
Along Longkumer
Consulting Editor
Naga people are proud of the fact that we have a unique history including the political rights to determine our own future. Under the aegis of the Naga National Council (NNC), the Nagas declared Independence a day ahead of India on August 14, 1947. Further no one can dispute the fact of history that on May 16. 1951 Naga Plebiscite was conducted with all out support for a sovereign State. Perhaps the declaration of Naga independence and the affirmation of the same through a plebiscite could probably be among the few landmarks of Naga political history that had the stamp of Naga unity and political legitimacy. The two events ought to have been the building blocks of the Naga nation. After more than fifty years of the Naga national movement, what kind of progress can we talk about? Have we been building the nation to become strong and independent or are we just going to nurture the kind of factional politics that is detrimental to the cause we espouse—to be sovereign and independent including on the economic front. Even though we may have been fighting India, if we had used the last fifty to sixty years by working together and not fighting against each other with so many factions, perhaps the Naga nation would have been stronger—in terms of building our future institutions, nurturing our economic health and investing in social development as a people.
For many years now the Naga public has been calling for unity and reconciliation among the different Naga political groups so that they can take a common position not just with regard to a political settlement with the Government of India but also to undertake the vital exercise of nation building. The Naga movement has been weakened because of factional politics. And because of our infighting we have not had the time, energy or resolve to focus on the things that matter the most—our capacity to govern over our own affairs. All the different Naga political groups whether over ground or those in the national movement speak of Nagas as independent and sovereign and we are demanding the same from the Government of India. But how will we sustain economically if we are given independence? The present State of Nagaland is solely funded by Delhi as we lack in internal resource mobilization. We have thousands of government employees dependent on their salary from ‘outside help’. And let’s face it even the various groups in the movement depend at least indirectly on this largesse from Delhi. As is often talked about ours is a salaried economy and most of our economic transaction is centered on government money.
Related to this, perhaps the Naga public have a right to know as to how the various forms of ‘taxes’ collected for the national movement is being utilized or invested by the groups concerned. Surely, such public contribution should not be used to sponsor factional fighting. It will be fair to say that ever since the Naga political struggle began the Naga public has contributed towards sustaining the movement. Further, despite the innumerable factions in existence, the public continue to contribute. It is high time that there is accountability as far as financial transaction goes. A system has to be put in place so that Naga tax payer’s money is better accounted for and those who run our government/s must start to utilize such contributions towards meeting our nation-building goals. Nagas need to seriously consider whether we capable and prepared for ‘Self-Rule’ as and when it comes.
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