Khekiye K. Sema IAS (Rtd)
When our minds are dictated by fear, greed and vested interest nothing worthwhile can be achieved. Unfortunately our present system is governed by all these factors. The long seasons spent in claustrophobic uncertainty concerning our future destiny have still not made any significant dent in our minds. We have lulled ourselves into a complacent limbo rather than take a determined clear headed initiative. The present Government is being run on a purchased mandate. We all selfishly participated in it. We asked for it. We got it. So, for all practical purpose it is purely an entrepreneurial political venture, gambling with crores to make more crores at the cost of the masses. Mark my words, nothing else will outweigh this priority. The high sounding political rhetoric will incessantly continue but for public consumption only. That is the normal way they can self-perpetuate their existence with nothing substantial coming out at the end of it.
The Naga Hoho remains a mindless puppet parroting the biddings of the Government. Their obeisance is honed by a remote possibility that crumbs would fall from the political table. So they anxiously wait open mouthed like little puppies, salivating from their hanging tongues in anticipation of the droplets and obediently listen to their master’s voice. Spearheading issue based activity is furthest from their minds. The less visible NGOs function on limited agendas mostly unrelated to the mainstream concerns. The Church with its wide spread grassroot network would rather lock themselves up in their ivory tower wallowing in their self-righteous leadership without substance. In a helpless scenario such as this, true selfless leadership that we so desperately need in this hour of directionless confusion is nowhere in sight. Where have all the good folks gone?
“Gentlemen, please disband Naga Hoho” wrote Kekhrie Yhome (29th May 2013 Nagaland Post). In its’ present state I couldn’t agree more with Kekhrie. Leave aside ‘articulating any important social issues’, this organization does not even possess the rudimentary intelligence to defend itself when its very existence has been publicly put to question. The outside world presumes that the Naga Hoho is an Apex Body representing the voice of the Nagas people. It should rightly be so but it is not so. It now must be made so.
Today, the Nagas are afflicted by too many Mafia Factions presumably fighting for our freedom. Other than to complain about burden of taxation, we have lost sight of reality of what we dearly want. If we sincerely want it then are we doing it right? The existence of multiple Factions is not only unnecessary but an untenable approach to a solution. Every rational mind would want to endorse this. However, there is no honorable platform of repute that can forge a united voice of the people to confirm this. The factions must be made to know this in no uncertain terms but we have no legitimate public forum with courage to say so. We have multiple crisis that are eroding the very fabric of our survival that squarely needs to be addressed. Not even once has the State Government or the Naga Hoho made an honest effort to find out what the will of the masses on these volatile issues are. Instead of providing that platform of leadership, the so called leaders of the Naga Hoho are a silent lot, more confused than even the average man in the street. The DAN Government can only offer encouragement and support to ACAUT instead of directly shouldering this responsibility that rightfully should be upheld by them, and the Naga Hoho emulates its master by repeating more or less the same sentiments. Both fail to accept or recognize their responsibilities of leading from the front and taking an active initiative in their respective fields. Their landscape is limited only to encouraging others who have shown courage to pick up those very thorny issues, from a safe distance.
At this critical juncture, reforming the Naga Hoho is an imperative necessity. If the present members have outlived their tenure why are they still being permitted to liter the premises of Naga Hoho? If the present lot is unprepared to call for a fresh election, the affiliate Tribal Hohos ought to get together, demand and ensure that a legitimate team of Naga Hoho is put in place. This time round, all the Tribal Hohos should take the pain to nominate their most respected upright elders to be a member of the Naga Hoho. Once this is done the nominated representatives can internally elect their Office Bearers. If this exercise is honorably carried forth by each Tribe we would have already created a traditionally respectable council of elders from the word go. The wisdom, experience and true Naga traditional honor should see them forward. Respect for this organization must be restored, independent of political interference. The Naga Hoho, in tandem with the respective Tribal Hohos, can then begin the important exercise of tackling thousand and one relevant questions:
1. Does it further the cause of the Nagas to have so many Factions to resolve the same identical problem?
2. Do the Factions have the right to tax its people mercilessly for their hypocritical intention of amassing wealth for themselves in the name of a National cause?
3. Do the Nagas have the right and the will to demand for all factions to disband, unite and form only one National Government?
4. Do the Nagas want to continue paying one tax to all the factions instead of one tax for one National Government?
The list of this nature of questionnaires can go on and on which should be prioritized and sorted out by the apex body, and the mass response to these selected relevant questions can then become the true legitimate voice of the people and mandate us with a fresh path to follow. We have been glorifying the 1951 Plebiscite but with the emergence of so many parasitical Mafia Factions we have successfully diluted and undermined the fundamental spirit of it and made it almost obsolete and redundant. This should be rejuvenated in tune with the times that have changed. The Nagas need a fresh mandate on the Naga National Movement to forge ahead without further confusion. If Mr. Phizo was able to conduct a Plebiscite in 1951 in the absence of elementary conveniences like roads or transport and yet achieve a resonating response from the people based on which the moral right of our freedom was initiated what stops us from seeking the same endorsement of the people to chart a new course for ourselves, relevant to our present circumstance? It will be a mammoth task without doubt but it can be done if we understand the significance of it and will it. This empowerment can and will influence the tide. Do you believe this is achievable? I believe we can!
The DAN Government would rather oversee the operation of their gambling interest and bribery DEN and the Naga Hobo performs the job of a waiter on a side table waiting to grab tips for their services.
Why is it that our people just can’t stand up and say we do not need Factional pretenders that suck our blood in the name of sovereignty? Why are we afraid to demand that they unite or perish? Why do we continue play halfhearted approaches of wanting to pay one tax to all the Factions which without doubt will not solve our problem rather than accentuate our misery?
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