N. Kaniya, Seithekima ‘A’
When it comes to war, Nagas as people I guess, are the most fortunate to have experienced so many different types. From the primitive war of head hunting we were suddenly exposed to the two great World wars. The first, our great grandfathers experienced it in France, then the Second we have been told how our grandfathers and parents witnessed the ‘might’ of the East (Japan) clashing with the combined ‘might’ of the Allied Forces in our own lands, culminating with the decisive Battle of Kohima .Our people have also experienced the Indo- Pak war, the Sino- India war and the Bangladesh war. We have also experienced guerrilla tactics of warfare till the signing of Ceasefire with the GOI. Today it is altogether another warfare- it is war of words now.
Winning over the public is the main target in the war of words, if I’m not mistaken. But how far the contending parties are able to is the big question. Frankly, I don’t see anything positive coming out of it, so my appeal here is, enough! It is disgusting to see charges and counter charges everyday in the papers and that too not with our supposed enemy but among our own people who professed to be working for the cause of the Nagas. I’m sure the argument here is that, the public has to be told the truth and not allowed to be swayed away with lies. Good intention, but then, if this is the view, it tantamount to saying your people is not capable of discerning truth from lies. In other words, the contending parties seem to have assumed that the General Naga publics are as naive as to swallow everything that is written - ‘Lock, Stock and Barrel’. For God sake your people are simple folks no doubt, but not fools !Your people can very well understand who is doing what for the cause from ‘Action’ and not from the number of charges made against the rival factions while giving endless self justifications.
This outburst of indignation is due to what I call cheap publicity stunts, which will widen the existing rift and deepen the hatred even further. Now why I am writing this is because, my destiny and 1that of my whole family’s is entwined with this Naga issue of ours whether I like it or not. I also draw the authority to voice out my opinion from the fact that, I’m an equal victim of the freedom struggle like anybody else. The fact that I lost a big daddy much before my birth and seeing how his wife survived mentally affected as a result, till her death a few years back. The fact that I lost my maternal uncle to whom I was quite close as a child. The fact that as a child having to experienced the dread of being rudely and roughly woken up at Midnight countless of times by the Indian soldiers. The fact that I have experienced and witnessed my whole village being rounded up in the Indian army ground and beaten mercilessly where even the old and the sick, women and children were not spared. The fact that as a child I began to learn to rejoice whenever there was casualty among the Indian soldiers in an ambush or shoot out. These are some few pointers among many, which makes me very much a part of the movement and that’s the reason why I guess, I too have a right in having a say.
Now what I have to say here is this; why not turn your attention away from each other and concentrate more on the designs of our common foe - India. We are all aware of the fact that, the more Nagas become divided the happier India will be. At least the mandarins sitting in Delhi or shall we say, the modern day Chanakyas, will be grinning themselves silly seeing how well their ploy of breaking up the Naga family is working.
For a starter, in order to stop trading charges, both the NSCNs must stop encouraging defection from one side to the other by completely stopping the entry of defected cadre(s) into its’ fold. Another practical suggestion can be; to make it a must for background study of any person before being recruited or appointed. However disgusted I may be with the whole development, I still believe we have a future. How it will come about I don’t know, but I still believe in our future - you may call me a dreamer!
