Gwangphun Gangmei
Naga people are struggling nation to be free from the clutches of other nations. Pre-India-independent, Nagas were resisting foreign invading forces and post independent with India till date. Let us reason and analyse what is wrong in the current Indo-Naga Political talk. Let us know for ourselves to stand firm on our principle of eternal Truth and universal human Rights.
Human Rights are inherent rights of every human person to be recognized, respected and protected by every nation. It is wrong and tyranny to violate or ignore the rights and interest of any nation. Exploitation of rights is violation of natural rights of humanity. Nagas’ Rights to self-determination is humanly Right and is universal reality. The case of Nagas is not a revolution or secessionist movement against India as many of the Naga UGs thought it to be. It is a Resistance Movement against all exploitative invading and occupational forces perpetrating in Nagas’ country. Nagas’ case is of Excluded Areas between India and Burma after British India. In the words of Nehru uttered on 19th August 1946; “The tribal areas are defined as being those long frontiers of India which are neither part of India nor Burma, nor of Indian states nor of any foreign power”. When the British India pass the India Independent Act in 1947, the then British Prime Minister Clement Attlee announced that; “The princely states would be free from orders and treaties of British India. They can either join the two dominions (India or Burma) or stay separate.” The Nagas have every right to be a free Nation like any free nations of the world and as India. As much as India would like to be freed from British occupation in India is the aspiration of the Nagas to live in freedom in their homeland. No force union or coerce agreement can make any solution to any conflict. The world knows well that Nagas are not Indian and that Indian are making Nagas and their land as part of India. This is the case and conflict of the so called Indo-Naga political issues. India is trying to fuse or melt the Nagas into Indian by process of melting politics. Iron and clay cannot be mixed and melted into one metal or clay.
The current Nagas’ political scenario in the state of Nagaland is contentious and clouded with confusions. It is because Nagas are worn out and their hope to fight on for their freedom grows weary and fainted. Further observed, that the Nagas’ case has been twisted and distorted in an attempt to suit to the politic of India. It is also viewed that the Nagas’ vision and goal have been made blurred and blind folded by the seemingly better or making a turn to look toward economic packages and greater positions offered by India to the Nagas, that has made the Nagas to think over it to be a realistic possibility. Here, the Nagas’ vision and goal is forfeited. Nagas are now teeming to conform to Indian’s solution for the Nagas rather than pursuing the Nagas’ aspiration and their right to self determination. It is when Nagas must decide to persist on lest Nagas would perish or cease to exist as Nagas. Indian offers economic packages to purchase the Nagas and their rights over their land to be Indian’s in the form of negotiation. Here lies for Nagas to give in or give up India’s offers. But what remains clear is that, Nagas’ Right are non-Negotiable or cannot be bartered for any amount of material gain. It is inherent human rights. Rights cannot be wronged or wrong righted. Right and wrong are two opposite poles. It is instinctive reality or inalienable human entity to live in their rights. Some few Nagas are thinking that the present realistic possibility is to accept Indian solution for Nagas; forfeiting the Nagas’ freedom from India occupational politic. The Naga Peoples’ Movement for defending and building Naga Nationhood is the birth right and human rights that should not be given out for any cost or gain that will accurse the Nagas generations. The Present negotiation with the GOI on Nagas’ Case is tending to compromise the Nagas’ sovereign rights with the GOI as if Nagas’ world will come to an end with the Indo-Naga talk if objected. The Nagas must seek an alternative approach rather than ceasefire talk conditioned upon Nagas while India are freely operating and detecting the Nagas free movement in their land.
Negotiation on Naga flag and constitution and on the other hand a ready position to accept India’s solution for Nagas is the circumstances created by Indian Politics. In the event of giving up Naga Identity for the sake of concluding the Indo-Naga political settlement and for cessation of Indian military operation in Nagaland, Nagas will forever lose their right to be a free racial people on earth. Accepting the offer of economic packages or current position of India towards the Nagas’ solution in exchange of giving up Nagas’ struggle for their rights to self determination; India called it insurgency problem would be a total defeat and surrender on the part of the Nagas and success on the part of India. The current climate of the Indo-Naga Political negotiation must make a way for a new turn or be kept for better or alternate approach to finding a better and mutual solution.
I appeal to all Naga national leaders to look beyond our generation and strive on harder with greater patience and hope to save and safeguard the Nagas’ sovereign identity, Rights and hard earned history of Nagas’ struggle from snatching away by other from our hands. I also appeals to Indian leaders to humbly consider the persistence voice of the Nagas; asserting their rights to live as a free nation in peaceful co-existence with India as equal partners in promoting global peace and order shouldering responsibilities together in creating a better global humanity.
