TODAY -

Disturbing scenario unfolding in Nagaland : The long road to peace
- Sangai Express Editorial :: January 10, 2014 -



As things stand today, right now, at this very moment, things are bad in Nagaland and if good sense and understanding do not prevail, it can only get worse.

A case of the walk to peace being more arduous than waging a bush war against the Government of India or a case of equating peace with just the guns going silent ?

A question which has been raised many times in this column. From the December 23 incident at Zunheboto, wherein cadres of the NSCN (IM) allegedly tried to rape and molest some women, to the marching orders given by the Sumi Hoho to the NSCN (IM) to vacate their camps and the days of confrontations between the armed cadres and the Sumi public at Zunheboto leading ultimately to the over running of the three camps of the outfit and during which at least five people lost their lives, the Sumi Hoho, the apex body of the Sumi community has today decided to sever all ties with the NSCN (IM).

A damning statement that the bridge which connects the outfit and the people has been burnt.

On the other hand is the tension between the Rengmas and the Karbis along the Assam-Nagaland border, which escalated after nine bodies were found buried one after the other, with the needle of suspicion pointed squarely at a ‘major Naga armed outfit’.

Take these two developments, one coming after the other in a couple of days or weeks and certainly things cannot be said to be good in Nagaland.

Amid these ugly and unwanted developments, there is however a silver lining that cannot miss the eyes of the common people and that is the decision of the Naga civil society organisations to hold people to people dialogue with their Karbi counterparts.

In such a situation, it is initiatives like these which renew our faith and confidence in the innate goodness of mankind.

The Governments of Nagaland and Assam too cannot be seen to be partisan, but to treat the displaced and affected people of the two communities equally.

In other words no room should be created for rumour mongers and hate campaigners.

It would be in the fitness of things too if the same approach is adopted in the stand off between the NSCN (IM) and the Sumi people or the Sumi Hoho.

A condemnable act was indeed committed by some rogue cadres of the NSCN (IM) and their initial response to the angst of the people was something uncalled for.

But muddying the water further would only be detrimental to the interests of the whole Naga family.

This is not to say that the decision of the Sumi Hoho would derail the hard earned peace process, but it is important that the peace process should not come secondary to any other issue within the Naga community.

The NSCN (IM), by virtue of claiming to represent the Naga people in the political dialogue with New Delhi need to extend its hand to the Sumi people and try to come to an understanding.

An outfit which has waged a bush war against the Government of India on behalf of the Naga people should have the magnanimity and humility of extending the hand of friendship and the first step should be to issue an unconditional, public apology to not only the Sumi people but also to all the people of Nagaland.

This is also the time for some serious introspection on the part of the NSCN (IM) leaders.

To be sure the rape and molest attempt of December 23 last year was the last straw, a more than enough indication of the simmering anger and discontentment of the people.

Though there are no indications that there would be a repeat of Zunheboto, it would be foolish to not take note of such sentiments running high among the general population of the Naga people.

The ‘anti-tax’ rally staged at Dimapur some time back should be an eye opener.

It was not a challenge to the leadership of the NSCN (IM), but it was a voice of dissent against the diktats and threats of the cadres of the outfit.



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