Why I am the least bothered about the present crisis in the Nagaland state of India
The reasons for my apathy and indifference are because of the following reasons:
1. This state of Nagaland was born at a time when 645 Naga villages were burnt to ashes by the Indian army and every family in Nagaland was mourning the deaths of over a hundred thousand Nagas who had perished in the holocaust. They died from starvation disease, rape, torture, murder and bullets and bombs from both the air as well as ground assaults. This happened when about 100,000 Indian soldiers invaded Nagaland from 1954-1960. (For details of Indian army deployment in this period, read “Uncovering the political lies that have covered Indo Naga politics from the 1940s to the present. Pp.27-32)
2. Despite this bloodbath, on the home front, the then valiant Naga army was able to resist and “hold the line”against this invasion force for 5 long years from March 25, 1955 to July 1960. In the international front, Phizo had miraculously found his way to London on June 12, 1960. His first press conference in London raised a furore as the world press came to know about what India was doing to Nagaland. At this point of human history, the whole world was weary of wars as the Second World War which had devastated the whole world ended in 1945. In this war weary climate, the whole world was looking to India-the biggest Democracy that had come into existence through none-violence. India’s spokesman Nehru was the “Darling” of not just Asia but even Europe and the West. People flocked to listen to him as he thundered “We want no forced marriages or forced unions. This great republic of India is a free, voluntary, friendly and affectionate union of the states of India.” Therefore, the Western world, scandalized by what Nehru was doing to the Nagas scheduled another world press conference for July 26, 1960 in London. Phizo was ready to present his booklet “The fate of the Naga people- An appeal to the world” in this Press Conference. In this book Phizo had documented all the non-violent diplomatic actions that the NNC had done to declare their position both to India and the world for 9 long years from 1946 to 1955. Phizo had also compiled all the violent activities that India had done to the Nagas for the 5 long years from 1955 to 1960. His book ended with the plea that an international body should be immediately sent to Nagaland to verify his charges of India’s genocidal attempts against the Nagas.
3. Realizing that both Nerhu and India could suffer a terrible embarrassment at the international level, an Indian Dakota was sent to Jorhat on 24th July and 19 members of the Naga People’s Convention (NPC) were quickly flown to Delhi and the 16 Point proposals were submitted to Nehru on July 16, 1960. This was the same day that Phizo met the international press conference in London. The NPC was earlier mobilized and raised by S.M. Dutt, the then Deputy Director of the Indian Intelligence Bureau. B.N. Mullik in his book “My Years with Nehru” had disclosed that S.M. was the “originator” and “Chief architect” of the Naga people’s Convention. As stated by Mullik, this Naga people’s Convention was raised in order to nullify the 1951 Naga Plebiscite which had been conducted under the leadership of the NNC. Therefore in order to nullify the all Naga political institution and its works by another all Naga tribal Council, the NPC was raised with the Indian army giving protection to all the delegate members in their first second and third conferences at Kohima, Ungma and Mokokchung . The Indian Government had co-drafted the 16 point Agreement with these Naga NPC collaborators so that an impression can be given to the world that Nagas had themselves asked for a state under the Indian Union. This Delhi saw, was the only escape route for India from facing an international charge of invading Nagaland which had declared her Independence one day prior to India on 14th August 1847.
4. Following the developments from July 26, 1960, on December 1, 1963 an Indian Nagaland state was finally inaugurated which had entrapped all Nagas under the Constitution of India for the past fifty one years (1963-2014).
End notes: As for the 99.9 Nagas who had voted for an Independent Nagaland and have also laid down thousands of their lives for that independent Nagaland, they had nothing to do with this treacherous betrayal of the 16 Point Agreement. As for me, the sooner this state disintegrates and disappears from right in front of our eyes, the better it will be for all future Nagas. Let India also withdraw all her financial assistance to Nagaland because this money has converted Naga Christians from worshipers of God to worshipers of Money. The then Congress party of India that gave birth to this state of Nagaland had the obligation to feed this baby of their womb for all these years. However the present BJP party has no obligation whatsoever to keep feeding this illegitimate child of the Congress. Just let this illegitimate child (Indian state) starve to death- for that will be good for both India and the Naga people. As for a detailed account of all that I have challenged in this article, read “Uncovering the political lies that have covered Indo Naga history from the 1940’s to the present. It is available in all the major bookstalls in Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung.
(This appeared in morungexpress.com)