Dimapur, December 3 (MExN): The Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) conducted a talk in Delhi as part of the Morung Dialogue series on November 24 last.
A press release from the NPMHR stated that Luingam Luithui, one of the founder members of NPMHR, former secretary-general of Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) and founding member of the International Alliance of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests was the speaker.
Regarding the Constitution, Luingam opined that the dialogue should not be restricted to merely deciding who the Executive and head of government should be, and that we should realize the potential of the fact that ours is a unique case and therefore, we should not be transplanting blindly from other constitutions.
“For Nagas the primary question was about what the future held for us; how it may be anticipated and claimed; where do we stand regarding the future,” he asked, “positing that answering this question was the challenge of this generation.”
He stated that this could be looked at through three perspectives: the layman's, the activists' and the experts' view. In layman terms it may be said that our view is predicated by the thoughts and actions of our forefathers. Their practices and wishes could not be fulfilled but continue in some form today informing our worldview, the essence of which is that Popular sovereignty is the accepted form of sovereignty.
He pointed out that today we still model ourselves on the practices of the past in terms of village administration and autonomy of the village, though not in exact fashion. The wisdom and principles on which our governance system was modelled have to be thought of when we consider developing a modern Constitution.
“Educated and expert representatives of the people should have the right to be consulted in this matter and the youth have every right to demand so. Our governance system is one of the best among extant systems and should be in the constitution,” he stated. However, it needs to be scaled up beyond the village level to make it applicable to the future, he added.
Luingam also stated that without the demand for self-determination being met, it would lead to the replication of the ideas of oppressors and the spread of discontent.
Regarding the possible change in Federal relationship between Nagas and the Government of India, he said, “We should ask what powers and rights the federal units will have.”
Luingam concluded by emphasizing that without a shared understanding and a common yardstick between people, it would be impossible to decipher each other’s thoughts, or shed light on injustice, and prevent us from developing the necessary trust to work and develop together. “Independence for a people is about being able to think together and chart their common future. In this regard further discourse with neighbouring communities would be required.”
