Through your esteemed daily I may kindly be permitted to draw your kind attention towards the indifferent attitude of the western Nagas towards the Eastern Nagas in times of hardships faced by them owing to the onslaughts of the Mayanmar’s military Junta.
We, the Western Nagas are being biased, in terms of our help and support. Our indifferent attitude towards the plight of the Nagas in the East only confirms the Popular sayings that the Nagas are better known for tribalism and Partiality. Just imagine, the 3500 armed to teeth strong government soldiers (as reported in the news) carrying out operations against the Naga fighters, killing them and demolishing their camps, harassing the innocent villagers day and night and burning down of their houses and granaries. According to the recent news report not mere operation but the Myanmar’s army battalions are waging full scale war against the Naga Nationalists. While the brave Naga fighters are battling against them bravely the innocent publics could be facing with untold miseries due to the harassment meted out to them by the Myanmar”s army personnel in attempts to search out the Naga Patriots.
As per the new reports the Junta’s offensive began before the Christmas. When the western Nagas were celebrating Christmas and New year, singing carol songs joyously, ate Christmas pie and put on latest winter dresses, the Nagas brethren on the other side were fleeing homes, Crying, feeling hungry, Severing from cold, had no dress to put on and spent sleepless nights. The pastors and other religious leaders serving in the Eastern Naga territories are being specifically targeted by the Myanmar army personnel. They are facing with untold miseries. Force conversion of the Christians into Buddhism by the army is also reported.
Imagine the places, where almost all the people have never seen the electricity and black - topped roads, where there is no shops to buy food stuffs and medicines, and places where from people usually walks a week or two to reach a nearby towns. What could be the plight of our brethrens living there when the military offensive is going on against them? Where from the medicines be provided to the wounded Naga fighter’s and the ailing. persons, where from the foods and clothes be provided to the fleeing and displaced villagers? Who will arrange the makeshift camps for the publics who have been rendered homeless?
At these hours of hardships where are the so-called Naga NGOs, which claims to be the unbiased organizations? Where are those organizations which used to hold protest rallies in support of the southern Nagas or the Nagas of Nagaland and in support of the Naga political solution? Where are those organizations or groups which distributed the relief materials to the Karbi brethren when the conflict was in its peak in karbi Anglong in the recent past ? When the Nagas of the east needs our helps and moral supports there seems to be no any individual or group who would lend help or at least raise voice Condemning the genocide committed by the Junta. Why does everyone prefer to maintain silence?
If this crime were perpetrated against the Nagas of the west by now condemnation from every community, group, society and individuals from¬ every nook and corner would have flooded the papers, so that everyone will know that the concerned organization or individual have condemned the crime. But when the eastern Nagas are facing with hardships no one is bothered about their plight. No one seems to bother to bring their plight to light.
If this is the attitude of the Naga society then it is better to stop talking about the Naga integration or the Naga political solution. Our eyes and minds are focused only on the peace talks, anticipating its outcome. When there is no peace on the other side of our land where our brethrens are sacrificing their lives on daily basis defending our land against the occupational farces how can we even anticipate peace from the peace talks ignoring their plight and sacrifices? It is a matter of serious concern for every Naga individual or society.
Now it’s time we do something to stop such on going onslaughts of the Myanmar’s military upon our brethren. We must act quickly or else there will come a time when the entire eastern Nagas will be wiped out of their own lands or be enslaved by the Myanmarese. We must bring this issue to the International Human Rights Commission for its intervention. We must also demand the withdrawal of the troops from the Naga territories at the earliest.
Our local NGOs or individual should arrange and provide assis¬tance to the afflicted Nagas by means of donations collected from every individual donor. As responsible Naga citizens we should contribute what¬ever things (or finance) we can towards these voluntary help groups. They in turn should take them to the Eastern Naga territories and distrib¬ute them. The Indian Red Cross Society should also be mobilized without further delay for providing medicines and other necessary items to the displaced Naga Publics.
Finally, it is also necessary that some reporters be sent there along with the NGOs to record in detail the situa¬tion prevailing there so as to bring the documentary evidence of their plight into light and let the whole world know of the human rights violations committed by the Myanmari’s army. Thus by providing helps and moral supports we can at least instill in the minds of Eastern Naga the hopes and encouragement to overcome all the obstacles and hardships. Thus they will not feel isolated and left out by the western counterpart.
L. Issac Konyak
Mon: Nagaland
