Nagas, whether in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam or Arunachal or anywhere else have suffered enough due to their unsettled political problem.
They have been living under the dark shadow of sleepless night since several decades. Most of these sufferers are innocent village folks who live in
the deep interior jungles who do not have any idea about the issue and the reason for which they are suffering.
They are been physical tortured and intimitated, financially exploited in the name of tax for national
movement, and mental trauma due to fear of another assault at any moment.
Torture came from their own Naga fellows who claimed to be fighting for their right, accusing them that they are supporting Indians armies
or one faction or another; torturing from the Indian armies suspecting that they are sheltering the under grounds. I know today some of our love ones
remain physically handicapped, unable to do anything due to excessive torture from either of the two.
Financial exploitation includes taxation from the petty Govt. employees from their meager salary and even taxing
from poor widows who survive by selling vegetable on the road side. Above all, developmental program complete ceased as no Government or NGO
project or scheme could be taken up successfully due to interference by one
group or another. The consequence is, the world has gone far but world of Nagas
is still in 1st century.
Our brethrens still live in the deep jungle and toiled day and night just for two meals a day. The question of surplus
or extra income and improving their living condition by building better
houses, maintaining cleaner toilet and bathroom, adopting a new modern
methods of farming and developing our villages or area through modern
technologies is a dream far off.
Their only purpose of life seems to be working day and night for filling stomach- nothing else-and wait for
the day to be buried. The only occasion they could lift their head to see
the world outside (the village) is when Christmas season comes. During this
season we can see innocent villagers coming from far flung villages
flocking group by group in the bazaar, with a big bamboo basket hanging
behind, shopping for the festival.
One could easily make out who are these people and some time they become the object of laughing stock for the
so call 'own people'. In Dimapur town dwellers laughing at them calling, "HI! BOSTI MANU, KOT CHABO?"
At Imphal, meiteis would ridicule saying,
"Hi! HUISA CHAPA? KADAIDANO?"
But what can they do? because that is who they are! They just have to
ignore and swallow all the bitterness and humiliation and return to
village, forget it as their fate and enjoy the feast. This is the
plight of the 90% of Nagas who live in the villages today.
1997 Cease Fire agreement between GOI and NSCN with the then Congress
government under the leadership of late Narasimha Rao in the Center and
Rishang Keishing in the state, brought a bit relief for this suffering
folks because it somehow decreased the severity of torture and mental
suffering at least from one side( Indian armies) However, exploitations
and torture from the other side continues though in disguise forms.
Invitation to MUIVAH and ISAAC by the GOI for talk and their coming
brought a ray of hope and joy with the anticipation that some sort of
solution is really going to find and bring an end to those sufferings
and a new era of freedom and peace would prevail in this part of the world
too.
Thousand of innocent Nagas villagers eagerly wait with deep prayer
asking Almighty to do something for them. Their concern is not
'sovereignty' or 'not sovereignty', 'Nagalim' or 'not Nagalim' but
only to end misery once and forever. These days I am sure Nagas in far
flung deep villages, after returning from fields after the day's hard,
would be sitting around the evening bond fires group by group,
listening
radio news eagerly expecting some good news for them from Delhi
In this juncture of crucial moment and high expectation, Nagas brothers
expect our loving neighbors -Meiteis, Kukis, Assamies or Arunachalist
to
understand us and extend their fullest cooperation and sympathetic
support
to the on going talk. So that somehow a solution would emerge and a new
era would prevail in Nagaland and entire North East. So that Naga
brothers
and sisters also may experience peace and prosperity once in their
life-
time.
However, this expectation is being disappointed by the recent
statements
issued from different corners of Manipur against the Nagas and the
dialogue that is going on in Delhi. Ibobi Singh's, CM of Manipur,
'asking Nagas to leave Manipur if they wish but will not be allowed to take
away even an inch of land from Manipur' will remain as a bitter tablet in
the heart of many Nagas throughout their lives.
Such an irresponsible and thoughtless statement has added salt in the wound that is bleeding. His
statement exposed the true attitude of plain peoples towards hills which
have been remaining hidden for so long in the name of 'CHING TAM AMADANE'.
The statements that came from UNLF and KNA comrads also have
not been the word of peace rather, one read it as, a word which came
out
of jealousy and opportunistic thinking. If our Meiteis have the right
to
fight for the liberation of their Sana Leipak or Kuki brothers have
right
to struggle for their homeland, why not Nagas? Their statements and
objections to the present Indo-Naga talk is like African proverbs "Pocking another man's wound with a stick".
Hence, it is an earnest prayer request of thousands of innocent voiceless
Nagas who are silently weeping in the deep interior villages, that let no
one put word which would derail the peace talk that is going on at present.
Instead we appeal to our brothers to somehow understand our long
suffering and extend fullest support and cooperation so that by the
grace of Almighty, solution may find and our suffering may be gone once and
forever. Our happiness will be the happiness of yours, our prosperity
will be the prosperity of the whole North East brother as our agonies and
suffering has been yours till today.
Thank you,
P.S : This article has been sent by a person who has lived with villagers for
the last many years and experienced their plight and agonies and hence,
with deep sense of responsibility, he has sent this appeal on their
behalf. I hope nobody would take this article with negative sense rather
the reader would welcome and respond positively.
* Awungshi Angam writes for the first time to e-pao.net
The writer can be contacted at [email protected]
This article was webcasted on February 07, 2005.
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