The days of November-December of the year 2021 were ordinary days. Like other colleagues of mine and friends from other academic institutions in Nagaland, I too was waiting for the Christmas vacation so that I could catch my regular flight from Guwahati on 26th of December to Mumbai to spend quality time with my mother and relatives. However, destiny had something else in mind. An invitation from my “Khiamniungan Family” from Noklak to deliver a “Legal Awareness” Seminar cum Workshop changed everything. It did not even take a moment for me to recognize the importance of my presence there. I knew that I had to be there. Without giving a single thought, I accepted the invitation. My official vacation was going to start from 23rd of December 2021, which simply meant there would not be any public transport available at my disposal to reach Noklak since due to Christmas and New Year celebrations no public vehicle like buses, taxis, inter-district Sumos run on the roads of Nagaland at least by the mid of the first week of January, 2022. I had to make a decision. Hiring an independent vehicle would have cost a bomb to me hence the option remained non-existent. There was no question of asking my Khiamniungan Family to arrange my travel, as such requests do not fit in my uncompromising life principles. The situation was getting challenging and finally I realized that there was no option left for me but to prepare “Bahadur Singh II” (My 350 CC Royal Enfield) for a long, arduous and dangerous solo road trip to Noklak from Dimapur. The journey was eventful due to untimely heavy rains and worst (third class) road conditions. The road (a third grade steep ‘slide’) from Saddle to Noklak became a living hell for me and Bahadur Singh II, however, with every fall, with every skid, and with every injury, something started to transform deep inside my soul. I arrived at Noklak as a different person - angry, more determined, stronger and stubborn enough to teach my people an art to “TRANSFORM LIFE THROUGH THE RULE OF LAW”. On 27th of December, 2021, the Seminar cum Workshop was conducted which was attended by more than sixty participants from different villages in Noklak. I was provided with two translators. The event began at 10 AM and ended at 4.45 PM. I have neither ever spoken at such a marathon length nor have I ever been blessed to have such a determined audience.
My travels to Noklak blessed me with a ‘wisdom’ which ignited a strange fire deep inside which propelled my mind and body to reach out to many more villages in the region. Sadly however, I could not reach more villages in Noklak but I was able to reach Angangba and Chungtor - the Sangtam villages at Tuensang - and also got opportunity to interact with young students at a program organized by Longkhim Students Union at Longkhim as a “Special Resource Person”.
My humble services to my Khiamniungan and Sangtam family as a legal expert and educationist brought unending waves of disturbance in my mind. The world of the Eastern Nagaland is not new to me, in fact it is my ‘home’. However, this time I physically experienced it since I rode solo throughout the journey with Bahadur Singh II - just a few inches above the road. This experience helped me to merge myself completely with the painful reality of the Eastern World - which I believe needs to be challenged, changed in the interest of the people, Nagaland and the nation.
I have firm belief in the constitutional ideals that our forefathers have given to us. I have unshakable faith in the law and judiciary of this free country of free people. With this belief, I went to my people in Eastern Nagaland. With this belief, I made my people realize how they can fight for their fundamental rights through constitutional mechanisms. Roads, electricity, healthcare, education, public transport are basic needs of a citizen of the Republic of India. If those needs are not being fulfilled by the ‘State’ then every citizen of this country has every right to invoke Article 32 and Article 226 of the Constitution. Writ Petition and Public Interest Litigation are ‘magic wands’ gifted to us by the team of wise draftsmen that drafted the supreme law of land under the visionary leadership of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Public Interest Litigation secures the Fundamental Rights of a community whereas Writ Petition secures Fundamental Rights of an individual.
There is a gross misunderstanding and ignorance in our Naga society regarding our rights. Many times our people are being made fools due to their ignorance of the law by the mighty. Who is responsible? Our people? No, never! One of the initial lessons I learned as a student of Law at Government Law College, Mumbai from a barrister at London’s Lincoln Inn, Advocate K.B.N. Lam, Bombay High Court who then was my beloved Professor of Jurisprudence was, “Ignorantia juris non excusat” which means “Ignorance of Law CANNOT be an excuse”. However, in our Naga society, the question of ignorance of Law does not arise because “LAW, THE LEGAL BOOKS, THE LEGAL STATUTES, THE LAW OF THE CONSTITUTION ARE ‘NOT’ AVAILABLE IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE PEOPLE”. This naked truth, the brutal reality, bit my consciousness throughout my interactions with the commonest of the people in villages with the help of translators. “If man cannot read and understand Law, how will he know his rights, Doctorsaab,” an old man asked in broken English to which I had no response.
My travels to the East brought me to the conclusion - “WHEN THE STATE FAILS TO PERFORM, PEOPLE HAVE TO TAKE INITIATIVE TO CHANGE THEIR DESTINY”. There is nothing that is impossible in a democracy like ours where “WE THE PEOPLE OF INDIA” are supreme. However, our people should be empowered, their hands should be strengthened. How will that be possible? It is possible ONLY when people are INTRODUCED to their RIGHTS and TAUGHT about them in their own language. If Legal Knowledge is not available at the grass-root level to people in their own language, they cannot know their rights and if they cannot know their rights, they will be forced to remain dependent on the whims and fancies & mercy of politicians, leaders, influential people which has exactly been happening in Nagaland since its formation.
We are not condemned to live in the dark ages. We Nagas have every right to rise, shine and stand tall & strong like every other Indian in the country. The Constitution of India is like a ‘Staff of Moses’. If the great Religious Book – The Supreme Law given by our beloved God - THE BIBLE can be translated in our local Naga languages, The Supreme Law of INDIA MUST also be translated and be made available to the people in their ‘own’ languages. This has to be done at any cost. The Hon’ble High Court may kindly take the sumo-motu cognizance of the fact. The knowledge of Law is the way to THE FINAL LIBERATION OF OUR TRAPPED CONSCIOUSNESS.
My outreach mission to empower people through “Legal Awareness” that started with Noklak will continue and I hope one day we will together build a new world - a world of our choice and dreams - a better world that is full of hopes and smiles. Man is born to strive for progress, not be silenced by the blow of defeats. WE TOGETHER SHALL CONTINUE!.
Degree of Thought is a weekly community column initiated by Tetso College in partnership with The Morung Express. Degree of Thought will delve into the social, cultural, political and educational issues around us. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the institution. Tetso College is a NAAC Accredited UGC recognised Commerce and Arts College. The editors are Dr Hewasa Lorin, Dr Aniruddha Babar, Nisha Dahiya and Meren. For feedback or comments please email: dot@tetsocollege.org
