'Horn of Nagaland' title goes to Rio - Thanks to Chubatemjen

Nirendra Dev *

Many more titles and prizes are awaiting Neiphiu Rio.

And the 'Horn of Nagaland' title goes to Chief Minister Neiphu Rio ... no pun intended. And don't give credit to the media for that. Instead we ought to thank Mr Chubatemjen Ao, a senior NPF leader and Rio's "very old friend".

The soft-spoken articulate leader Chubatemjen is not keeping well and hence he does not take any phone calls. But he chats on whatsapp and hence he passed on the message - " Please bear with me, as and when you write, kindly conclude with wishes from me and aunty (his lady wife) Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to them all".

Minutes before he reacted to my blog piece on the Chief Minister and the Hornbill fest wherein I had put a snap of Rio holding a phone trying to take snaps. Those were from 2018 Hornbill festival event in his Northern Angami II constituency.

Chubatekjen wrote - "Thanks. Happy to see the most precious HORN of Nagaland".

I knew he referred to his old friend and the Chief Minister. Both these leaders have been colleagues for long. In 1990 - they had defected from Congress together and joined the K L Chishi ministry where Chubatemjen was the Finance Minister and Rio was allocated the portfolio of Power.

After this brief spell ended, they both were part of Team Vamuzo. But the hardliner regionalist and state's only Chakhesang CM had kept both of them as "MLAs -- that is out of the ministry".

Chubatemjen did not mind much and used to joke -- "all NPC (earlier version of NPF) MLAs met the Chief Minister today". Rio was different - he was hadly happy as the NIDC chairman and would often complain to Vamuzo - "You can't frame me like that".

But the Rio-Chubatemjen friendship remained. They were again together as regionalists after Rio deserted S C Jamir and joined the smaller outfit. As I know Chubatemjen too well from the 1990s and used to enjoy his hospitality; I teased him.

"Who is that Horn you mean .... Mr Rio or me ?"

Chubatemjen wrote back: "I will never make you the horn of Nagaland unless you pay the Bill. Be careful too." He congratulated the state government for completing 25 years of hosting the great tourism bonanza. And he ended the message with a smiley. Frankly, I loved that.

But as I was returning home in Delhi Metro and trying to reflect on Chubatemjen's words; I thought the episode deserved a small story to be shared with the 'Nagaland Page' readers.

But is there something else too I can add for the Chief Minister ?

At top - one is generally alone. So Shri Neiphiu Rio probably does not mind all that and takes things as occupational hazards.

But the road to a lasting Peace and Solution is also hazardous. And for this Rio has to take a few corrective steps. After the Nov 22nd meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, he and his ministers are supposed to convey to the NSCN-IM "the message" from Delhi.

Hope, Rio pulls up sleeves and does candid talk as he normally used to do in the 1990s -- either on politics, on personal matters and journalism including security for journalists etc.

If he thinks or rather understands that even his critics in the media could be his friends in the long run; Rio will do well to take a message from ground zero.

At the mass level, people are indeed desperate for Solution. And if the Solution or final peace pact is not happening; they would prefer even ending the talks. ny rebellion or ⁠insurgency or movement or militancy (whatever the terminology); without public support .. all these would be like fish without water.

Will any politics - overground or underground or a movement really survive if one has lost 'real contacts' with the pulse of the people ?

Many more titles and prizes are awaiting Rio -- who is today the senior most Chief Minister in North East India. But he should perform and deliver. There’s little excuse for complacency, but there’s a cause to relish that 'facing reality' is never futile.

Will Ro thrive ? Loneliness is another type of hunger. He must ponder.

(Views are personal)