Ever since, the launching of the defence for safeguarding our Naga National independence, women folk have stood side by side with the man folk in defending our national independence. In this prostrated defence, we have borne our responsibilities with zeal and commitment. Some of us have even fought in actual battles as Lady Army alongside our male soldiers. In the villages too, we have rendered our services to the nation in providing food for our national workers and assisting them in every possible way even without proper sleep in the most dangerous situations. This situation further deteriorated to such stages where we were compelled to carry the rations of our soldiers to the jungles as male carriers came under suspicion from the enemy.
In the process of doing these national works, what the Indian Army had done to the womenfolk of Nagaland - especially those who were national workers is beyond human description, modestly restrain from describing. As a result of all these heinous activities perpetrated on us, we were reduced to a state of fear psychosis where we feared and dreaded the Indian Army even more then wild animals. The Indian Army’s molestation of our womenfolk went beyond the young and beautiful and even included the aged and the elderly. Many of these victims died under the brutality of the Indian Army’s sadistic acts on the spot, while others carried the scars of their humiliation and died and premature deaths. They were forever separated from their husbands, parents, sons, daughters and brothers and sisters, as a result of their premature deaths.
In the perpetration of these heinous crimes by the Indian Army, virgins were stripped naked before assembled villagers and dragged to church pulpits and raped - thus desecrating both the womanhood as well as the sanctity of the churches. Can any greater humiliation and desecration be inflicted on the modesty and sanctity of womanhood? And just because such heinous crimes are no longer being perpetrated on the womenfolk of today, can we just forget the victims of yesterday who underwent all those infliction for the sake of our nation? When the Indian Army had inflicted such heinous crimes against our own sisters and mothers, will this generation of Naga women just retreat and give our enemies an ignoble victory? We never should do that but on the contrary, womenfolk must bring out the essence of “Nagaland for Christ” and witness for God.
In today’s Nagaland, many “un-Naga evil activities” are being practiced in our lands even by our own people. The acts of abduction, extortion, rape and factional fratricidal killing are all imitation of what our enemy did us yesterday. Naga womenfolk should rise up today and oppose all these evils through prayer and actions and remove these evils from our lands. If Naga women would give their co-operation to our enemy’s evil designs and support them, they should be held responsible for the destruction of our nation. This is against the will of God and should never be entertained.
In today’s Nagaland, many are subscribing and co-operating with the wishes of those that are ruling over us so that they too can achieve their own selfish desires and greed. They do not care what happens to the nation. But we should take utmost care that we do not become one of them.
During King Ahasuerus’s times, Ahasuerus ruled over one hundred and twenty seven nations stretching from Ethiopia to India. In those days, even some Jews like Mordecai served in Ahasuerus’s Kingdom. When a plot to kill all the Jews under Ahasuerus’s Kingdom was planned out, all the Jews serving under the King’s administration could not do anything to stop it. As soon as Esther who was taken by Mordicai as his daughter heard about this plot, she became deeply concerned about the fate of the Israelites. She quickly requested all the Jews to fast three days and plea for God’s intervention. She also joined these three days of fasting with all the maids. Queen Esther, did not, through her cunning or strength, win over King Ahasuerus’s favor, but through prayer and fasting changed Ahasuerus’s mind and all the Israelites.
Today it is the bounden duty of every Naga woman to pray for our NNC President, Miss Adinno Phizo. Our national identity and our nationhood was given to us by none other but God himself. And it is therefore our Christian duty to pray for our nation. Because we believe and worship a living God who knows all our sufferings and sacrifices, for He will grant us our national goal if we seek His face like Esther of yesterday.
God Bless Nagaland
Urra Uvie.
VEDÜCHULU LALA
President,
Naga Women Federation,
Naga National Council. Nagaland.
