The brutal cold blooded murder of Khone Chang has jarred my senses to the core. My belief and conviction of human goodness have been shaken and undermined. I loudly wonder how beasts in the guise of human beings exist on this beautiful earth. The cold blooded murderers are not misguided youth as per the positions they hold and the capacity in which they serve the student community. They are well qualified student leaders of a learned community. But I dare say that they are misfits and are not well educated in the real sense. I have been associated with many Angami friends and have known many good people of the tribe. In my association and interaction I have always found them to be people who have high regard for others.
The relationship between the Angamis and the Changs, for that matter, the eastern Nagas dates back to the Naga Nationalistic movement; when, it is learnt that the eastern Nagas provided sanctuary to the father of the Nagas, Late A.Z.Phizo, and how he made the eastern Naga region the base and the nerve centre of the Naga Nationalistic movement. On my part I have seen and experience the uprightness, honesty and the humane nature of the tribe and have always praised the fair and genial attitude and outlook of the Angamis. However, it is a stark reality to be noted that there are some blood thirsty elements within the community who are bent on painting the good nature of the community, black, by their ghastly and gory deeds.
The Angamis are fortunate enough to be placed in Kohima, The Capital of Nagaland. But it is to be noted that being the indigenous inhabitant of the capital town doesn’t give you any right at all to take the law into your own hands and pronounce raw justice on flimsy slights or injury caused to you. When Kohima was unanimously chosen as the Capital of Nagaland by the Nagas, the indigenous inhabitant ceased to be the sole owner or proprietor of the capital but it automatically became the Capital town of all Nagas. However, the inherent rights and ownership rights enjoined with the duties and moral Authority to protect and help other Nagas still lies with the indigenous inhabitant, which is undisputable. As such, being the indigenous inhabitant of the capital town, it is indeed the duty of the community to render help and exercise moral Authority to protect and safeguard the lives of the fellow Naga brethren who resides there. Likewise, all the indigenous inhabitant of all the other district H.q.s have the rights as well as enjoined duties towards fellow Naga people and its inhabitants. Of course, Tuensang people are backward and uneducated but as per my knowledge we have never stooped to such inhuman acts. Had this incident been an isolated one, the other Nagas may say that such rare and isolated incidents do occur in human society. But many Naga tribes have faced the brunt and fury of the community for reasons that don’t warrant capital punishment. It is a fact beyond dispute.
So, may I call upon the intellectuals and the enlightened section of the community to ponder and introspect on such issues and rectify the defects and try to rein in the blood thirsty elements that are an affront to the community and are causing damage to the good name of the community. Unless remedial steps are taken to rectify the glaring defects, I fear that in the near future such dastard act of inhuman violence against fellow Nagas might have repercussions which could affect the integrity and the very social fabrics of the Naga society. I pray that may good sense prevail and this action do not escalate further. It is my fervent plea and appeal to the Changs to restrain themselves from taking any drastic actions.
But may this incident be an eye opener to rectify the defects in the Naga society not only in Kohima, capital town but in all the Naga inhabited areas. When we are governed by the rule of law, when our culture also provides for fairness in delivering justice; taking the law into our own hands will result in chaos and anarchy in the society.
So, it is my earnest prayer that may good sense prevail to bring about understanding and fellow feelings among the Nagas. And may the rule of law prevail in order to let the law take its course of action as per the law of the land.
Ao Yemen Chang, Advisor,
Chang Students Union
