Kaka D Iralu
As a concerned Angami and Naga writer, I attended the Angami Youth Organisation (AYO) and Angami Students Union (ASU) meeting held on August 22, 2007. Youth leaders from all Northern Angami, Southern Angami, Western Angami and Chakhro Angami expressed the reasons why they were agitating. Inspired by what they expressed, I am herewith writing this article over thoughts that came to my mind as I listened to these youth leaders. I have not been delegated by the AYO or ASU to write this article on their behalf. These are just thoughts that I believe are the motivating factors behind the present Angami agitation. On my part, I am ready to accept any correction or even censure from any quarter, including WASU and ASU..
I would like to put the issues at stake in the present Angami agitation under the following points:
1. The issue of territorial integrity and Angami honour.
2. The religious and moral issue on the value of human life.
3. The political issue of truth and falsehood.
4. The economic issue of earning one’s livelihood without extortions.
1. The issue of territorial integrity and angami honour:
Within the God given territories of Nagaland, the Angamis also have their distinct territories that have been occupied and defended by Angami ancestors from time immemorial to the present times. These traditional Angami lands were recognised and respected by other Naga tribes throughout Naga history. Even the British records, during their 67 years of occupation and administration; clearly demarcates these boundaries. Within the Angami tribe (or region), every Angami village clearly know the boundaries of their village territory and lands and have always zealously defended these territories with their lives. As such, there are no Angami lands that can be classified as “No man’s land” and therefore can be occupied by either Manipuri kings, the British Government, the Indian Government or even any other Naga tribes. This is an undeniable fact of Angami history which is also a universal fact of Naga history in relation to other Naga tribes too- be they Sema, Rengma or Ao ancestral and traditional lands.
Now in the name of Naga nationalism and in collaboration with foreign governments, many traditional Angami lands have been occupied by other Naga tribes. On top of this, many brilliant Angami leaders have been murdered in the name of Naga nationalism. All Angamis, irrespective of age profession or education are now fed up with these heinous crimes inflicted on the Angami tribe and community from 1980 to date. In this context, the AYO and ASU are not just reacting against one Sema and one particular Faction but against injustices meted out against the Angami community for so many years. In the light of these historical facts, the Angami youth, spearheaded by the AYO and ASU are rising up in protest to defend their lives and their honour. This present agitation was sparked off by the (yet again) life attempt on the lives of two of our youth leaders in the very heart of our Angami lands - Kohima, the capital of Nagaland. In this present agitation, all youth from every Angami villages are participating to defend Angami honour and self respect.
2. The religious and moral issue on the value of human life:
In this present agitation, there are bigger and wider issues at stake than just Angami honour and self respect. This is because noble words like honour and self respect are related to higher moral and religious principles.
In the religious and moral dimensions, the issue at stake is whether human life has value in the sight of God who is the giver of life. Here the word of God is very clear that God, the giver of life values the life that he has given. This is clearly stated in Genesis 9:6: “Whosoever shed man’s blood; by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God, He made man” (Amplified Bible). Also, in relation to the first murder in human history, when Cain killed Abel, this is what God said: “…What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground” (Amplified Bible).
In today’s Nagaland, human life seems to have no value at all. “Mari phelai dibi” (Kill him and throw him away) has become a byword for many of the factional cadres as well as some high ranking officers. By the way the words spoken to Medo Yhokha as the NSCN K cadre entered his shop were: “You are an NSCN IM sympathiser, I’ll shoot you and send your dead body to Hebron camp.”
The Angami youth are today agitating because they value human life. Their agitation is a symbol of their mourning for their many tribesmen who have been killed like pigs and dogs.
They want Kohima town - the centre of all Naga political activities – to come to a standstill for one day so that every Naga can ponder over this religious and moral issue of the value of human life.
3. The political issue of truth and falsehood:
In this political dimension, the issue is one of whether our factional cadres can extort our money, buy arms, uniforms, vehicles and then shoot us to death with those arms if we disagree with their revolutionary ideologies and strategies? After all, besides the yearly taxes, the whole Naga public are paying many indirect taxes because the prices of all commodities from dry fish to cement to vehicles have shot up because of underground taxes levied on the suppliers of these essential commodities. By the way, Medo had paid all his yearly taxes to all the factions. On top of this when a recent factional clash took place outside his shop, his car as well as his shop was badly damaged. He had to repair everything at his own expense. He had therefore refused to pay any extra extortion money when Yehokhu came the previous day before the incident, demanding more money from Medo.
Here, I fully agree that a legitimate government has the legal right to tax its citizens for running the affairs of that legitimate government. However, in the context of Nagaland, the next question that immediately surfaces is the question as to which one among the many factions is the legitimate government of the Naga nation? After all, without the sanction and mandate of all the Naga tribes, some few Naga tribesmen from certain tribes cannot just appoint themselves as Naga national leaders and impose their self appointed authority on the whole Naga nation and tax them right and left. Also there is no precedent in human political history where the citizens of a nation has to pay four five taxes to four five governments from within a nation.
These are issues that the Angami youth are grappling with in their present agitation. They are resolved to pay taxes only to the legitimate Naga people’s mandated government.
4. The economic issue of earning one’s livelihood without extortions:
Under Naga, as well as international law, every individual of every nation has not just the right to life but also the right to earn a livelihood. In the case of Nagaland, the occupational Indian Government nullified our Naga right to life through promulgation of heinous laws like the Armed Forces Special Power, etc. Now on top of this, some of our Naga national leaders with their foreign imported ideologies seem to be bent on nullifying Naga economic rights to earn a livelihood with their exorbitant taxes and extortions. Are these Naga national leaders trying to make Nagas into a nation of beggars, forcing them to roam the streets of Assam, Kolkata and Delhi with their begging bowls because they can no longer live in Nagaland and earn a livelihood for themselves and their families?
These are the economic issues for which the Angami youth are agitating so that the dignity of human labour and the economic right to earn a livelihood without extortions can be re-established in every nook and corner of Angami territory.
Conclusion:
What the Angami youth are today trying to do is not just restoration of Angami honour and self respect. Realising that ultimately, everything in life is interrelated, where one cannot compartmentalise religion from politics or economy from politics, the AYO and the ASU are agitating for their rights to live in freedom and liberty within the boundaries of their ancestral lands. They are inspired and motivated by a spirit of duty and obligation to moral, political and economic principles. One hopes that the whole Naga public, including leaders from every Naga factions will appreciate and lend their moral support to what the AYO and ASU are trying to do.
