Nagas need to have roots to grow, legs to walk, wings to fly. Each and every Naga, by virtue of being born as a Naga should be committed to reform, restore and defend God given NAGALAND. If the Nagas do not restore, reform or defend their Homeland from the intrusion and destruction, then what is the Naga or where is the Naga? If we really love Nagaland, then we have to be Naga first before we are, anything else. Feelings of tribalism and leadership on tribal line (which is deep-rooted) should be rooted out.
Education for sale, Jobs for sale, Votes for sale, even date of birth are on sale, our Newspapers reports factional killings, scams, scandals, killing of men on hire basis. Even Holy Bibles are being commercialized: Criminals are blindly excused. Every now and then ‘Road block’ not realizing that ‘Road block’ is ‘Mind block’. Money today has become the sole measure of success. Our Naga Society (Christian Society) is becoming a man-hunt man society.
Public/common men are not confused but are discouraged, displeased and frustrated. Without a strong Civil Society, Political and economic structure would fail, and it is almost failed. Unity and Peace fail because of the lack of fellow feeling. Money feeling has become more than the fellow feeling. Our Nagaland is becoming tribalism and terrorist’s State. Many of our leaders are talkers not doers, takers not givers. We should turn our Naga society from a “Society of takers” to a “Society of givers”. Citizens must now realise that atleast we have our product that carries the label “Made in Nagaland”.
Quality products, responsible behaviour, and well cultured signify patriotism, but is it there? Unfortunately, to be very honest, the so called Naga armies are offence-forces but not defense-forces. Are you a seasonal patriot or a true patriot? Loving our Nagaland does not mean hating or killing another Naga. Pseudo-patriotism is about pulling down other Naga group to prove/show your own superiority!
I appeal to Nagas, whether we could be saved from criminals and blacksheeps who rule over us. Greedy leaders are the traitors in reality. A traitor can eat and drink with the devil for his personal gains. The devil can cite Scriptures for his purpose so also our leader’s recitation of Scriptures today. True leaders serve the people, but situational leaders make the people serve them.
One of the shameful scenes we see in Nagaland today is every Colony or every hundred and few yards that we walk, we see Church building as well as Prayer Centres. Well, it is very pleasant to see where there’s no such Churches or Prayer Centres in any country in the world as we see here in Nagaland. But do Naga Christians love one another as they preach, pray and sing? Sorry-very, very sorry! The Churches and the prayer centres are not for justice but for prayer, preaching and singing alone; what a hypocrite!
In a Corrupt Society, the real Criminals are the corrupt politicians and not those are suffering in Jails. Today’s leaders do not create leaders but wanted to create more followers. Today’s problems are the result of yesterday’s vested interest’s ‘Ceasefire Agreements’ and tomorrow’s will be today’s “FORCE-SOLUTIONS”. Lip-service and double talk of our leaders enlarges the problems.
If not careful or watchful, very soon we would see another kind of “Divide and dictatorship rule” in our own Homeland. It is we Nagas only who can elevate ourselves as responsible citizens towards sanctity of life or sink below the level of beasts. Are you tolerant or coward? What do you mean by tolerance? We let corruptions, human rights violations, mis-governance, injustice without protest. We just turn our faces and walk away. Is acceptance of injustice, corruption and violation of the law of the land a tolerance? Facts don’t go away if you just kept aside them. Problems don’t go away or cease to exist, because you don’t protest or stand against them. If a Citizen does not OPPOSE injustices or CRIME, then he is encouraging it. Trying to create peace and unity without truth and justice, is like trying to communicate without a language.
“Sons of the Soil” is being misused by politicians. The trend of labeling people from other districts in Nagaland as outsiders; “Sons of the Soil” is being interpreted into “Sons of tribe”, thereby creating tribalism. Even a small injury in the leg cause pain in the other parts of the body. When something or somebody attack us physically, the entire body by a feeling of action moves into a defensive position automatically. Unless a people of a land functions like the different parts of the body; that people will surely would be fragmented.
In conclusion, I would rather please God by telling the truth to my loving Nagas that Nagas are over exploited by the unprincipled politicians and bureaucrats deploying Nagas into great awkward positions. It is unrepairable loss and vacuum created.
It is high time for we the Nagas not to do what we wanted to do, but to do what we ought to do, then the people of the world will know what is the Naga or where is the Naga.
Eno John, Director,
Reformation Ministry of Nagaland
