The NSCN reacts, though a bit late, to the so called memorandum or representation written by the so called Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur protection Forum purportedly addressed to the Prime Minister of India as carried by the Indian National papers as well as by some local papers on two consecutive days of 2nd and 3rd July, 2010, by Khagen Kalita of Assam, L. Suraj Mani Singh of Manipur and K.Tasum of Arunachal Pradesh. We didn’t know whether the letter was addressed to their loved ones or to the Indian Prime Minister. We did not know what they meant by ‘PROTECTION FORUM’ of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. Nowadays there are instances/incidents of frequent Earth-quakes, Cyclones or Tsunamis and the North-East India is on the Earth-quake belt. Therefore, if the forum is really meant for Protection of the North-East India from such natural calamities, we think they can do very little in such cases.
In this issue, if we say ‘Assamese’ because of Khagen Kalita, it will not be nice for both Assamese people and the Nagas. If we call the Manipuris because of Suraj Mani Singh, It may not be proper. So also, if we say, the Arunachales because of K.Tasum, it may not sound pleasant or may be unjustified. Rather, such utterances will embitter the relations between the people of the neighbouring states. We think, this three gentlemen, namely, Khagen Kalita, Suraj Mani Singh and K.Tasum were frustrated men and according to their writings they are completely ignorant of History and devoid of the International phenomena in the political, social and economic orders.
First of all, it is quite unfortunate for Mr. K. Tasum on behalf of Arunachalese to collaborate with some disgruntled men of Assam and Manipur to look down and insinuate others for whom he has no proper knowledge. He must first asses the position and standard of his state before he goes to give his remarks or comments to the people of other states. All the fertile and plain areas of Arunachal had been usupped by Assam which behaves as the big brother of all North-East States. The half of Arunachal is a disputed land between India and China. Therefore in short, before blaming or pointing accusing fingers to others, Tasum should think hundred times before what he wants to do or say.
Secondly, Manipur has a long complicated history. It had Chieftains and Rajas, no doubt, who ruled, Manipur from time to time from early period of history. But at the same time defeated and ruled by many Invaders. History has it that Manipur was once ruled by a Naga named ‘PAMHEIBA’. He assumed the gharib Nawaz which means the patron of the poor. Manipur, a principality or petty kingdom was firmly restored by the “Treaty of Yandapo” between the Burmese and British in 1826. In the words of Sir Edward Gaid, Quote, “STATE OF MANIPUR, CONSISTING AS IT DOES, OF A SMALL BUT MOST FERTILE VALLEY, ISOLATED FROM THE NEIGHBOURING KINGDOMS BY ANCIRCLING ZONE OF MOUNTANOUS COUNTRY INHABITED BY WILD AND WARLIKE TRIBES, HAS LONG HAD AN INDIPENDENT EXISTENCE”. This statement of Edward Gaid in the ‘HISTORY OF ASSAM’ confirmed that Manipur was once a small Independent Kingdom but without the Mountainous areas, the habited of the Hill people which the meiteis at present claim without history. The Sovereignty of Manipur was voluntarily surrendered to the Indians or to Indian Union by Rajah or their leaders in 1949. So, why Manipuris or Meiteis blame others for their own creation or for their misfortunes and are jealous of others’ well being??
Thirdly, Assam has a long despicable, voluptuous as well as awesome history. Before reading his history or the history of Assam, why Mr. Khagen Kalita shamefully relates the history of the Nagas?? He must understand the position of Assam before the advent of the British. There were divisions and subdivisions between the different powers and rulers of Assam before the British came to the scene. The early Assam was a creation of the British which exercised hegemony over the world at one point of time. Like Manipur, the position of modern Assam was established by the Treaty of Yandapo, 1826 which it was hitherto fore partially under the Burmese rule, but ceded to the British empire through the Treaty. The self-existence and sovereign rights of Assam was surrendered to the Indian Union by their leaders in 1948. So why, and on what strength Assam should boast of and why Khagen Kalita is so frustrated and jealous by seeing the unique position of the Nagas??
Now, on 24th August,2010 Assam Government issued shot-at-sight order at the Assam-Arunachal border. This inherent quality and behavior of the people in authority in Assam brought about the fragmentation of the erstwhile Assam. Such arrogant and overbearing attitudes and mindset of the Assamese leaders bring Assam into frequent conflicts with its tolerant neighbours. Shot-at-sight orders under the present contex is an act of barbarism.
In the remote past, the rulers of Assam sought and took shelter in the Naga hills when they were in difficulties. Likewise, even today Assam militants used to take shelter in times of danger in different parts of Naga hills whether Nagas like it or not. The Nagas never treated them as enemies. As such, the utterances of some irresponsible ULFA cadres who took shelter in Naga areas in times of their difficulties to kill the Nagas in Assam are quite annoying. The Nagas took it very seriously. It is the responsibility of the Assam freedom fighters to teach their own men.
In present day Assam, there are Karbis, Bodos, Dimasas ect. Who are fighting for their own homes. When JMM was fighting for creation of Jharkhand state, Lalu Prasad, then Chief Minister of Bihar proclaimed that division of Bihar or creation of Jharkhand would be done on his grave, meaning it was a thing of impossibility. But Jharkhand was created. Likewise, sonner or later Assam will be further fragmented.
Khagen, Suraj Mani and Tasum think in terms of present day India. They do not know how India was like before the advent of the British. They said that Nagas were not united in the past and there were internecine wars between Villages and tribes. It might be partially true. But it was more than the same position of India before the advent of the British. There were more than Six Hundred Kingdoms in India ruled by Rajahs, maharajahs, nawabs, sultans etc. The three gentlemen do not understand how mighty USSR was created and how it was dwindled. They despised and denigrated the Nagas in their write-UPS. They wrote that in the past there was no existence of the Naga Nation. They were educationally and economically very poor. Yes, it was true. But there were no beggars in the Naga Society and there were no landless family amongst the Nagas. Furthermore, we want to take Messrs. Khagen, Suraj mani and K.Tasum to the history of USA. At the present, USA is the richest and most powerful Country of the World. At present, there are fifty (50) strong federated States in the USA. But when America Independence movement was started in 1773 led by George Washington there were only 13 (Thirteen) Colonies of immigrants, mostly from Europe. When the Independence of USA was declared in 1776, there were no ship building industries and no aircraft manufacturing Centers. In 1776, USA had have no Atom Bombs which the Americans dropped (Bombed) on Hiroshima & Nagasaki in Japan during the second World War in 1945.
Moreover the three gentlemen wrote that Nagalim is a small area with a small population. So, we advised them to read the contemporary history and geography of the World and we want them to see themselves that there are more than 40 / 50 Sovereign Independent Nations in the World which are smaller than Nagalim in terms of size and population.
The Assam, means the fertile lowland of the Bramaputra River valley and some portions of the Surma Valley, and nothing more than that. The North-East Frontier Railways which runs particularly from Dimapur to Naharkatiya in upper Assam was drawn through thick jungles by the British as the imaginary boundary line between the Assamese and the Nagas. Most portions of the dense jungle were cut and cleared by our Naga fathers and elders who were all dead now at the daily wages of 8 paise per head. The present settlers or immigrants beyond the NEF Railway line towards Nagaland state were mostly refugees brought from diffirent parts of India by the successive Assam Governments to create buffer Zone between the Assamese and the Nagas. In the fear of the so called Naga undergrounds. This infamous mission was started by Assam Government, mainly after 1956 when the war was raging between the India Army and the Nagas.
The Naga freedom movement actually served as the eye opener for all the oppressed and discriminated people of India, especially, the North-East People. So, instead of criticizing, abusing and accusing the Nagas, the North-East political insurgents should support and appreciate the patriotic spirit and acts of the Naga freedom fighters.
( A.Z.JAMI )
Senior Kilonser, MIP, GPRN
