The specimen within a real Naga

Angomcha Surjit *

As far as we know Nagas are hospitable, broad minded and cheerful race belongs to the Sino-Burman that forms the great Mongolian Family in the South East Asia. They live in classless society where there is no social distinction of men and women. Nagas are best known for their hospitality. Such is the ethics lies in the core of the Nagas.

A Naga is not to be defined by pages of explanations; neither one becomes Naga by shouting "I am Naga". A true Naga need not shout, he could be seen even in the dark. His neighbor knows who is a Naga. There may be some Nagas in Manipur too but it is hard to distinguish them due to the forceful and brute assimilation process committed by the NSCN cadres.

Who are the real Nagas in Manipur remains a question mark. The genetic linage of Naga needs to be properly evaluated on proper platforms by the mainland Nagas otherwise the most colorful tribe could face uncertainty of identity crisis some day.

Recently the nomenclature "Naga "has been in the news many times. In the holy shadows of this beautiful race many evil forces in the form of Nagas created insurmountable hassle, chaos and unrest to the people of both Nagaland and Manipur which together is trying to find out an economic destination. They disturbed Unity and becoming a stumbling block in harnessing love among the people of the region.

I feel guilty to use the term "Naga" in negative light. The moment I attempt to write against the Naga I found my fingers pushed back with a shock from my keyboard. On my laptop there reflects the faces of those charming and cheerful Naga friends who are helpful, kind hearted and hospitable throughout. All the Nagas whoever I come across till this day are noble souls. They are readily to extend a helping hand in time of needs.

They are the kind of Nagas I know but not the green-eyed 'Naga format' monsters who survive and live on Highway trucks. When there stomach is full they imposed blockade and when hungry they lift it. They are of very peculiar character and this is not found in the specimen of real Naga. Therefore, the pure water is not to be mingled with the impure and dirty ones.

The economy blockade of ANSAM and NSF is now almost completing two months on both the National Highway 39 and 53 that linked Manipur to the rest of the Country. For the people of Manipur these blockades became another festival kind, a routine event in the calendar. Sometimes we tend to forget that there is an economic blockade on the National Highway for this continues off and on so much so that there is economy blockade for every fall of a hat.

We don't mind if the blockade continues for another one year. It does not make any difference People in the valley of Manipur have now well accustomed to the Economy Blockade. ANSAM and UNC sharpen their draggers humming anti Meitei songs. Even in the war zones enemy's foodstuffs are letting passed by and Economy blockade is seldom occurs anywhere in the World.

But ANSAM is doing in Manipur and against the Meiteis – a deep vengeance rooted. Poor people-they chew the dry and a tasteless bone to the extent of their mouth bleeding, but his madness within says the blood that oozed out is from the bones not from his own mouth. Go lick your own wounds.

Yes friendly I will tell you do not expect this man called Ibobi will react and change his stand because of this indefinite blockade. When all the school and colleges shuts for more than four months in valley against his "Keep eyes open but mouth shut policy" in the Babina Sanjit murder case at broad day light he kept mum like a stone , expecting Ibobi to hit the call of Economy Blockade is little too far fetching at this present juncture?

This CM also earned popularity among his cabinet colleagues for his political acumen. He seldom throws his spear but if once he throws not a single target has been missed till date. Take care he is little different from Rishang, Nipamacha and Radhabinod. His half open eyes with a piece of smile can do anything. The smile, please understand was a part of his physical feature not a real smile. Perhaps his face would beam the same muscular contortion even when he saw you standing on the gallows for your misdeeds.

In the meantime I would like to thank ANSAM, NSF and HO HO friends. This blockade has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Manipuris. The months long Blockade brought back the nostalgic memories of how Manipur had lived as an erstwhile independent princely Kingdom in olden days with self sufficiency. Such inhuman blockade also taught us to be self-reliant, self dependant and most significantly how India Government looked upon us, how they wanted to throttle with an attempt to sweep us out from the face of earth in nexus with ANSAM, UNC, NSF and HO Ho etc. Now we are ready to face any outcome –come woe come will.

Mr. N. Biren, spokesperson of SPF Government and Sports Minister of Manipur called on the people recently to get prepare to ride bicycle instead of the motor scooter. He asked the people to explore the greenery fields gifted by Mother Nature abundantly in our lands towards the destination of self reliance. He doesn't mind seeking help from China and Myanmar and reviving the age old relationship if the two lifeline National Highways cuts off Manipur from the rest of the Country. He reiterated in his recent press meet. The Minister is not wrong.

The greater land concept is not acceptable to all and not a practical and reasoning approach at all. Forget one's territory and demarcation still we can live together. This small hill state is big enough for every one of us. Let us explore it together. No Meiteis can settle anywhere in the hills.

But the boundary of Manipur needs to be kept intact. It is the pride and symbol of unity for everyone living in its boundary. In the same way Naga will denounce to give back Dimapur to the race it originally belonged. What does Kashmir fetch to India other than terrorism and troubles? Why India cannot give away Kashmir to Pakistan for the sake of peace. If they think Kashmir is their pride and its boundary is India's boundary that needs to be kept intact than it will not be far to understand how value is Manipur's boundary to the citizens of Manipur.

The divide and rule is still uneasy mathematics for every one of us here. It is high time we understand together what is happening around. GOI would tie "Greater Nagaland" on a string to a long stick and dangle it in front of Uncle Muivah but just out of his reach. As Mr. Muivah moved forward to get the Greater Lim, it pulled the Peace Talk process forward as driven by Chidambaram so that the Greater Nagaland would always remain out of reach of Mr. Muivah. Please- enough is enough, everybody stop here. Let us also dismiss the rehearsal of the DOOSDAY instead let us look far and find out together what lies in the far horizon.

Let us analyze together what Maloy Krishna Dhar, Former Joint Director, Intellegence Bureau, India wrote some three decades before in his book entitled "OPEN SECRET". He was serving in Nagaland in late 60s and early 70s.

EXTRACT OF CHAPTER 'A PEOPLE ON THE CROSS' PAGE 162/164

A little deviation of the issue of Greater Nagaland is necessary. The toughest barrier to the process of negotiated peace is this very demand by Muivah group. This is highly debatable point. The Tangkhuls and the Zeliang and Rongmeis as also Mao Maram and other lesser Naga tribes of Manipur, are distinctly different from the Nagas of present political geography called Nagaland.

Apparently they didn't migrate from the same-trans pacific or Sino- Polynesian stock. They look different; they speak different languages and follow different social customs. The Nagaland Nagas were given some Pan-Nagas coherence by Phizo and movement that followed him. The Manipur Nagas have always tried to maintain their separateness from the Nagaland Nagas. Over the centuries they had acquired a distinct Manipuri identity under the Meitei King.

No doubt they are now tied in the common bondage of Christianity, but most of them belong to different denominations. Conceding an enlarge political territory simply because they swear by the same Book would tantamount to falling prey to demands like the ones made by some Islamists that religious commonality made a compact nation-Ummah.

I have a genuine feeling, which I am able to state with certain degree of certainty that the Nagaland Nagas would not welcome the Manipuri Nagas. The Tangkhuls are as domineering in nature as the Angamis, Aos and Semas are. It is a case like desire of the Bengali people living in India and Bangladesh reuniting as one ethnic nation. There is ethnic and linguistic uniformity amongst the Bengali and Punjabi living on two sides of the International border.

But that does not prove a case of reunion. It is a dream, often a bed dream. Similarly the desire of Naga people of Nagaland, Manipur and Burma uniting on the singular basis of generalized nomenclature assigned to them by Ahoms and British in a chimera. It is like the nomenclature Hindu that carries the burden of some ethnological and philogical peculiarities of certain people who could not pronounce "S" and used "H" instead.

Everyone living in Hindustan is not Hindu. In the stricter sense of interpretation of the word H(S)indu the people of Pakistan are better claimants to the nomenclature, as they are supposed to be the original Sindhuja (People of the River Sind) or Hindu. Would this be acceptable to our umbilical brothers in Pakistan.

Nagaland, therefore, cannot be the home for the Nagas living anywhere in the general geographic area. A common given name and faith in a religion cannot be the basis of creating a new geographical entity. It may not be acceptable to the Nagas living in Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. These people are Nagas as much as Bangladeshi Bengali and Pakistani Punjabis and Bengalis and Punjabis.

Anyway, history does not care for individual perceptions. However, if any weak in Delhi allows the wheel of history rolling in the direction of 'Naga unity in a common geo-political boundary inside the Indian Union' it will not strengthen the security scenario of North East India. It will lead to serious explosions in Manipur, Assam Arunachal and other ethnic areas where the geography is still undergoing tectonic convulsion.