Dr.Vetsutsoyi Swuro
Every morning, we come across articles, rejoinders and counter-rejoinders about Political parties, Factions, NGOs and Individuals blaming the opponent(s) – other fellow Naga brothers. And to be frank, we, the recipients of these media offerings are fed-up of the relentless volley of clueless articles. Do we dare reduce our struggle for freedom to mere paper-war and intimidation? Our principles, aspirations and goals are much loftier and the continuous sensational media-war is not at all convincing!
Acutely aware of my shortcomings and limited knowledge, I am putting my thoughts into writing after much thinking, so that I can understand the problems better and at the same time evoke the potential proactive thoughts of the conscious Naga intellectuals with no ill feeling towards anybody. It is my sincere endeavor to help create an atmosphere for deliberation on this highly emotive issue, because we can no longer remain oblivious to our environs.
Many young Nagas will agree with me that the scope of fighting for freedom is not fetching or challenging at the moment as the paradigm of our struggle is at a low ebb. True sense of patriotism and the need for sacrifice is never fully evoked and so, there is no motivation for the intellectuals and sincere Naga youngsters to join the fight. Instead of taking pride in our fight for freedom, like a bad omen, we are scared to talk about it even in our inner family circle- lest somebody hears it! We measure our words cautiously even before we speak out the truth as our minds have been methodically conditioned to fear the gun.
Every Political party and Faction claim to be the true representative of the Nagas and show their ostensible concern but no party wishes to take the responsibility of the present impasse and imbroglio. Like crabs in a wide basin pulling each other down and not letting any other crab to crawl up, we engross ourselves in strangling each other with extraneous internal conflicts and factional feud. At this rate, the old concept of “head I win, tail you lose” will always go in favour of the Indian government. Delhi is keeping an eagle eye over every move that we make, comfortable with its divide-and-rule policy and the least bothered as long as we remain divided, playing this see-saw; no-win blame-game.
Ethical hairsplitting over the morality of our conducts can in no way confirm with the real truth. Like Cain, we fight and kill each other as if we have the right to decide their fate - how and when to die, and ask, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The justification of killing may be compatible with some religions and philosophies, but it is not compatible with the non-violent teaching of Jesus and so, there is no justified retaliation or defensive slaughter. By killing a person, you beget more enemies, and the vicious cycle ensues – it is a chain reaction and history is the witness! Truth without mercy becomes deadly legalism. When a society is paralysed by fear, change is unlikely. Instilling fear in people is a powerful tool which many have mastered and using it to further their end. This means that people continue to live in fear; they are powerless; a society (nation) is imprisoned! Will this vicious cycle end after we attain sovereignty?
In the midst of killing, extortion, isms, corruption, intimidation and distrust the thought of a peaceful sovereign co-existence seems to be a far-fetched-dream. Sovereignty out of suppression is not freedom; rather it is slavery and bondage. Are we Nagas prepared to embrace the real sense of freedom which stems from inner self? God will not send down angels from heaven to rule us, but the same Nagas will live together even after political sovereignty! The Naga society can now be compared to (advanced) cancer. We failed to contain the cancer of corruption, intimidation, extortion and killing at the initial (curable) stage. Now, it has spread to the whole society including the Church –the heart, the intellectuals –the brain and the family- the very vital unit. We condemn the factions, but I am afraid that it is more often than not the primary lesion that kills but the secondary (offspring) lesions that kills and it is the blood (we, the public which indirectly encourages) which spreads the tumor cells. Every institution is now trying their best to contain the situation, but it is more of palliative treatment (to ease the pain and delay the process of dying) - soothing balm, rather than curing.
The story is told about an elder from an Indigenous tribe in British Columbia, Canada who was asked to swear before the court that he would speak ‘the truth, and only the truth and nothing but the truth.’ The elder responded, “I will only speak what I know.” His Indigenous upbringing had taught him not to claim to know everybody’s truth. So he witnessed, speaking only what he knew. Dear Naga brother, God might have blessed you with intelligence, wisdom, discerning ability with clarity of mind that many other Naga brothers do not have, with the responsibility of guiding your people with vision. It’s true that speaking the truth has become jeopardous but if you remain silent now - hoping for an opportune time to speak out and abdicate yourself in the face of all the unlawfulness, viciousness and atrocious acts committed against our people and show abysmal indifference to it, you are indirectly giving a stamp of approval on everything that is diabolical. Martin Luther King once said, “We will have to repent in this generation, not for the hateful actions of bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good.”
Everybody condemns killing but fratricidal killings continue – why? Everyone acknowledge the fact that there is a problem but everybody blames somebody. Nobody claims responsibility but somebody has to be at fault. The problem itself, therefore, must be responsible. In other word, the Naga problem is an Orphan - a nightmare of abandonment. This cognitively distorted thought process that the problem is someone else’s fault is the crux of our failure.
Today, we lack leaders like Nehemiah with integrity and vision, who can readily accept the responsibilities with conviction, and without prejudice -leaders who are willing to uphold and shoulder the cause above their personal ambitions and consider other’s genuine opinions even at the cost of their own personal inconvenience. We need leaders who like Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:6) can boldly confess “both I and my father’s house have sinned.” The Israelites did not revolt and there was no revenge; instead Nehemiah’s confession served as a bond of bringing them together and brought a resonant “Let us rise and build” respond from the Israelites (Nehemiah 2: 17,18) – a respond that is much vital in our land today. These God appointed, true Leaders, may not be perfect but with such qualities, they can surely win the trust and confidence of our people. We do not need opportunistic leaders who thrive underneath somebody’s shadow and blow their trumpet; always trying to take credit for the other’s achievements, but shy away from the truth.
Indeed, we thank God for many Naga Church Leaders who are sincerely and prayerfully pursuing the path of peace and solution and doing their best to initiate the dialogue. Our Naga society is basically church-centered and it is considered as the yardstick and watchdog. No doubt, they are supportive but they may perhaps be lacking clarity and perspective in certain aspects and so, becoming biased. The Church leaders speak boldly against killing and extortion collectively but fail to convince when it comes to the individual level. God has placed you in a position with supreme responsibilities – the responsibility of standing in the gap for Him and for the land (Ezekiel 22:29, 30). It is not enough to just condemn falsehood; we need to replace it with God’s truth. Therefore, we urge our church leaders to come forth, put more thrust in the spreading of the message of love, peace, healing and brotherhood into the camps of various factions courageously with authority. Being courageous is not being without fear, but the hard truth is that the Church cannot absolve itself completely from this muddle. God desires our obedience above our comfort and conveniences.
The Churches’ integrity and authority sometimes become doubtful when they speak in defiance of corruption against Politicians but readily accept and seek financial assistance even feigning ignorance of the real source – saying that it is not their duty to ask. When the Church exercise their influence over the affluent citizens and willingly accepts dubious donations, exalts them and prays to God to give them more abundantly, are we not encouraging them to corrupt more in the process? Ironic indeed! The end cannot justify the means! We, the public are also equally responsible because we expect the impossible from the politicians and put too much unrealistic pressure on them and then revile their actions in their back. Here is an allegory of a pig and a piglet. While eating human droppings, the piglet asked the mother pig as to why they always eat stools? The mother retorted “Do not talk about shit while we are eating!” Likewise, we are all eating shit, but we do not want to talk about it.
We also see blame-game in Naga political arena. For instance, we see a particular political party blaming the other group of not properly utilizing funds like LADF (DPF), not containing law and order situation, etc. And the accused party blames the opponent of doing worse to justify their off-beam action. But the truth is, “two wrongs can never make a right” - what is wrong is wrong. One party advocates “equi-distance” and the other “equi-closeness”. In reality, it is just the paradox of the same coin – antonyms of the same difference! As long as we maintain equi-distance or equi-closeness, there will always be a gap. Why maintain gap? Instead, why not “equi-center”- this goes straight to the center and solves the problem. If a leader has a clear conscience and somber in the quest for solution, I am sure that the factions will listen. After all, they are not aliens or untouchables, but our own brothers and sisters - patriotic and willing to bring a solution more than any of us. So, let us stop making fools of the innocent public with all these irrelevant political gimmicks (unless you have no more issues to debate). There is a qualification criterion for every game and unless you get ahead of that mark, you are still ineligible even if you do better. To be pragmatic, if a political party wants to prove its supremacy over the other then they should do what is right instead of trying to do the wrong thing slightly-better and still remain below par. Let a particular faction prove it by stopping the killing, then, the public will give the right judgement because they are not fools! Let us, therefore, ask ourselves sincerely and stop this blame-game because it is not working.
So, friends, which do we choose?
Fear-Tolerated Stagnancy or Truth-Inspired Change?
To me, the limited alternatives are:
1. We continue to remain reticent and keep all the responsibilities in abeyance and carry on with our day to day activities hoping that someday, some fellow Naga would solve the problem. By this, are we not virtually condemning our children’s future to the same fate we are in today or even worse?
2. We may plunge into the bandwagon and act pretentiously in the name of Naga national interest even at the risk of wiping out our history. But will there be permanent security without peace?
3. We keep on harping the bitter issues of tribalism, factionalism, etc. and
• Take revenge if possible and if you fail, feed your children’s mind with your unfulfilled evil design and let your children do the needful.
• Try all means and tricks to dominate your neighbour, clan, tribe, faction or political party and if necessary resort to violence or even killing. If necessary, make use of others’ help.
And let it go on and on till you eliminate all your Naga enemies and then fight with India. By then, your family and your party will hopefully be able to rule Naga nation without any annoyance. Is it possible? Or,
4. We come out and speak the truth with love and compassion; empathize with our fellow Nagas and reason out the problems separating them from coming together- be it pride or ego, guilty conscience, selfish interest, any other obstacles, in the greater interest of our nation. It is possible under God’s guidance.
Let us ask ourselves, if the stand that we’ve opted today, is the best alternative for our children’s future and the Nagas?
It is high time that we bring out a concrete and honourable platform where all the factions can contain enough reasons to come to the table for deliberation and commit ourselves to the principle and build confidence in the capacity of our united stand – of finding rational solutions to conflicting situations. A fragmented and divided Naga may win a battle or two but it can never win the war. So, let us rebuild our fortress first. Let Naga national interest prevail over the individual interest or ego and let us all humbly admit and accept that we all have been less than perfect. Otherwise, if we follow the theory of elimination, who will enjoy the fruits of our labour and who will hold the flag up at the end? Jeremiah said in Jer.31:29, 30(KJV) “…The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge….” Likewise, the loser will be our children and the generations to come. As long as we, Nagas, point our muzzles at each other, we don’t see hope. “… in the eye-for-an-eye formula, no one finally wins. The winner – or – perpetrator – leaves behind a bitter enemy” – Arun Gandhi. No Nation in human history ever won the war by killing their fellow comrades. Our fight is not for somebody but for ourselves – fellow Nagas. A single tree, a single species, can never make a forest; likewise a single Naga, a single tribe, a single faction can never make a Naga nation. As a social being, it is imperative that we respect and ponder upon the will and ideas of our friends and to do that, we must give them the opportunity to express themselves freely without fear of repercussion. What you think is right (like Jihad- Islamic Radical’s Holy war) may not always be right in the sight of the Lord and the people
It is important to know and educate the youngsters with Naga history, but beyond that; is it wise to keep on dissecting and analyzing the unpleasant facts of Naga history now? It’s true, that we learn from history, and no story can just vanish without the stamp of its verdict, but can we afford to repeat the same mistake at this juncture? We need God to prompt and soften our hearts to go through the lane of painful memories of unpleasant omissions and commissions.
Blame is a defense mechanism. But taking responsibility for ourselves and our emotions now is the only way to end the blame game. Blaming anyone for the choices that we’ve made as to how to cope with our past up until now may not be a healthy choice. In the end it is often very lonely and isolating. Nagas need God’s discerning vision to make each one of us realize our stand: for admission of error and guilt courageously.
We cannot deny the fact that many things have gone awry in the last half century of our struggle for freedom. What is done cannot be undone and it is even futile to do so. So, perhaps, the better option is to “forgive and acknowledge” because to “forgive and forget” is close to impossible for someone whose direct family has been affected. We need to leave it to God if we want to go forward. Yes, it seems so unfair to forgive injustice. We are caught in between forgiveness and justice. But Calvary broke up the logjam between justice and forgiveness. Consider the case of Joseph, (Genesis 42 & 43) when he finally came to the place of forgiving his brothers, the hurt did not disappear, but the burden of being their judge fell away. Forgiveness is never easy and rarely satisfying and the pain remains but that is the only way we can be saved from divine retribution. So, let us not pick the sore wound again and again and let’s allow God to heal it. God has not made a mistake in putting the Nagas into the present state of affair. He must have a plan for the Nagas. To know that plan, we must see the problems as Jesus would and solve it as He would; then the mind-bogging suffocating concept of impossibility will diminish. In the end the truth shall prevail and truth and real actions cannot be separated. “It is not the truth about others that will set us free, but the truth about ourselves that will set us free-Joyce Meyer.”
Dear Naga leaders, God must have put you in this position today with a purpose of leading your people out of Egypt. Our people trusts you and have confidence in your leadership and that is why they elected you to be their Leader – whether National Worker, State Politician, Church Leader or NGOs. You need to set aside whatsoever may be the reason(s) of your differences - even agree to disagree in areas you cannot see eye to eye and put your vision of ultimate Naga National solution before your personal interest. Such act from your side will not demean you, rather, you will earn respect in the sight of your people – the Nagas, and you will surely have their blessing. Behind the curtain of distrust, anger and resentment, we see a desire and ray of hope in every Nagas. This hope will become a reality, only if we are willing to make it happen. Despite your shortcomings, deep in your heart, you know that you love your people – the Nagas, more than anything else. When you can no longer bear the far cry of the present Nagas for peace, when your emotions overrule your intellect and common sense, then you may be compelled to commit the same mistake.
Dear fellow Nagas, let us not remain complacent and bask ourselves in delusions-of-grandeur during these peace-talks and ceasefire. As individuals, we may not have a solution, but if we put our heads together, circumspect and deliberate prudently then we should be able to find the answer. We must seize this window period as the greatest opportunity ever offered to any generation in the history of our struggle for freedom and bring a tangible lasting solution to our people. If not, our land may become a battleground again when our natural instinct of immediate survival takes over and our mentally distressed minds can no longer process logical steps.
And I say to you today, my friends, because in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream – a dream where our children could live to their fullest; free from fear and intimidation with a proud sense of belonging!
