Of late, the clarion cry for Naga unity has been reverberating across the hills and mountains of Nagaland. In fact, it has become “the theme” in almost every Naga gatherings- be they NSCN IM sponsored or Nagaland Government sponsored or civil society sponsored. This unity call has been given in the context of the Unknown but expected solution to the Indo-Naga conflict. The call has been splashed in the local papers again and again, so much so that the Naga public are now being slowly brainwashed into thinking that this unity call is the most urgent need of the hour. Some Churches have even repeatedly called for fasting and prayers for unity so that this expected solution would be embraced by every Naga with religious solemnity.
But what unity is this call for unity all about? Is it a Naga Unity under the Indian Constitutional roof? A unity for development financed by the Indian government? Is it a unity for job prospects under that Indian sponsored scheme? Is it going to be a unity under the enemy’s roof? And will this new Naga united nation under that roof be called: The United Naga People under the Constitution of India-U.N.P.U.C.I.?
And what, if some Nagas refuse to go under that roof and join that union? Will such people than become the enemy of the U.N.P.U.C.I.? Will such people be eliminated in the name of Naga unity assisted even by the enemy? Will such people this time round, be assassinated for opposing “The Delhi Accord” whereas in the first wave of assassinations, the victims were eliminated as “Supporters of the Shillong Accord’? Also, will this Delhi Accord be sacrosanct because it was made in Delhi-the very heart of India-and not Shillong on the fringes of India?
After all these years of blood and tears, what is the Naga struggle for? Was it all along, a struggle for economic development under the Constitution of India? Did the Naga soldiers struggle through all those hardship and sacrifices so that they can get handsome rehabilitation packages and even jobs under this Indian sponsored scheme? What of the thousands of Nagas who had sacrificed their lives for the nation’s cause? Will they just be forgotten as statistical stone steps in the journey for Naga unity under the Constitution of India?
Let the Naga politicians and (even) Reverends, tell the Naga public exactly what unity they are talking about? Under the name of unity, I hope the Naga public is not being taken for a ride in the famous Naga caravan for a UNITED SURRENDER trip to India. After all if we are going to surrender our unique history and geography into the Indian ocean of “Unity in diversity”, then we would loss everything that is unique about ourselves. It would mean a
Kaka D. Iralu
