As New Year is here people all over the world greet one another with different signs. This year we have lots of greetings and it overflows in our Naga nation. We are glad to see all this new beginning on January and we are rejoicing in it. This writer would like to highlight some of the future possibilities our own New Year promises from our Naga national leader’s perspective. As leaders of this nation what have they in store for us this New Year and what will Naga people be receiving this year? Which gifts they will give to us seems to be doubtful and vague unless those gifts are unwrapped. We cannot have a prior sense about those gifts. Many of Naga national workers are probably becoming family planning national worker. These leaders want to be transmitter of their message and only few want to be receiver of others message. Millions of people are looking at them and even their moral, personal integrity are being observed by these million senses. So as leaders of this nation here are few thoughts to think together. On this 2007 what are you going to pass over to us especially to our younger generation and to Naga people? We also have to acknowledge those who are close to Nagas heart. What are your gifts to your people this New Year?
(1) Are you going to pass over to us “Gun powder” or “Medicine powder” for healing or to bring curse? If killing is a solution then teach every Naga younger generation to kill and train the techniques of combats to kill our family members.
(2) Naga people are now in “dark phase” of our history and we are in great distress. Are National leaders rejoicing over this dark and dearer environment or planning to do something new?
(3) How many cup of suffering are you planning to offer to Nagas families this year or fresh cup of healing water? Leaders, learn to give our generation at least better things than yesterday.
(4) How many younger generations will you give a wrong mental picture by your lifestyle or rebuild them by your positive mental attitude.
(5) How many of our national leaders are planning to erect your family building or to rebuild Naga society.
(6) How many death bodies will you give us with an epithet “Naga patriots” who have been killed by our family or how many factional prisoners will you set free?
(7) How many list of widows will you honor this year with some lump sum of money, and other social problems will you try to add though every evil are not your product?
(8) How many times will you publish about your factional stories and your write-ups which sometimes have negative impact on innocent Naga generation? How many positive thoughts will you share through Newspaper to our people about your reflection?
(9) How many times will your guns shoot, rejoice “New Delhi government” or how many Nagas will you give psychological scare(s) to us?
(10) How many times will you realize as leaders and have “self discovery” this year?
Naga people and especially the younger generation need leaders who respect other voices. If they think that each and every human has their own personal thought and voice, no advanced or powerful nation on earth can substitute Naga voices. Voices are the gift of supreme God and to erase those voices are not people who respect God the giver, and those people are self righteous and people who want to live in isolation and suppressive mentality. When any leaders try to divert people’s voices in to their own voices it will bring anarchy in the peaceful society. So Naga national workers are you leaders who have respect for Nagas’ voices or try to manipulate Nagas’ voices with lots of self defense and nice explanation? We Nagas need no cheap talk but a costly decision.
We Naga younger generation are also watching keenly and we need dynamic leaders who can plan and work out the best for this nation. This plan can also be done without killing one another among families. If leaders are honest we respect them, but many of our national leaders who cannot even take care of themselves are leading this nation. They cannot even tolerate their opponent’s slight mistake and are so comfortable to talk about Nagas’ interest. If leaders who cannot lead million of Naga people before Nagas voice vibrate to them the word “Vacate,” probably the word retirement might be applicable to them. This writer also acknowledges that he has not contributed anything like them. Leaders, if you are not worthy probably God can place better persons to lead this nation.
Today Naga people and the younger generation need probably these quality leaders for building this nation. We need leaders that are human beings who make mistake but are willing to rectify. The following thought may be what some of our Nagas need though it might not be final and binding.
(1) Younger generation and Naga people need leaders who are willing to listen to the change of wind and its people’s heart beat.
(2) We need leaders who have passion, visionary and have Jesus Christ in their personal life not leaders with mask.
(3) We need leaders who know the value of time and who would be willing to look at their own clock’s life whether it is morn, noon or evening.
(4) We need leaders who are not rejoicing today but these are days for brainstorming for national cause.
(5) We need leaders who can sense that there are problems and who try to do something.
(6) We need leaders who have thought that national cause need national consensus and its people, not leaders who want to divert people’s will.
(7) We need leaders who try not to destroy our generation life span into destructive environment because life is too short.
(8) We need leaders who can be give us gifts wrapped with truth, honesty and integrity not wrapped with blood and tears.
(9) We need leaders who can liberate us from Indian and Burmese government chain of oppressive mentality and not to add those unwanted oppressive mentality in our own society.
(10) We need leaders who can teach us how to be responsible and we are not asking Indian govt. honey and milk.
Naga people have hope upon leaders who have hope upon God and its people. A Naga issue is not about European, North & South America, or about African. Its problem lies with a territory of India and Burma. So no other nation can bring solution for us, solution is within us. Our division is our weakness and other nation’s intervention might not help us as we think of it. Many of our leaders talk about past mistake done by their predecessors in the 60’s and 70’s when today many are enmeshed with “Indian luxuries.” The past blunder will not be far away from the Indian luxuries weight if we put them on the scale probably.
The past Naga reconciliation programmers are acceptable however why does it fail many times? It is time to see it bearing fruit. Today the past factional split and today’s killing, past blunders are not committed by Naga NGOs or Churches but by the factional few leaders. These leaders have to take trouble and pain to undo it today. Naga people cannot repent for them when they are alive. They have to do when they are alive. Those who are responsible have to be willing to do it today. Personally this writer thought that Naga people are not condemning them but Naga people have forgiven them. So the right flow to bring healing is by those who have created the past blunder being willing to do its part first. After that Naga NGOs and Churches will do its work willingly. National Leaders, Naga people are not audible to what you are shouting because there are lots of noises in your camp. Naga people including Youngsters are not too barbaric and can at least understand all of you even if you don’t use your gun at our street and at our home. Naga people can understand all of you if you can approach us with a human touch. So on this New Year 2007 what are your promises to this nation and to its people especially to the younger generation? Is it another ‘tears of joy’ or ‘tears of sorrow’? Answers are on its way as we continue to live on this nation.
H. Apise
Purana Bazar, Dimapur
