Expanding the Identity Naga Nation and Threat to Integrity of Neighbouring Indian States
- Part 1 -

H Bhuban Singh *

Map of Nagalim

Introduction

In his book "Durable Disorder: Understanding The Politics Of North East India" by Shri Sanjib Baruah, published by Oxford University Press: Rs 495/-, he wrote about "The Naga nation in-building-phase", as follows:-

'On the question of expanding the identity of the Nagas which has embraced communities with close linguistic and anthropological ties with other ethnic groups their sympathy are clearly with the former, saying in matters of identity, the only thing that should matter is how the group wishes to be known. The problem arises when this expanding identity is tied to territory. The newly born State's consciousness can come into direct collision with existing historical States .........." The goal of creating a single political/administrative unit out of all Naga inhabited areas, puts the Naga project of nationhood in collision course with a parallel Manipur project, which was historically, linguistically, ethnically and culturally consolidated by successive Maharajas of Manipur. For some reasons, in dealing with this issue, the Nagas of Nagaland are rather silent about the Kukis, who share virtually the same homeland (hill areas) with the Nagas. This seems a big lacuna, considering notion of exclusive homeland. This was the primary cause of the bloody 'Kuki-Naga conflict' of mid 1990s wherein about 2000 Kukis were killed by NSCN insurgents in Manipur.'

Myth about Naga Nation

2. In the book titled, History of the Frontier Areas Bordering on Assam (1883-1941) by Sir Robert Reid, Governor of Assam, 1937-1942, page 99, it says:
Naga Hills
1881-1890 – The history of the Naga Hills since 1882, where Mackenzie leaves off, is the same in kind as that of the years proceeding. The process of penetrating into the Hills, the early stage of which are described in Mackenzie's book has been a gradual one, dictated originally and mainly, by the necessity of protecting our settled districts, Nowgong and Sibsagar, from raiding Nagas, ................ Visits to troublesome villages led inevitably to establishment of posts to control their doings. For our first permanent footing, Samoogodting [Chimakudi] was chosen in 1866-67. This village commands the Diphu gorge, the natural path to the plains from which Nowgong could be protected against Western Angami raids especially from the powerful villages of Mozema, Khonoma and Jotsome, than the old outpost of Asalu to the South-West. Thence we proceed in 1878 to move to Kohima and the Manipur frontier, and simultaneously to Wokha in order to dominate the Lotha country to the east of Dikhu and to protect it from raids from the north and east. The final decision to make the Naga Hills a British district (obviously of Assam) was taken in 1881 ........…problems to be solved.

Nomenclature in the Naga Hills history presents great difficulties ......... throughout the older writings. To start with, of course, the general name of "Naga" is merely an Assamese appellation, meaning "naked", and, like the stereotyped tribal names now in common use ........… Thus, Lieutenant GFF Vincent, "Acting Junior Assisstant Commissioner on Special Duty, Angamee Naga Hills", writing to his Principal Assistant Commissioner at Nowgong, Captain John Butler, on the 10th September 1850, describes how he was surprised to find "the people called by us 'Angamee Nagas' were totally ignorant of the signification of the term and how he learnt that this was a term given by the Cacharees to all independent Nagas signifying in their language, 'unconquered'. This is repeated in 1873 by that great authority Captain Butler, in the long extract regarding the Naga tribes ........…

3. Hence, there is no Naga nation. Naga is a generic term for all tribal peoples living in the erstwhile Naga Hills District of Assam, because of the scanty clothes they used to put on then, but not now. The Nagas are better dressed that the majority of the Indians, at present.

British Conquest of Naga Hills

4. In October 1879, Major General Sir James Johnstone KCSI, the British Political Agent of Manipur received an SOS message from Mr. Cowley, the Assistant Political Agent of Naga Hills, conveying the news that Mr. Damant, the British Political Agent at Kohima was murdered and the British camp sheltering some British officers, women and children were encircled and that immediately help was required.

5. On the request of Johnstone the British Political Agent in the Durbar of Manipur, the Maharaja immediately sent 2000 soldiers under the command of Surachandra Singh (his eldest son), Tikendrajit Singh (the third son) and Major General Thangal. This force was accompanied by Major General Sir James Johnstone and his security guard of about 80 men of Bengal Infantry and Cachar Police. Kohima was relieved and rebellion suppressed and the Anglo-Manipur Army conquered all the Naga areas upto Dhansiri River. Sir James Johnstone praised Maharaja Chandra Kirti Singh who was knighted by conferment of KCSI (Knight Commander and Star of India) in 1880 by Her Majesty Queen Victoria of England. Naga Hills area was merged into Assam as one of its district in 1881.

6. Since most for the Babus (clerks) in the office of Deputy Commissioner at Kohima were Assamese or Hindustanis, and further since the newly created Naga Hills District was inhabited by dialectically different tribes like Ao, Lotha, Sema, Angami, Phom, Konyak, Rio, Rengma, Chakesang, Gwizantsu (tribe of famous Naga leader AZ Phizo) etc., a mix of Hindustani and Assamese got developed, known as Nagamese which became the common language in the then Naga Hills District and the present State of Nagaland. In fact, this language binds the Nagas Hills District together.

7. The clever British established Kohima Club in 1881 itself, in order to exchange dialogue with the rebellious Nagas and pacify them and convert into Christianity, in both of which the British succeeded.

British Indian Empire & Simon Commission

8. About eight decades ago in 1929, British Indian Empire consisted of present day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar (old Burma), Sri Lanka (old Ceylon) and the seaport of Aden, now in Republic of Yemen in the Arabian Sea. Sikkim and Bhutan were Protectorate Kingdoms of the British Crown.

9. During those days of bad physical communication through bridle paths known as roads, and the non-existence of rail/telegraph/postal services etc., the Governor General and Viceroy requested the Home Government in London to cut down the then spread of the British Indian Empire. Upon this, the Home Government in London agreed to the suggestion and Simon Commission was set up in 1929 to examine the details on the ground.

10. At that point of time, Mr. James Hutton was Deputy Commissioner of Naga Hills District of Assam. On Hutton's request, the Governor General and Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin agreed to send Simon Commission to Kohima soon after arrival.

Simon Commission came to Kohima and met with about dozen members of Kohima Club, who were clerks and petty official, who grew up in half century (1929 to 1881 = 48 yrs) of British rule. Through James Hutton, the Kohima Club extracted from the Simon Commission, a tag known as "Excluded Area" for Naga Hills District, whereby all mainland Indians were required to obtain "Inner Line Permit" to enter Naga Hills District. Since Manipur was land-locked, Manipuris were allowed to pass through Naga Hills District without ILP.

Intended but failed visit of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to Manipur

Sometime in 1941, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the then yet-to-be-crowned Prime Minister of India, visited Assam for the first time. There, he learnt about the existence of a Hindu Kingdom known as Manipur ruled by a Maharaja. He expressed his desire to have a 'dekho' of Manipur. So, he came to Dimapur-Manipur-Road-Junction, which was in Bokajan District of Assam. He wanted to reach Manipur by car. Pandit Nehru was told at Nichugarot to obtain an Inner Line Permit. He got so angry that he left Dimapur in a huff, on the ground that as in Indian, he should be permitted to visit any part of India. I remember this incident very well, since I was a student of class VII in Johnstone School and by that time, the wind of freedom movement had swept Manipur and photographs of Mahatma Gandhiji, Nehruji used to decorate our sitting rooms in the verandah.

In fact, when we heard that Panditji would be housed in the British-built, Imphal Dak Bungalow (now office of the Imphal Municipality Council), we, youngsters went to sweep the rooms and also clean the surroundings. Ultimately, when we heard that Panditji went back from Dimapur, we felt very sad. ILP was removed for Indians entering Manipur by air or by road via Jiribam during Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh's reign in 1949, consequent to public agitation led by Praja Socialist Party leader Madhu Limaye, who stayed in Singjamei Thokchom Leikai, Imphal.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose & INA

With Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's INA (Indian National Army) fighting for Indian independence and the hoisting of the tri-colour Indian National Flag by Col. Ahmed B Mallick of INA at Moirang, the clever Brits decided to grant independence to India, but after partitioning into India and Pakistan. Incidentally, Pakistan means, Pak (sacred) and stan (homeland). Indeed, the trials of INA officers like Maj. Gen. Bhonsale, Capt. Laxmi Sehgal etc. at Red Fort, Delhi ended in a happy note of release. This was a far-sighted policy of the British.

Dawn of Indian Independence

The Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed by the British Parliament on 18th July 1947. I quote, the first paragraph (after the preamble, which is unparagraphed) as under:-

The New Dominions

1. (i) As from the fifteenth day of August, nineteen hundred and forty seven, two independent Dominions shall be set up in India, to be known respectively as India and Pakistan.

(ii) The said Dominions are hereafter in this Act referred to as 'the new Dominions' and the said fifteenth day of August is hereafter in this Act referred to as 'the appointed day'.

About a month before passing Indian Independence Act, 1947, one Professor Campbell belonging to the University of Cambridge came up with a wild idea that India should be tri-furcated into three Dominions namely India, Pakistan and a Christiandom (or any name to be selected by the UK government), which should consist of Christian majority areas of the eastern part of Manipur where Christianity had spread, Lushai Hills (now Mizoram, Khasi and Jaintia Hills (now Meghalaya) and other pockets of Assam where Christianity predominated. But, the idea was turned down by the then UK government because of lack of geographical link and most importantly, road and rail disconnect.

Phizo & Naga Independence

Notwithstanding the rejection at the instigation of Charles Pawsay, the famous Naga leader Mr. AZ Phizo declared "independence of Nagas" on 14th August 1947, one day prior to Indian Independence and invited a war between India and Nagas. Therefore, it will be apt to say that it was ONLY through the ingenuity of the British to transform a CLUB (Kohima Club) into a NATION".

The clever British right from James Hutton (1929, Simon Commission days) upto Sir C Pawsay (August 1947) pricked India. Now, I do allege that it was the dexterous British who planted the seeds of Naga war for independence, now taken up by NSCN(IM) and its rival/split outfit, NSCN(K). Incidentally, (IM) stands for Isaac Muivah and (K) stands for Khaplang. In Naga Hills District of Assam, the Naga rebels and the Naga public, except a few nationalists who were normally eliminated by killing, had been and is till now, the obverse and reverse faces of the same coin. Even, Shri Thuingaleng Muivah, Gen. Secretary of NSCN(IM) managed to escape death by the skin of his teeth, when he was ambushed

Formation of State Of Nagaland

18. Many of us are aware of the fact that Major Ralengnao (Bob) Khathing, MC, MBE, recipient of Padma Shri, from Ukhrul District of Manipur hoisted India's tri-colour flag at Tawang in the afternoon of 14 February 1951 amidst the singing of the National song "Jana Gana Mana" by security guard of one company of 5 Assam Rifles then located at Lokra (Assam) on the foothills of the Great Himalayan Ranges.

19. At that time, Naga insurgency movement under the Late AZ Phizo, the supreme leader got spilled over to neighbouring Tuensang Frontier Tract of the erstwhile North East Frontier Agency (NEFA). So, Indian Army moved into Kohima to quell the movement. Since Major Khathing had become Second Advisor to His Excellency to the Governor of Assam, his office moved into Kohima for liaison with Army where HQ 8 Mountain Division was located. Hence, administratively Naga Hills District and Tuensang Frontier Tract became one administrative unit. Thus, a new nomenclature known as Naga Hills and Tuensang came into use. So, when Naga Hills District became a full fledged State of India on 1st December 1963, Tuensang became a part of new State of Nagaland.

To be continued....