Solidarity Synchronised Surreptitiously

S. Kunjabihari Singh *

October 29, 2010, was celebrated as Nagaland Day in Kolkata. On this auspicious day the Nagland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, in the midst of his address, opened up some insight into the vexed Naga peace talk. He even thought it wise to throw some light, however dim it might be, on an apparent non-issue of Naga-Meitei relationship.

On a pointed question on the issue of NSCN (IM), general secretary, Th. Muivah not being allowed to enter Manipur to visit his birth place Somdal in Manipur's Ukhrul district, Neiphiu Rio, instead of commenting on the apprehension of the GOM relating to law and order breakdown, avoided a direct answer.

Instead, he commented on the age- old relationship between the Nagas and the Meities, adding, "Muivah realized a lot of things. So did the people. The Meities and the Nagas are at loggerheads for all these years. The Union government should think on how to make them coexist in peace".

The real issue, perhaps, was not anything about the two big brethrens at peace or otherwise. I deliberately use –"perhaps", giving scope for possible misreading by some of us, or shortcomings on my own part, on a sensitive matter concerning two communities.

It was an issue between the MHA and the GOM, in connection with the modality for the finalization of the proposed visit by Th. Muivah to his ancestral village in Manipur. Prima –facia, Muivah, being born in Manipur, has every right and privilege to visit his village. Even permission from anybody, let alone, the GOI should not be called for..

In this unique case, however, why the MHA had to take special care for the proposed visit? Why the GOM had to turn down vehemently the advice of the MHA? That was the very crux of the situation then prevailing in May, this year. There was, again, perhaps, no issue between the Nagas and the Meities, as attempted by the Nagaland Chief Minister.

As a Chief Minister himself, he is fully aware of the compulsions of maintaining law and order in a state that may, in all probability, arise on account of the visit of a person of Muivah's complexity..

In the instant case, Muivah being a top leader of the NSCN (IM), whose agenda consistently clashes with the public wisdom of the state, the very presence of the general secretary, his public address in many Naga areas, often provocative to the core, would create imminent law order situation in the state In such a scenario, which is certain to happen, a reminiscent of the uprising in Imphal on the aftermath of the June 14, 2001, declaration of the extension of ceasefire agreement beyond Nagaland, could be imminent. Chief Minister Ibobi would be left alone to handle such turmoil, uncared for by the MHA.

Ibobi would not cherish a repeat of that nightmarish experience. He would, at all cost, refrain from such an isolation and a stark show of inexposure despite facing the tragic uprising of June, 2001 when 18 people were killed apart from burning down of the assembly secretariat building including his own heavily guarded official residence in the very heart of Imphal.

The memory of the tragic incident so fresh in his mind, Ibobi or for that matter, any other person in the hot seat, would avoid gambling with the idea of Muivah addressing public meetings, which would be provocative in any case, in the four districts in the state, The proposed visit to his ancestral village is going to be his interaction with the Nagas in the hill districts and creating a fertile atmosphere for flaring up communal discord.

This perhaps was the sole concern for Ibobi to turn down the MHA's dictate for safe passage to Muivah. The Nagaland CM, was conspicuous by his observation of the Mao gate situation when he wrote to the PM,on the matter, " As you are aware, the situation had been created in the first place by the unwarranted and unjustified decision of the Manipuri government to deny Th. Muivah his birth right of visiting his native village in Ukhrul district for a peaceful purpose of meeting people of his own tribe after decades of absence".

On the surface, to a plain man bereft of the Naga political history, the logic of the Nagaland CM is absolutely fine. The ground reality was, however, otherwise. The so called peaceful journey could be pregnant with hidden agenda of the vexed issue of Greater Nagaland, which could have the potential to explode, once Th. Muivah address the masses in the various Naga dominated districts. The so-called hatred between the Nagas and the Meities is manufactured, articulated by the political bosses to suit their political maneauvours. The two communities, left alone, live without any clash in the state.Only a handful of this tribe try to create such a machination of division.

The peace talk between the GOI and the NSCN (IM) since 1997 has met over a staggering 70 rounds of talks. The Nagas obviously must be finding the process nerve-wrecking. The Nagas charge that the GOI are not serious enough to show political will and decisiveness. They ask for a model solution under special federal relationship with the GOI.They charge that the GOI failed to honor the primary Gist of the Amsterdam Joint Communique, declared on July 11, 2002.

Of course, it is too prolonged a dialogue to go on for over 13 years, which must be shattering the conscience of the top leaders of NSCN (IM). It is only understandable that a mass protest should be held out. No wonder, the Nagas thought it opportune to organize a mass peace rally in Dimapur on Oct.26, to reinforce the firm stand of the Nagas to work together in cultivating and building spirit of inclusiveness through mutual acceptance. The rally was called by the Naga Hoho in association with Naga Mothers' Association, Naga Students Federation, and a Form for Naga Reconciliation.

Such rallies were organized in the 4 hill districts that caused total blockades in the districts, again as show of solidarity. Even Naga students, in Delhi, in a deep sense of solidarity could not feel left out from the demonstration. They came out attired in black dress to a rally from Jantar Mantar to Parliament Street calling fore an early solution.

Along with Naga community, the Forum claim, Christians in Australia, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Italy, the UK, Singapore, Thailand, USA, the Phillipines, Myanmar, Finland, Sweeden, Korea, Hongkong, Cambodia, the American Baptist Convention, African Baptist Union, the Quakers in Britain, Baptist Peace fellowship of North America and Baptist Peace Network of Asian Baptist Federation joined the prayers on 11 Sept, 2010. The convener of the Forum, Rev. Wati Aier was indeed gracious in declaring, "God's love is solely unconditional but we have to make the move to accept His offer. Let's be watchful lest we harvest the outcome of rejecting god's offer".

Even while the peace rallies are organized, according to the them, not only in Nagland, but also in several countries, the United Naga People's Council(UNPC), called for unqualified unity among different groups of people settling in the state and work together for protection of the territorial integrity of Manipur. A bold pronouncement by any standard, indeed, on the face of the call for NAGALIM, under which the Nagas claim 4 of districts out of 8 districts of Manipur, parts of Arunachal Pradesh, of Assam and two divisions of Myanmar namely, Sagang division and Kachin state, a total of contiguous area of 1, 20, 000 sq.km.

The Public Relation Officer of the UNPC said, "People should come out of their narrow parochial outlook, set aside mutual hatred for protecting their motherland Manipur. Now is the time, no Manipuri, whether he be a Naga or a Kuki could afford to stay aloft from each other." Continuing he added, "Deriding each other in public or taking out protest rally would be only to our disadvantage."

While the Nagas are thus relenting their anguish and frustration at the delay in arriving at an amicable solution, and orchestrating protest rallies, through a show of solidarity, their brethren the Kukis has raised the issue of a separate Kuki State in Manipur. This is at a time when the Nagas civil bodies are stepping up the demand for an alternative administrative arrangement bereft of the reins of the GOM, which demand synchronizes with the demand for greater Nagaland which on conceding by the GOI, woild naturally be achieved.

The Kuki National Organization(KNO)), an apex body of 15 armed outfits of the Kukis, now observing Suspension of Operation(SoO) with the GOI since August, 2008, aired the demand for a Separate Kuki State. The President of KNO, P.S.Haokip, the Kuki leaders including United People's Front (UPF), another umbrella group of armed Kuki outfits, met on September 2 in Delhi, to discuss the political future of the community. They decided to fight for a separate Kuki state.

The timing is very opportune as the Kukis felt rightly that they were oppressed by the big brother- the Nagas in the early nineties, when many Kukis were assassinated, many families rendered homeless by the Nagas under an orchestrated mission of forming –Nagas-only- district in parts of Senapati, Tamenglong and even Churachandpur, by driving out or exterminating the Kukis.

The memory of the ghastly onslaught is still fresh in their minds,and if things go as it is these days, the two communities-the Nagas and the Kukis would remain hostile neighbors That way the call for separate entities through solidarity rallies are only understandable.

The new interlocutor R.S. Pandey had told a Nagaland based newspaper on the 7th of November, that without the participation of the Naga people, any Naga settlement would be incomplete. The NSCN (IM), however, has not taken this view very kindly and expressed strong resentment against the outburst and threaten that such an assertion would result to pushing the Nagas into more confusion, compel the Nagas to take a stand of non cooperation.

The NSCN (IM) retorts in strong terms, "The uniqueness of the Naga political history …is not article 371(A) of the Indian Constitution as interpreted by Pandey….beyond the comprehension of Pandey's poor knowledge of the Nagas."

In one way, however, the observation of Pandey corroborates with the various activities held out in the recent past by the Nagas-the call for solidarity, the rallies, and the prayers. Is there any surreptitious agenda, that is for the future to learn?