The world talks about democracies and its liberation ideology. The cries of the oppressed nations talk about its pain and struggle. Who are on the right track and which talk will we lend our ears. Nagas are suppressed by India which is one of the advocates of the democratic principles in the world. Indian govt always want to coin, “foreign origin” about the Naga issue. The pain inflicted by the Indian and Burmese government is too hard for a human being to bear these atrocities. However, these states are so comfortable to speak about justice and liberty. No money or any development project can erase the Naganess from Naga people’s hearts. In the past, even the world had the least concern about Nagas’ pain and their rights. To deny our history as mere Nagas made, any governments or intellectual will have to explain to us one and only one word question, “Why.”
In the process of Nagas’ liberation history we have become a headache to ourselves. We have woven our history with violence and hatred. Today our worst enemy is our own weakness of failing to accept our weakness and even to repent. Today do we have leaders who can rather give better things to its people than what they are offering us today? As persons leading millions of Naga people they can offer a better environment if they can think deeper. Can you lift your head high and tall? As a quotation says, “If the leader cannot lead the people through rough waters, he is liable to sink the ship.” Perhaps Naga people are in need of leaders who are able to build this nation, not leaders who can build factional killing. Superiority personality leaders are headaches even to self and to the society. Factional leaders should not take Naga people’s patience in to wrong calculation. We are not too barbaric to be tamed by guns. To get response as humans, kindly use human touch and not cold barrel guns. We need a captain who is with us and who can give their time for us, not leaders who are always busy. Is the Naga nation at peace or in pieces? Is it at rest or restless? Who is leading this nation today? Who is at the top of the hierarchy? Today we Nagas are lamenting for leaders that can pass this hopelessness to bright hope. Who will lead this nation where all kinds of evils are found abundantly?
Understanding produces healthy society and if national leaders have this quality in their veins and blood, Naga people will definitely understand them hopefully. If national leaders underestimate general will the law of nature also advises that underestimation grows in a very subtle way and that becomes a norm for any group of people. When leaders use its people for a long time in the playground of their ego, somewhere the gap is sure to exist. Those gaps are not so easily filled and it takes time. How long will our leaders give this evil to Naga society for long; when will they say that they are sorry without Pharisees mentality? Think that there are upcoming generations to live on this soil and there will be history in continuity.
Naga people cannot trust leaders who use inferior and cheap methods like hatred, malice and killing. These methods might be acceptable for factional supremacy but especially not for the younger generation. These cheap methods are to destroy civilization, which are based on integrity, honesty and moral courage. Today Nagas’ strength is not on how many battalions of army we have but our strength is in our identification of our past mistakes. That positive thought is not weakness but a pride for the future Nagas. We have buried our problems alive for many years. Self sufficiency is another hindrance for understanding. It isolates those who have some slight differences in their opinion. If leaders cannot give an exemplar life to younger generation, whom are you leading? Leaders live and teach; if not to lead younger generation we hope that other person can lead better than you. There will be someone whom Naga people can rely upon. Kindly lead us better and teach; if not, probably kindly pave the way for someone who is there to lead this nation. God has been taking care of this beautiful nation though we have failed to recognize it many times. A man with wisdom and highly intellectual people might be there among Nagas to give better things to its people. So let us all think twice and may our national leaders think before they take any decision. Is patriotism increasing or decreasing among the younger generation? Passiveness is growing in leaps and bounds. Leaders, who were nursing this passiveness in Nagas’ garden? Are these not a reflection of your leadership qualities?
In today’s world of interdependence we have become Indian govt slave. We are enjoying Indian independence of 1947 labors for long. We have been living with Indian tax payer’s sweats thus far. If we want to see Nagas as a nation we have to take some shift from Indian govt dependency to real Nagas. However, we are to be dependent as neighbors in near future. Dignity of labor is not invalid even in this century but we Nagas are trying to make it invalid. Where are we heading?
Younger generations have to take firm and bold decisions if the future of this nation is ours. May we live long and have time to think and become hands, feet, and hearts of this nation. May we live long to get knowledge that respects one another and accept other Nagas from another region on the high way of understanding. May we live long to overrule the imposition boundary of Indian and Burmese government. May this challenge be our unity to overcome this obstacle because no previous Naga generation had this chance to work. May we live and understanding that the divine hands of God is at work even in this deepest hour of darkness. May we live long to say that factional killing is wrong and may we make it right. May we live long so that we can make a better dwelling than what our predecessors are offering to us. May we live long so that another future generation lauds our generation’s good deeds done. May we live long to covet wisdom not money as our predecessor. May we live and live in the history of Nagas as the golden generation.
Real reconciliation can happen when those people who have created this unwanted situation confess before God and Nagas. Nagas, NGOs and the Church did not create this situation so they have to do their part today. Several rounds of reconciliation programmed have flown from the wrong stream of water. So those who are responsible have to be willing to be repentant first not filled with self righteousness. Today repentance is the only way from uncertainty to hope. Repentance is the only key for Nagas to see the dawn in this nation. Repentance itself is not belittling somebody and lowering someone’s dignity.
This leads a particular person to become a better human being to learn and live a new life in a society. Repentance is not to condemn weakness but to discover the being of a person and to correct the weakness to overcome that weakness. It is a high way to admit our being as fallible. When repentance is marred with righteous attitude it is only social repentance and it will not bring any solution. So repentance is the way to solution and to reconstruct our society, repentance should be from the heart. Our corporate and individual sin should be confessed today.
Today our cries are real; it is from the heart that is made up of flesh and blood. Our national crises cannot be shared with Indian and Burmese governments. Our factional leaders are not willing to hear our cries. They are willing to hear, but with condition. When will we see a mediating point for us to know that we are Nagas and thanks to God because we have enough land to build our home. So we are living in different regions; east, west, north and south make holistic Nagas and any division may become less. Today we lament and it is no other nation that can bring solution but a united Naga people that can bring Nagas to victory. Today who will hears our cries and tears? Where are the leaders and statements of Nagas’ Nation?
H. Apise
Purana Bazar, Dimapur
