This proposition and appeal is made with warmest greetings to all the organisers, respected leaders of AZSU, Public leaders, students and people of Zeliangrong on the auspicious occasion of the 21st AZSU Conference, to be held on 10-13 April, 2012, Mhainamtsi, Peren Nagaland.
Law of Negation states that everything undergoes change; growing old and dying off replacing of the old with the new. Human society is not exceptional. It is good to accept change with a positive attitude. Change is natural and inevitable. Our people are facing a process of change and problems of defining who we really are (identity). Many self-opinionated ideological schools of thoughts are on stage, contending for gaining influence for their own position, recognition or interests. Many sincere leaders have attempted to resolve our people issues, without finding a common, acceptable or logical solution. There are so many old answers for new challenges complicating the whole.
Propose to think and ponder upon the rationality of Zeliangrong as a people. Believing, that Zeliangrong People are put to refining wheel-press of change for growth and advancement, not for division but for unity in diversity. It behoves that, we accept and understand the undeniable reality that Zeliangrong will or must undergo change from obscured and unreal perception to enlightened reality. People comes and go leaving behind them the history created by them. The process continues. Views that, the nomenclature ‘Zeliangrong’ needs redefining. Generally agreed that Zeliangrong is a given composite name for Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei including Inpui for and with the sole intention to unite our people for political, economy and social development subsequently formed as joint council called Zeliangrong council in the year 1947. Observed that the genesis and the progress of Zeliangrong since its formation, the February 15, 1947 at Keisamthong Imphal till the 1963- 64 when the name Zeliangrong was dissected into Zeliang-kuki and then to Zeliang in Nagaland, have been a significant era of transformation for the Zeliangrong people. Since then, the search for reality and identity have been generated in the minds of the Rongmei, Zeme and Liangmai induced by the feeling of apprehension, discrimination, deprivation, classification among themselves. The searching question arose whether Zeliangrong is a tribe or an organisation. Many opined that, it is not a single tribe but composite tribes and so they call an organisation or Joint tribal council. The councils of Rongmei, Zeme, Liangmai advocates that they are separately distinct tribes not as sub-tribes of Zeliangrong.
Let us seriously reason together, in search of finding out a logical and pragmatic solution to our inconclusive ideologies on identity. Can the nomenclature, of Zeliangrong be taken as the name of a tribe? If yes, what advantages or disadvantages will we have in our socio-economy and political dimension? Views that, some of the advantages could be; major tribe, bigger coverage, wider influence, bigger political platform, etc whereas disadvantages could be ; bone of contention in matter of Govt. quota, tribal shares, imbalance representation, feeling of discrimination, deprivation, communal apprehensions, common language problems that involves literature etc.
If no, can the given names as Rongmei, Liangmai and Zeme be taken as names of tribes separately? Then what are the advantages and disadvantages will we have in our socio-economy and political dimension? Views that some of the advantages could be; clear identity asserted, no inter-communal discrimination, no language problem, get due tribal share, assured member representation in political and social forum or organisation etc. whereas disadvantages could be; minor community, incompetent in wider Naga platform, etc.
Whatever be the disadvantages or advantages we may viewed, there is always a need to organise a common platform for our people where we can address our common issues, causes, forces and interest in achieving the common political goal of the people. Having a close-ethno affinity and cultural identical sense of oneness, the Zeliangrong people still maintains an inalienable bond of brotherhood.
Therefore, it is high time that the Zeliangrong people wake up with open minds to accept positive changes. Hence every Zeliangrong is appealed to rethink, reshape and regenerate our society where communal harmony, understanding, peace, development and prosperity prevails.
Dr. Kamei Sanjit Rongmei
Gwangphun Gangmei
