DIMAPUR, APRIL 20 (MExN): The Global Naga Forum today termed it “most unfortunate” that the Nagaland Gaonburah Federation (NGBF) has made it amply clear that its political commitment is “limited to the Nagas of Nagaland state alone.”
A press release from the GNF said that its recent April 16 statement “reaffirmed its narrow vision of Nagas living in mutually exclusionary political entities in artificially separated territories.” “Going by their statement, this vision of a divided Naga people owes its origin to British colonial rule and its legacy in presentday India’s treatment of the Nagas, reflected in the ongoing impasse of the Indo-Naga political issue,” it said.
The GNF stated that the Gaonburah institution was part of British colonial rule and system of control over the Nagas. “It was handed on, against the expressed wishes of the Nagas, to the postcolonial nation-states of India and Burma. Today’s GB institution is a colonial legacy and functions as an administrative tool of the Indian government.”
It said that the Government of India has affirmed in writing that Naga national cause is a political issue. “Naga people live in our ancestral homelands but separated in four Indian states and in Myanmar. The Naga political issue belongs to all the Nagas, not just to Nagas of any state or region,” the GNF stated.
“The NGBF’s function is limited within Nagaland state. It has the right to voice its opinion on the Naga political issue, but cannot claim moral or historical authority to speak for the Naga people, especially since they are functionaries of the Indian government, one of the parties of the peace negotiation. Nagaland GBs who are servants of the Indian government cannot legitimately claim to be custodians of traditional Naga authority,” the GNF stated.
Further referring to the GNF’s criticism of MLA Achumbemo Kikon’s recent statements, the GNF said that the MLA has been a consistent defender of Naga human and political rights for decades, going back to his years as NSF leader. “His conscientious advocacy in support of Naga peoplehood and for peaceful resolution of the Naga political issue does not transgress international law or the Indian constitution,” IT SAID.
The GNF said this is not a rejection of the contributions of Gaonburahs who have served their communities with sincerity; but rather a call for reform. “Institutions that emerged under colonial conditions must be reexamined in the light of present realities and the aspirations of the Naga people. We envision a system of leadership rooted in indigenous values that is democratic, accountable, and representative of the will of the people. The dignity and respect due to elders must be upheld, but not at the cost of democratic principles or by continuing structures that no longer reflect our collective aspirations,” it stated.
It urged the Gaonburahs to “join in a process of introspection and reform.” It stated that the future of the Naga people must be built on a “shared vision that reflects our history, our identity, and our collective political rights.”
It stated that the institution of Gaonburah, having originated as a colonial construct and subsequently retained by the postcolonial state for administrative convenience, today presents several
ambiguities in its roles and functions.” “There are evident inconsistencies in the application and understanding of the powers of Gaonburahs in both rural and urban contexts, particularly under Article 371A and the Nagaland Village and Area Council Act, 1978,” the GNF said.
It asked the state government undertake a comprehensive review of the relevant legal provisions to bring clarity, consistency, and alignment with the present socio political realities of the Naga people.
