It was one of the summer days in Mumbai ,hot and humid and as I nonchalantly scanned over the front page of The Times of India, a popular National dailies, my world abruptly grumbled before my eyes on reading the headline that read ‘Dr.Imkongliba Ao shot at’ Life for me was never the same since then.
Fifty years ago on this day, the 24th August, the life of my father was abruptly and cruelly snatched away from us by a bullet of an assassin. Our state has travelled a long way since then, cruising through rough or fair weathers, experiencing spells of peace and progress but very often interrupted by violence and insecurity and such adverse situation having relentlessly battered and jolted our society to such an extend that we have consciously or unconsciously evolved a kind of mind set today that often focus more then its share of attention on the issue of freedom and ideologies instead of setting our house in order first or tend to point our accusing finger on others, both to the living or to the dead for every commission or omission that we commit today. In such a situation, it may be worth while in looking afresh without prejudice to some of the significant events of the past that includes the period between 1950s and the early 1960s of the Naga history that its own story to be told. The crises prevalent in the then Naga Hills District were as violent, grim and fearsome as any historians may define. Record will reveal that it was a period when excesses were committed by both the para military forces and the undergrounds where the innocent and helpless public found themselves sandwiched between the devil and the deep blue sea. It was at that moment of history that a few concerned Nagas consisting of both public leaders and government servants look a bold initiative in convening the 1st Naga Peoples Convention, commonly known as NPC at Kohima during August 1957 where representatives of Nagas drawn from the then Naga Hills District and Tuensang Division of the then NEFA participated. It was indeed a unique assemblage of people, perhaps of a different kind where as per record, more than 1760 delegates drawn from various Naga tribes and more then 2000 visitors, indeed a huge number then, participated in that eventful congregation where my father Dr. Imkongliba Ao was elected as its President and J.B. Jasakie as its General Secretary. It also may be noted that Shri. S.C. Jamir, the former Chief Minister of Nagaland also played a leading role in the said conglomeration that consciously and unanimously declared their apposition to the acts of violence and resolved to pursue for the restoration of peace through negotiation & non violent means. One of the highlights of the convention was the outcome of the 16 Point Agreement that contained the main provision for the creation of the State of Nagaland and this Agreement that has evoked debates, praises and criticisms and often exploited nevertheless remain till date as the one logical Agreement worked out by the people at that moment of history, in containing an explosive situation that was running out of hand. And this agreement that also contain Special Provision in safeguarding the future of our State (the provision has been duly acknowledged and reaffirmed by all the successive elected governments of our State) continue to withstand as the one practical Agreement that has survived the test of time. Record will bear its own testimony that following the inception of our State, there has been State assembly election conducted for nearly ten times where on record, overwhelming majority probably one of the highest recorded voters on the country exercised their franchise for running the government of their choice.
Presently we have a society composed of people of different descriptions pursing different disciplines and speaking differently. We have thus in our midst, peace makers and peace wreckers, bread winners and bread snatchers, leaders and followers, visionaries and soothsayers, and the list will go on. It is indeed a colorful society but sadly wanting for a cohesion of ideas. In this multi-facet congregation on record, it also cannot be ignored that the fruits of the State are being harvested today by one and all. There is rather a sort of scramble among people in scooping out dividends even crumbs that are being generated as a result of the 16th Point Agreement.
My father as I know him was a simple person, an amazing father, essentially a family man rather than a politician as one may define it. It was however destiny that ultimately dragged him into the centre stage of Naga polities in shouldering a fearsome and an awesome responsibility. He envisioned a society where as Gods children, everyone may live in peace and harmony. Above the interest of his family, all that he pursued was to usher in stability in a land that was ravaged with hatred and violence. He thus fought for a cause that he believed was true and paid with his life for it.
(The writer is a retired IAS officer and
son of Late Dr Imkongliba Ao)
Fifty years ago on this day, the 24th August, the life of my father was abruptly and cruelly snatched away from us by a bullet of an assassin. Our state has travelled a long way since then, cruising through rough or fair weathers, experiencing spells of peace and progress but very often interrupted by violence and insecurity and such adverse situation having relentlessly battered and jolted our society to such an extend that we have consciously or unconsciously evolved a kind of mind set today that often focus more then its share of attention on the issue of freedom and ideologies instead of setting our house in order first or tend to point our accusing finger on others, both to the living or to the dead for every commission or omission that we commit today. In such a situation, it may be worth while in looking afresh without prejudice to some of the significant events of the past that includes the period between 1950s and the early 1960s of the Naga history that its own story to be told. The crises prevalent in the then Naga Hills District were as violent, grim and fearsome as any historians may define. Record will reveal that it was a period when excesses were committed by both the para military forces and the undergrounds where the innocent and helpless public found themselves sandwiched between the devil and the deep blue sea. It was at that moment of history that a few concerned Nagas consisting of both public leaders and government servants look a bold initiative in convening the 1st Naga Peoples Convention, commonly known as NPC at Kohima during August 1957 where representatives of Nagas drawn from the then Naga Hills District and Tuensang Division of the then NEFA participated. It was indeed a unique assemblage of people, perhaps of a different kind where as per record, more than 1760 delegates drawn from various Naga tribes and more then 2000 visitors, indeed a huge number then, participated in that eventful congregation where my father Dr. Imkongliba Ao was elected as its President and J.B. Jasakie as its General Secretary. It also may be noted that Shri. S.C. Jamir, the former Chief Minister of Nagaland also played a leading role in the said conglomeration that consciously and unanimously declared their apposition to the acts of violence and resolved to pursue for the restoration of peace through negotiation & non violent means. One of the highlights of the convention was the outcome of the 16 Point Agreement that contained the main provision for the creation of the State of Nagaland and this Agreement that has evoked debates, praises and criticisms and often exploited nevertheless remain till date as the one logical Agreement worked out by the people at that moment of history, in containing an explosive situation that was running out of hand. And this agreement that also contain Special Provision in safeguarding the future of our State (the provision has been duly acknowledged and reaffirmed by all the successive elected governments of our State) continue to withstand as the one practical Agreement that has survived the test of time. Record will bear its own testimony that following the inception of our State, there has been State assembly election conducted for nearly ten times where on record, overwhelming majority probably one of the highest recorded voters on the country exercised their franchise for running the government of their choice.
Presently we have a society composed of people of different descriptions pursing different disciplines and speaking differently. We have thus in our midst, peace makers and peace wreckers, bread winners and bread snatchers, leaders and followers, visionaries and soothsayers, and the list will go on. It is indeed a colorful society but sadly wanting for a cohesion of ideas. In this multi-facet congregation on record, it also cannot be ignored that the fruits of the State are being harvested today by one and all. There is rather a sort of scramble among people in scooping out dividends even crumbs that are being generated as a result of the 16th Point Agreement.
My father as I know him was a simple person, an amazing father, essentially a family man rather than a politician as one may define it. It was however destiny that ultimately dragged him into the centre stage of Naga polities in shouldering a fearsome and an awesome responsibility. He envisioned a society where as Gods children, everyone may live in peace and harmony. Above the interest of his family, all that he pursued was to usher in stability in a land that was ravaged with hatred and violence. He thus fought for a cause that he believed was true and paid with his life for it.
(The writer is a retired IAS officer and
son of Late Dr Imkongliba Ao)
