Protective Thinking: Government of India Stratagem

Pakinrichapbo *

Oxford English Dictionary defined stratagem as a plan intended to outwit an opponent.

After reading and following the exchanges of Nagaland’s most followed political writer Mr. KK Sema (Retd. IAS) with the NSCN-IM and also the southern Nagas represented by its younger populations. I am compelled to conclude for time being that the GOI first stratagem is the plan of setting up of statutory body named Pan-Naga Cultural Body empowered with Executive authority, Budgetary and negotiating powers to function without territorial limits in all Naga inhabited areas as per the salient contents of Framework Agreement (FA) without territorial integrations.

The Pan-Naga Hoho body will have a special and separate budget to cover all the Naga inhabited areas.

GOI knowing such proposal without land integration is likely to be opposed not only by the Naga populations but more sternly by the neighbouring states who have warned GOI that any attempt to disrupt their respective states cultural, economic and political lives will not be tolerated has agreed to set up Pan-Naga Cultural Body.

GOI second stratagem is to do nothing but delay signing the final agreement seeing the Naga factions refusing to make any compromise on their earlier stand, for instance, separate flag and separate constitution to be incorporated in the Constitution of India.

By now, Nagas ought to be wise enough to know the limits of their strength and whether it will do the people any good by going back to the Jungles in this age. Compromise is the essence of diplomacy.

I may be wrong but so far any available information’s we have on this Pan-Naga Cultural Body is from the article first appeared in Morung Express on 16.09.17 titled Pan-Naga Hoho under Indo-Naga Framework Agreement by Mr. KK Sema (Retd. IAS).

I present the following ten points reminding the Naga factions, Naga legislators, Tribal Bodies, CSOs, state politicians (active and retired), Church bodies, public-spirited individuals, student and youth bodies to vigorously initiate inclusive public discourse upon such proposal to reach at consensus peacefully to defeat the GOI stratagem before things go out control:

1. Can all factions mutually agree to this Pan-Naga Cultural body without territorial integration, in case of opposition from some factions, will GOI forced factions to agree to this set up as part of the final settlement or leave the factions to decide by themselves through violent confrontations like in the past?

2. Can all the factions have equal representations to Pan-Naga Cultural Body?

3. Will the Nagas of Nagaland and Nagas in surrounding states agree to be governed by this Pan-Naga Cultural Body without territorial integration? Before territorial integration is materialized.

4. Will this Pan-Naga Cultural Body replaced the Nagaland Legislative Assembly? If so, will the legislators and the electorates agree to such settlement? What about Naga legislators/elected members of Autonomous council in surrounding states?

5. In case all factions agree to send representations to Pan-Naga Cultural Body, how will the factions represent, under the name of their factions or on behalf of the people/tribes.

6. Has Naga legislators, tribal bodies given enough pressure to all the factions to agree to this Pan-Naga Cultural Body or are legislators and tribal bodies secretly plotting along tribal and regional lines. I believe only the sincere and courageous efforts of Naga legislators and tribal bodies can help bring any settlement or another round of chaos.

7. Can all factions after agreeing to this Pan-Naga Cultural Body without territorial integration sincerely seeks democratic process to achieve territorial integrations as GOI have made their position clear again and again that territorial integration can only be achieved by following the democratic political processes?

8. In case all factions make use of Pan-Naga Cultural Body, how will they deal with opposing neighbouring states?

9. Are the legislators and tribal bodies doing enough to make different factions work side by side for the common good and not see each other as mortal enemies filled with vengeance?

10. How long will the interim period be? More importantly, when the interim period is over, will the civil government be established following a fair democratic process?

I feel the above mentioned ten points need thorough deliberations followed with right actions at the right time if the above-mentioned stakeholders are really sincere in their approach to protect the future of the economically and educationally backward Nagas living in the Indian Sub-Continent.

Or will the factions carry on their power struggles among themselves by claiming to represent the voice of the entire Nagas without even checking the number of followers in their designated camp.