T. Sakhrie(1923-1956)
Excerpts from the writings of Late T. Sakhrie, Secretary NNC; from the book, ‘The Vision of T. Sakhrie for a Naga Nation’ by Ahu Sakhrie.
“Truly we are a peculiar people. We are all equals. Men and women have equal social status. We have no caste distinctions; no high or low class people. There is no communal feeling, neither are there religious differences to disturb our harmony with our conditions. There are no minority problems. We believe in that form of democratic government which permits the rule, not of the majority, but of the people as a whole. We govern ourselves by a government which does not govern at all.
In the life of the Village, the family is a permanent living institution, a conscious unit in a national polity. Every family is proud of its own and no family has ever been left by their fellowmen to the mercy of circumstances. Possessing its own house, built on its forest and woodland. Rivers belong to the people for their cultivation and for paying taxes. We cultivate as much land as we need or desire and there is no one to question our rights. We have food to eat and drinks to drink exceedingly above our needs. Truly God has been good to us. Three square meals a day and Zu (rice beer) without measure.
Every family lives in its villages in its own right. It has no landlord to harass it and no revenue collection to knock on its doors; for the family is the master of its affairs.
And wonder of wonders, we have no jail. We do not arrest nor imprison anyone. Our civil authority is God in the matter of life and death. And murder is very rare.
We fear nobody, individually or collectively. We are a healthy people and fear corrupts the health of man. What peace we have, no police, and no CID! We use no locks. Our granaries are kept outside the village and no guard is ever needed, for there is no one to steal from them. We travel as we like and its costs nothing. Wherever we go, it is our home. If by ill fortune, a man falls sick or dies, he is borne home to his family without counting the cost.
We talk freely, and we fight freely too. We have no inhibition of any kind. Wild? Yes. But free. There is order in this chaos, law in its freedom. If I were to choose a country, it would be Nagaland, my fair Nagaland again and again.”
