitude and
misunderstand about the Nagas, which lead to more Human Right violation.
Do the Indian officers still consider that Nagas are subhuman and
filthy? Do they still consider that posting to Naga Hills as punishment? We
may believe and trust our educated Indian officers and all the Armies
that they will now not consider and have such kind of attitudes towards
the Nagas in this century. It is very easy to consider the other people
or community as low or high unless we know them. But in fact all the
human beings are same and equal; there is not such human being as low or
high or subhuman.
For better co-existence, administration and to remove Human Rights
violation in Naga Hills - the AFSPA needs to be removed and change the
apathetic attitude of the Indian Army. The apathetic attitude and
misunderstanding on Nagas can be vanished only when the Indian Army officers and
politicians mingle with the Nagas and study the culture and customs of
Nagas.
The Indian and Nagas need to study and know the cultural
difference in order to build a better relationship. The Indian government
denied to have talks with the Naga Insurgent leaders without condition till
1997. However after the Indian studied the Naga history and recognized
the unique history of Nagas - the Cease-fire was declared between NSCN
(IM) and the Govt. of India in 1997 to have talks unconditionally.
There were many round of talks between them but nothing concrete solution
is brought till date due to some reasons. To speed up and to bring Peace
and Concrete Solution for the Nagas - the Indian politicians and masses
need to study more the Naga history and recognize the unique history of
the Nagas.
Reference:
1. Kanwar Singh (1987): The Naga in Nagaland: Desperadoes, Heroes of
Peace, Delhi: Deep and Deep Publication.
2. Mhiesizokho Zinyii (1979): Phizo and the Naga Problem, Dimapur:
Nagaland Times Press.
3. Ram Narayan K.& L.Murthy (2002): Four Years of the Cease-fire
Agreement between NSCN: Promises and Pitfalls, New Delhi: Civil Society Initiatives
on the Naga Peace Process.
4. Maj.Gen. Sardespande S.C. (1987): The Patkoi Nagas, Delhi: Daya
Publishing House
5. Vashum R., (2000): Nagas' Right to Self-determination, Delhi: Mittal
Publications
R.B. Thohe Pou, Ph.D Research Scholar, writes regularly to e-pao.net
The writer can be contacted at [email protected]
This article was webcasted on 03rd December 2005.
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