Is the Government of the day a threat to Nagaland?

Robert N. Solo
T Khel Kohima Village

“A nation is strong when it cares for the weak.  It becomes rich when it cares for the poor.  It becomes invulnerable when it cares about the vulnerable. That is what makes a great nation.” — Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Why has the issue of Frontier Nagaland Territory come up? Are our Eastern brothers selfish? Are they less patriotic? Are they less concerned about our Naga family? 

In my view none of these perceptions are true.  On the contrary Eastern brothers have reposed their trust, hope and faith in the rest of us Nagas. They have contributed and sacrificed their best unconditionally for the greater good.  Unfortunately it is because of the wrong doings of our so called leaders that we are no longer worthy of their trust. 

The current lot of leaders ruling over Nagaland have demonstrated their corrupt intentions through their neglect of the weaker and vulnerable sections of our society and in particular those living in the Eastern Nagaland.  Their only interest has been in holding festivals, creating gardens, resorts or hotels for the pleasure seekers.      

When Nagaland State had no money and suffered from different kinds of atrocities, Nagas were united and strong. Without any hesitation the founder of the Naga movement for independence and the first Naga National Council  president, T. Aliba Imti boycotted the Indian Independence Day. His successor Visar Angami the 2nd president followed in his footsteps and never worked for his personal gain. The legendary Mhondamo Kithan the 3rd president never got rich and dedicated himself fully to the Naga people. 

Following the example of these great pioneers, Angami Zapu Phizo never built a house that he could call a home. History tells us how Phizo reached the Naga villages on foot even reaching unimaginable places. T. Aliba Ao and his successors never extorted money to buy cars or build buildings. They did not acquire land or property in the name of Naga nationalism but instead gave what they inherited from their ancestors. Were it not for these people, I don’t know where we will be today. But for these pioneers, would the Nagas have ended up under the tutelage of Assam — like the Karbi, Kachari, Ahom and others?

After learning our mentality India has understood perfectly well how to deal with us.  It has poured in vast amounts of money and continues to pour more. Most of our politicians, bureaucrats, contractors, underground factions are bent upon cheating, looting and extorting money.  The Churches, on their part, accept all forms of tainted money that comes to their donation box, thereby encouraging the wrong doers to wash their guilt.  Many bureaucrats have build grand homes and come to Church to serve and praise the Lord, expecting exoneration for the money they have looted and donated.  

Today our greatest enemy is none other than our own people.  We need freedom from the greed of our own people and the nexus of abetment they give to our corrupt leaders.

The famous Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchu Tum said, “Without strong watchdog institutions impunity becomes the very foundation upon which system of corruption are built.” 

Nagaland government is an opposition less government.  It has no watchdog to point out right from wrong. All are hand in glove and all are to be blamed equally for the wrong things that are happening to us. Speaking of corruption I am reminded of what actress Jenifer Lawrence, who said, “We need to tell each other our stories, we need to show that everyone- our neighbours, our families, our community leaders, everyone we know, is touched by the corruption”.

Nagaland communities are acutely conscious of the need to protect their lands and biodiversity and in several areas, we are seeing some remarkable community conservation efforts.  The problem is our government.  We should find a way to prevent the government from destroying our forests.   Whenever a proposal comes from Delhi, our government blindly agrees to anything, without application of mind.

Currently there is a huge controversy around Naga-Ki or proposed Global City, where the Nagaland Government is doing its best to buy land from the farmers at the rate not acceptable so they are refusing to sell.  Unfortunately many unexpected people are joining hands with the administration in pressurizing land owners to accept prices fixed by the government. The government notification is confusing, lacking in transparency without taking the land owners into confidence.  That the Government conceived a plan to replace its most fertile fields to construct a city is not only appalling  but also speaks much of its lack of concern for basic needs of food security and other basic essential infrastructure like roads that are in ruins.

The State’s mindless ‘development’ projects are plunging communities towards a precipice of instability along with loss of property and life.  The young fold mountains with their soft loose soil are being subject to road cutting and dynamiting on an unprecedented scale to facilitate four lane highways, with contracts awarded to non-local companies who have no knowledge of the geological topography of these hilly areas.  In recent weeks, the Dimapur to Kohima road, which is the lifeline for goods supply to the interior hill areas and to Manipur, has come to a virtual standstill because of landslides.  Though now opened for only few big vehicles it still poses great risk to commute as rocks continue to fall from the dynamite shaken mountains.  The problem of unstable, sinking areas is being reported across Nagaland’s interior districts too.

The thrust towards oil palm plantations, accompanied by promises of huge subsidy, has lured many communities in the foothill areas like Peren, Niuland, Mon, Wokha, who lacked awareness of its downside and hazards on soil fertility, depletion of ground water and loss of community ownership rights.  Such evidence is strongly emerging from South East Asia as also neighboring states like Mizoram. It reveals how once proud land owners have become plantation labour working for companies that renege on promises made.  Our government however, persists in promoting oil palm plantations at Delhi’s behest.  Its entry into Nagaland spells the death knell of our rich biodiversity, one of the few hot spots left on our planet.

We are left with more doubts than reassurances. We are left with more questions than answers. To whose benefit is the Govt pushing the various schemes in such hurry when the facts and evidences of its adverse effects abound? Why is the govt in such hurry to build a city when the citizens of the state are suffering tremendously for lack of proper alternative roads that connects even its own administrative capital Kohima and commercial hub Dimapur. That said, the question that lingers is, “Is the Government of the day a threat to Nagaland?



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