Tour diary of People’s Army, NSCN tour to Myanmar,
led by Lt.Gen.Niki Sumi,
post-ceasefire (June 2012)
Two year old Myanmar’s Democratic Impudence on 65 years of India’s militarism in Nagaland may be viewed from the prevailing situations both in India and Myanmar post cease-fires.
Ever hyped India’s diplomatic approach in tackling political conflicts in North-East India particularly Nagaland, the whole concept plummets and becomes redundant in all reality when compared to two year old Myanmar’s democratic diplomacy viv-a-vis Naga issue.
The superfluous paramilitary empowerment, continued imposition of NSA, Armed forces special power act (AFSPA) etc hand in hand with political negotiations and peace processes does in no manner reflects the political seriousness and maturity of India to resolve the political issues politically.
Exception of Mizoram, India’s dual policy- political backed military course has so far yielded no remarkable solutions but has only aggravated the conflicts and resulted in failed agreements after agreements.
India, the great democratic nation that gained independence through Gandhi led non-violence and yet applying the same divisive and suppressive policy applied upon them by the British, speaks of India’s insecurity and immaturity. It also shows that India still lacks the confidence to chart out day to day policies or envisage future independently and yet to cast off colonised mentality and mindset.
Indulgence of extremely cunning and scholastic Indian bureaucrats (who never bother to understand the genuine sentiments and aspiration of the Nagas) to craft rigid policies and further delegating most of the implementation aspects to khaki clad, semi-literate Indian troops led by NDA and IMA indoctrinated Army officers, with masked faces and takes pride in cowardly deceptive strategies to discredit the Naga National workers especially during cease-fire rather than honourably fight in the battles as would any brave soldiers choose.
Giving ample power to bureaucrats, armed forces and paramilitary to scuttle the Naga struggle even during cease-fire times instead of capitalising on the peace and solution yearnings of the people has exposed the double standard and unreliability of Indian political leaders of successive generations.
Should India continue with her obsessive forceful unionising policy of subjecting other people, race and state through draconian, inhuman and immoral enactments, legislations etc which disregards and denies even the basic minimum human rights. The land of Gandhi may crumble on her own weight of arrogance and eventually face dismemberment of the entire union like Russia. Either way, the claim of India as largest democracy remains farce.
The increasing military infrastructural development and deployment of Chinese forces in the frontier regions bordering north and north-east of India and the recent Naga-Myanmar cease-fire pact did awaken India to the reality of her undemocratic subjection of the Nagas and the potential of the issue to become international considering China’s aggressive global ambition and strategic geo-political location of Nagaland.
India’s charlatan democracy arising out of inferiority complexity developed during the century long colonisation by the British and her dogmatic interpretation of coerced union through militarisation would not survive infinitely.
To stamp out or solve the issue is not a dilemma but a compulsion and India’s choice of the former for the last 65 years has not only proved counterproductive but detrimental and outright suppression of the Nagas as people and nation. The strenuous effort of India to confine the Naga issue within her constitutional limit has indeed been proved futile as judged from emotional reaction to Naga-Myanmar cease-fire.
The sudden catapult diplomatic mission of Dr. Manmohan Singh to Myanmar recently portrays India’s hypocritical politics of suppressing the Indo-Naga issue through multi-pronged diplomatic onslaught instead of peaceful democratic resolution of the conflict.
Choosing to offer economic packages to Myanmar to contain and destabilise the Naga struggle clearly reveals India’s frustration and desperate policy fiasco to hush up the Naga political conflict to the outside world. While the frontier Naga areas under India’s forceful occupation still remains shrouded in the shadow of abject semi-primitiveness but simultaneously aiding Myanmar with billions in economic aid and billions more in weaponry supplies to stymie Naga struggle demonstrates India’s diplomacy towards the Nagas dictated by apprehension, fear and isolation.
Rather than bowing down to India’s pressure, the bilateral Naga-Myanmar cease-fire pact arrived at on 9th April 2012 and autonomy granted to Naga areas under Myanmar shows Myanmar’s maturity of politics far ahead of India’s 65 years weak democracy and fear dictated diplomacy.
India’s consistent divisive manoeuvre to further uproot and displace the Nagas politically and geographically is clearly evident. The covert involvement of Indian bureaucrats and politicians in the split of NSCN as recent as June 2011 on the basis of Myanmar occupied Naga areas and India occupied Naga areas proves precisely pre-motivated.
The demand for separate statehood for Frontier Nagas has been accentuated by direct indulgence and instigation of an Indian bureaucrat at the top Home Ministry (MHA) level and his relentless campaign to further divide the Naga people, the sum total of his intention, to break the backbone of Naga struggle clearly indicates the bureaucratic mishandle of Indo-Naga political issue and weak resolve of Indian political leaders.
The people’s mandated/elected political leaders should not be dictated by politically ignorant and inexperienced academic bureaucrats, similarly, politically sensitive issues unless in despotic military regimes should not be left to nervous and insensitive armed forces. Unfortunately, such is the mismanagement of Indo-Naga political conflict till date despite high sounding political option.
In contrast to India’s aggressive approach to Naga political issue for the last 65 years, the two year old democratic government of Myanmar appears more committed and matured in dealing with Naga issue.
The first-hand account of experiencing pre and post cease-fire situations in Myanmar tells a tale that entirely negates atrocious, militarised, ever-scheming and distrustful dealings of India.
Even during pre cease-fire Junta’s regime, exception of junta’s occasional raids on Naga villages , military deployment in the Naga areas were quite minimal. Contrary to lakhs of Indian troops deployment in India occupied Naga areas and hundreds of military check gates, frisking, arrests, detentions, interrogations, tortures and custodial deaths of Naga civilians and national workers alike in the hands of coward Indian Army who always preyed on unarmed and defenceless Nagas, the Myanmar Army would set up few outposts in few strategic Naga areas. Maximum concentration of Myanmar troops never exceeded fifty to hundred soldiers.
Tortures and custodial deaths were unusual except casualties and injuries sustained in armed clashes, besides these, the Nagas, despite extreme economic backwardness and lack of modern developments exercised self-governance without a semblance of Myanmar’s administration or occupation.
With the return of democracy in Myanmar and signing of Naga-Myanmar cease-fire agreement, military outposts in Naga areas have disappeared; armed and uniformed personnel are hardly seen even in towns and urban Naga areas. Few remaining Myanmar military outposts are now confined to outskirt of towns.
The search operations within or designated camp off-limits does not arise since the bilateral ceasefire agreement has been signed with mutual respects and reciprocal trust between the two governments unlike India’s pre-motivated scheme to demoralise and divide Naga forces covertly in the guise of cease-fire.
On our travel to Myanmar controlled Naga areas barely a week after signing of first formal Naga-Myanmar cease-fire , our apprehension were allayed as there had been not a single military presence to detain, harass or interrogate us unlike such daily encounters with belligerent Indian forces in Nagaland regardless of existing cease-fire and ongoing peace processes.
On the contrary, our team were given a very cordial reception by the autonomous authority at Lahe/Taklang District HQ’s office. We were inquired of our purpose and destination of our travel and made to register officially as would any visiting dignitary render.
After formal introduction and lively interaction of both the visitors and hosts, an entire school building were allotted to us, new bedding rolls purchased on our arrival were distributed to each of us and delicious foods were brought to our rest rooms.
Several orderlies were attached to us to attend to our needs and even armed sentries were posted night long to reassure us safety. Such was the friendly environment that we hardly expected as judged from the miseries we frequently confront in India at the hands of Assam Rifles and hostile Indian Army.
After a comfortable restful night, we were brought lunch to our room and military transport was arranged for us, guided by Myanmar Army Captain and a lorry driven by affable Corporal, the People’s Army headed by Lt.Gen.Niki Sumi were safely taken to the next Naga town, Khamti.
All the while, the entire expenses were borne by the autonomous authority and our offer to pay expenses was politely declined. We later learnt that, the district authorities were strictly instructed to treat us with special attention and any lapses or complaints would not be tolerated by central authority. The autonomous authority has a senior decommissioned Junta deputed from Rangoon Government as In-charge, the rests are locally elected and appointed Nagas, mostly Lainong Nagas Khiamnungan Nagas, Pangmei Nagas and few Konyak Nagas.
On our arrival to Khamti town, the autonomous officials and elected MP’s, ministers and MLA’s received us at the bank of Chindwin river and taken to our cease-fire office on luxury foreign cars. Later in the evening, dinner was hosted for our team at a classically served restaurant by patron MP and his legislative colleagues.
We were apprised of the central Rangoon Government commitment to peace, development and obligatory participation and co-operation on the part of NSCN.
The host legislators and autonomous municipal officials also highlighted on various development projects in progress, especially health, education, roads and bridges, transport, communication and economic and political reforms and general well-being of the Nagas.
They underlined the necessity to expedite political process to reach amicable political solution.
Highly impressive of their yearning for oneness of Nagas even in such neglected condition speaks volume of one’s enthusiasm and hope for one Naga nation. Together we prayed and solemnly swore to preserve the shared past, defy the present geo-political division and envision the future together.
Tribute to Naga brethrens in Myanmar-(In the abundance of raw nature, a brute yet noble human race continues to strive against raw forces, to determine one’s fate and to join one’s lineage across the other sub-continent segregated by violence and blood spill. A little light of hope in the vast darkness of virgin nature, sheer courage and patriotism is the only elixir that keeps the glow of life and freedom burning).
Team leader- Lt. Gen. Niki Sumi
Commentary by- Lt. Col. Isak Sumi
