‘Even Naga national movement saturated in tribalism’
Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 25
Decidedly lucid that the denouncement of sectarian tendencies, particularly Tribalism, in Christian Nagaland is limited only to ‘Sunday churches’, the scourge is not only underhandedly existent in the state but is also destroying the Naga society gradually. The Morung Express Poll covering the preceding week witnessed an overwhelming 94% of the respondents categorically agreeing that tribalism is destroying the very fabric of the Naga society, underhandedly or explicitly. Only 4% responded in negative while the final 2% stood on the sitting fence.
Some respondents in generic terms affirmed that “most” Naga tribes have their own ethnocentrisms not only in respect to other tribes but also within their own communities. “Most of the Naga tribes have (their) own ethnocentrisms in their respective tribes” one respondent asserted while another opined “Tribalism is a curse for Nagas as Caste System is for the Hindu society”. Unfortunately, the “curse” doesn’t seem to limit itself only to intra-tribal systems – observers asserted that even the Naga national movement has been invaded by the Tribalism-virus as well. “The factional killings are almost taking the form of tribal feud…infusing deep hatred against one another” one respondent observed. Perhaps this might be the reason why the Naga underground movement is being view as a veritable synonym for disunity like one reader responded by saying “it is preventing any form of dialogue”. Another reflected the warning voice of many a sensible Naga today –“Naga people have become so narrow-minded; you can’t speak your mind freely because they start threatening you in the name of clan, village (or) tribe. Nagas are doomed”. The slow deterioration of brotherly ethos in the so-called Christian society of the Nagas is reflected in the opinion of the same reader – “(The Naga) people are making up their own customs and tradition.”
The respondents also affirmed the obvious trend that likened sectarian mindsets like Clanism is not only destructive but is already destroying the Naga people. The most prominent instance of this evil is the prevailing (albeit underhandedly) intra-tribal antagonism among the Naga tribes where the significance of a tribe is measured in the context of the next tribe’s superiority/inferiority. The trend implied a cycle of the past and the continuing future. “The tribes that are less-advanced are now recognizing how they were used earlier” according to one reader. To this effect, albeit counter-productive, “the so-called advanced tribes feel threatened when other tribes progress” still another opined. This is indicative of the cycle of the continuing process and counter-processes that the evils of tribalism has started. Tribalism/clanism in Nagaland being too malicious to be unnoticed, one reader even asserted that the two evils can even be ‘activated’ when sensible, right-thinking Nagas resist the sectarian tendency: “Resistance mechanism against domination triggers tribalism”, the reader asserted. Reinforcing this contention another respondent said “Nagas are a jealous race that always hates to see progress in someone; when one progress, everybody wants a part to bring them down.”
Still there are some who prefers to sit the fence “Tribalism? I would rather not waste useful time and energy and indulge in such unproductive issues. To me tribalism is a misconstrued word for the distinction that has been among the Nagas since Month of Sundays, which in essence, puts together a rich ethnic Naga society.” Christian Nagaland still has to ponder over its faith.
