Abstract: This article tries to highlight how the Nagas blood and tears
were oozing from Pre-British period till today. The Nagas history shows
the proof that in different era of the Naga history; the Nagas shed
their bloods and tears for different accounts, which is still continuing
in fratricidal game of NSCN.
In retrospection of the Naga history - we learnt that precious Nagas
bloods were oozing like the perennial springs in Nagalim. Why the
precious bloods were flowing on the ground from the pre-British era till
today? Oh! Nagas Blood! When will you cease oozing your precious blood?
The
Nagas first shed their blood from the hand of the foreigners during the
Ahom King invasion in Naga Hills. Now Seven Hundred and Seventy Seven
Years ( 7 7 7 ) had past after the Ahom King encountered the Nagas but
the fresh bloods and tears continue to flow even today. The entire land
seems look reddish due to your bloods. Let the peace, love and
forgiveness reign your motherland. Ponder once again - let your heart reign
with love and forgiveness. Forgetting the past mistake is equally good as
forgiving the present mistake.
Introspection of the past Naga history from headhunting era till today
- there is unceasing oozing bloods and tears in Naga Hills. However the
oozing blood and tears in different era have different accounts. The
earlier bloods shedding and tears were totally different from the present
fratricidal bloods shedding and tears.
Once the Nagas believed that
headhunting show the manhood. They practiced headhunting to bring
fertility to their land and bumper crop, to raise their social status and marry
a beautiful lady. However hatred, fear, insecurity reigned in those
days even though it assumed to be glorious in those days. Many men, women
and children were killed in those days but the Nagas thought it shows
only manhood through headhunting.
As the headhunter chopped off the
victim head - the helpless victim's blood flowed on the ground crying for
help. It was also during the headhunting period that the Ahom King
invaded the Naga Hills in 1228 AD and killed many Nagas in fierce resistance
by the Nagas.
It was in the year 1832 that British first penetrated to Naga Hills and
encountering and defending the Nagas land - many Naga warriors were
killed. The British finally infiltrated and dominated in Naga Hills after
the battle of Khonoma - even though they did not dominated the entire
Naga Hills. The Nagas blood continued to flow from headhunting era to
British period, which is still afresh in the mind of our centenarians.
After the British period in Naga Hills - the Indian Army came to
dominate in Naga Hills and many Nagas were killed, tortured, raped, harassed,
burnt innumerous properties, which brought tears in entire Naga Hills.
The Nagas blood that oozed in encountering the Indian Armed forces is
still fresh in the mind of all the Nagas.
During the Naga National Council (NNC) struggle for sovereignty - under
the leadership of A. Z. Phizo - the famous Naga Plebiscite was
conducted in Many 1951. According to Sema, the armed violence, murder, arson,
looting, and kidnapping, had become quite common and wide spread in
1954. So some of the leaders did not want the Phizo's violent ways and
resigned from NNC in 1955.
Thus the first ideological crush in Naga
Political leaders commenced and formed two groups as Moderate and Extremist
group. Those who were in disinclination of violent ways of struggle in
Naga National Movement were T. Shakhrie, J. B. Jasokie, T.N.Angami and
Dr. Imkongliba among others. On January 18, 1956, T.Sakhrie (former
General secretary of NNC who resigned from NNC) was assassinated for
anti-NNC activities and others who openly against the movement also
assassinated. For the first time in the history of the Nagas National movement -
the first blood was shed and tears fell due to ideological
discrepancies.
The Shillong Accord on November 11, 1975 was one of the greatest blows
to the Naga National Movement. The Shillong Accord (SC) can be better
called as the "Evolution of Problem Accord" (ENPA) in Naga National
Movement since the bigger problem emerged after this Accord. This is the
second ideological problem occurred with the Naga Nationalist leaders.
The difference in ideology amongst the Naga National Movement leaders is
the main reason that led to Shillong Accord but it was without the
consent from the Naga civil society.
The NNC leaders tried to contact A.Z.
Phizo, then President of the NNC to condemn the Shillong Accord.
However they could not restore the damage image of the NNC even after five
years of Shillong Accord. Eventually, under the leadership of Isak Chisu
as Chairman, S.S. Khaplang as Vice President and Thuingaleng Muivah as
General secretary - formed a new organization known as "National
Socialist of Council Nagaland (NSCN) on January 31, 1980. However this
organization did not last long for a decade without splitting into two
groups.
On 30th April 1988 morning, the NSCN Headquarter at Hangsen was full
of smoke and bloods with loud guns and bombs noises echoing the entire
Hills. The whole Hill Ranges felt the echoing noises of guns and bombs
and the wild animals tremble with fear; the wounded people longing for
water screamed and cried silently in their hearts. The bloods that
flowed like the Red Sea will never returned again; the tears and sweats
that oozed out from their bodies are going to be remembered as the most
disastrous event in Naga History. The unsuspected NSCN Vice President
S.S. Khaplang accompanied with his men killed over 200 persons (men, women
and children and many other officers.)
In the history of Naga National Movement - this is the third time the
ideological discrepancies and mistrust occurred and mass fratricidal
took place. However Isak and Muivah were escaped and later formed their
group as NSCN-IM, under the leadership of Isak Swu as Chairman and Th.
Muivah as General Secretary. The other group led by Khaplang as Chairman
and Dalley Mongro as General secretary formed the group known as
NSCN-K. After the ideological crush or differences with the Naga National
leaders in 1988 - the struggle between the difference ideologies continue
till today without any sign of accepting other philosophy and ideology.
Why there is unceasing oozing Nagas blood and tears? Once there was
headhunting because our forefathers did not know our God creator. The
British colonial reign ended since 1947 and the Indian Armed Force is now
cease-fire with the NSCN. But the precious bloods, tears and sweats are
still flowing in Nagalim like a perennial river. What do you gain in
fratricide?
When our forefather killed their brothers (Nagas) during
headhunting - it revealed the manhood. When our fathers or brothers were
killed in encountering the British or Indian Armies - it showed their
patriotism. But today when our brothers and sisters practice fratricidal -
it reveals your unforgiveness, thirst of power, jealousy and hatred,
faithless in God, ideological discrepancies.
The oozing Nagas blood and tears due to fratricidal is nothing but only
the barbarous act. If we view from the Christians' perspective -
fratricide is nothing but adding more problems, sins and bloods in the
reddish bloody-land. The present rat racing of NSCN-IM and K to subdue and
emulate one another shows not improvement in their relationship
regardless of the Nagas Civil Society with great effort to bring under
reconciliation table.
If both the NSCN groups continue in rat racing - some day
one group may surrender in course of time. However, fratricidal in rat
racing will cost innumerous lost of human lives, which cannot be paid
back in term of money and any goods that is available on this earth and
later it may remorse for what they are doing now. Let not another great
disastrous event of mass fratricide happens again in Naga History.
Human life is short. Let's take every opportunity to make peace with our
fellow Nagas and bring the honorable solution in our lifetime in our
Indo-Naga Peace Talks.
The present fratricidal and trying to capture each
other camp may only degrade their own prestige and curtail the people
solidarity in their National Movement. Therefore the best solution for
both the groups may be coming to the reconciliation table, which is
invited and prepared by the Naga Civil Society. The Naga Civil Society
loves you and invites both of you to come and dine together. As Father was
very happy as the Prodigal son returned home - the Naga Civil Society
would be very happy like that of prodigal son's father when both the
NSCN-IM and K comes to reconciliation table to reunite.
Let the Naga Civil
Society give solidarity in your struggle for the cause of the Nagas
sovereignty as you come and reunite. As long as there is fratricidal
occurring in Nagalim - there cannot be peace and love in our community; we
cannot expect peace when firing of guns and killing continue to reign in
our land. Keeping peace by force cannot be called as true peace and we
the Nagas want the true peace with love without fratricide in our land.
The present cease-fire with the Indian government from both the groups
and Peace Talks would not improve much and receive mass support unless
the fratricidal is cease and emerge into one group.
Nagas! Let not your blood bleed and tears fall again for the cause of
revenge, ideological crush, thirst of power, jealousy of others and in
rat racing to dominate others. Instead shed your blood, tears and sweat
in doing good to bring development, peace and love in Nagalim.
Let your
tears be wiped out by your brothers and sisters who killed your loved
ones with love and embrace each others in welcoming to make
reconciliation to restore peace in Nagalim. Let not your loved ones use again their
blood-stained hands and tears as soup as it falls in their plates.
Today all the Nagas from teenage to centenarians want peace, love and
reconciliation in Naga Hills. Let reconciliation be there forgiving each
others and your loved one - the centenarians may die in peace hoping to
get sovereignty even if they die today. If not they will fist their hands
(According to Poumai Naga, if our parents or elders fist their hands in
their dying bed it reveals their curse to their children or any one
whom they want to pass their curse) in their dying beds and curse your
fratricidal practice and there will be no peace forever in Nagalim.
As the
Headhunting ceased, British domination end and Indian government in
cease-fire with the NSCN - let the fratricidal practice also end forgiving
and forgetting the past mistrust, ideology discrepancies and hatred.
Let the love of God of Jesus reign in our land as the Nagaland is for
Christ.
KUKNALIM
* R.B. Thohe Pou, a Ph.D. Research Scholar, contributes regularly to e-pao.net
He can be contacted at [email protected]
This article was webcasted on 14th May 2006.
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