God the creator of all the nations on earth, thundered through his Prophet Jeremiah saying: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots? (Jer.13:23)
Nagas would also like to challenge India and Burma saying: “Can you indeed change Nagas into Indians and Burmans by invasion and occupation of their lands?” If you can indeed do such a thing, than you would be greater then even God.
In actual fact, none of us have been given the opportunity by our creator to decide on our national identity. No Angel or messenger of God had ever sought us in our mother’s womb to enquire as to what nationality we would like to become when we are born. On the contrary, all of us that are born of women have been born with the national identity of the woman’s husband, who had, in the first place, impregnated us with his national gene. If we look into the Bible, we will discover that it is not “we” (men), but “He” (God), who has created nations and given them their respective national identities, their respective periods and the boundaries of their habitations (See Acts 17:26& Duet 32:8). God therefore can claim that he is the author of all nations and challenge us saying: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots?” What God is saying here can be paraphrased in this manner: “Can a man change his own nationality or the animal his own coat of skin?”
So many years ago in 1951,Nehru, the first Indian Prime Minister of India, refusing to recognize Nagas as a nation had thundered: “Even if the heaven falls and all the rivers in India flow red with blood, Nagas will never be given their independence.” But has such boastful words spoken with such arrogance changed even a single Naga into an Indian despite 69 years of war and conflict?
By Oct 1955, Nehru had sent in thousands of his troops to deny the Nagas their rightful nationhood in the post colonial modern world. These troops were sent into Nagaland to claim that Nagas were Indians and Nagaland was Indian Territory. (The troops sent in 1955 are estimated by even Indian writers as more than 100,000). Eight months later, on May 13, 1956, Nehru went on to write to Medhi, the then Chief Minister of Assam thus:
“From a Military point of view, some progress is being made on our side and no doubt this will continue… we shall review the situation from time to time and when it is necessary, we shall sent more forces…” (Sanjoy Hazarika, Strangers of the Mist, appendix G, p359) How many Indian soldiers did Nehru sent to their deaths in the killing fields of Nagaland over his political lie that Nagas are Indians and Nagaland is Indian Territory? Also how many more Indian soldiers did successive Indian Prime Ministers of India sent to die in Nagaland after Nehru? Did all their vain deaths and sacrifices change one single Naga into an Indian? The relatives of those Indian soldiers who have died in Nagaland should demand full compensations from their own government rather than resigning to their deaths and thinking that their sons and husbands have died a hero’s death in Nagaland. This is never the case because Nagas were never Indians and Naga territory was never a part of Indian Territory right from the creation of the world until Oct 1955 when Nehru sent in Indian troops to Invade Nagaland. Therefore, so long as these un-invited Indian soldiers remain in Nagaland, there will never be any solution to the Indo-Naga conflict.
Yes, even after six decades of Naga blood and Naga tears, shed for the defense of our God given identity and our God given lands, we Nagas will counter Nehru’s arrogant assertions by saying this: “That even if all the rivers in Nagaland flow red with Naga blood, Nagas will never become Indians or Nagaland ever become Indian territory.” This will be as impossible as for the Ethiopian to change the color of his skin.
As for any so called Nagas leaders who would sell the national identity of the Naga nation for any experimental purposes of a shared nationality with India, let them depart from Naga country and soil and settle down in India. We true Nagas will never allow these purchasable Nagas to sell our national birthright for their own political and economic benefits.
Kaka D. Iralu
