Space and rehabilitation for so called National Workers

At this point of time in history, a large section of the so called National Workers has become the concern of the society at large. When we use the generic term National Workers we do not mean all of them. The exceptions are those few thinkers and members who strongly feel believe and conduct themselves as per dictates of their conscience they have kept uncorrupted as National Workers. Our subject is the misled people, who joined the peoples’ movement for reasons other than pure national service and sacrifice. We also mean those National Workers who have outlived their relevance in the history of the Nagas struggle for self determination. After the declaration of the 2nd Indo Naga cease-fire, the respect and awe they had commanded was very soon squandered away for the wealth, power and influence they became engrossed with and which came easily with the potential threat of force and weapons that they assumed they were licensed to use. The factional fights and the not so healthy absence of violence gave them space to play the games of brinkmanship against each other sometimes but at most time against the unarmed, unorganized general public so as to corner shares, commissions and percentages. They had also intruded into society’s fabric and tore it apart with their Aza’s, dictates and directives, insulting and burying the purest form of Naga democracy, which had been evolved over the generations. Using the sacred name of National politics they blessed and unblessed parities and individuals without any consistency or rationale and made elections under the Indian constitution their business, alienating themselves and frustrating the people with their short sightedness. Needless to say, mountains of resentment and grouse have been built up against them over the years. The public will not quite forget or condone it away just like that.
Today as we stand on the threshold of a negotiated settlement and the inevitable reconciliation of all Naga political groups, we cannot help but be concerned about the liability this unpredictable and insecure individuals potentially represent.They are not trained to be builders, contractors, suppliers, dealers, shopkeepers, bureaucrats, technocrats, politicians …. almost anything in a civil and democratic life. They cannot be anything without the tag of kilonser, deputy kilonser, tatar etc. Then how are they to sustain the ostentatious and pompous life once the license to loot, extort or extract is no longer taken lying down by a liberated people. They have used their subjective judgements, tribalistic leanings, individual considerations and selfish interests to subvert the norms and tranquility of the vibrant society in the name of the Nation. What will then now absolve them from this transgressions. Therefore, there are obviously a sizeable number of so called National workers who do not want settlement nor reconciliation for obvious reasons, even as they pay lip service to solution and to unification. They see no space for themselves after these cherished goals of the Nagas are achieved.   
But the civil society, mindless of its immense social wealth, have made them chief guests and guests of honour in their platforms out of fear or for material or utilitarian considerations, all of which are misplaced. Such things should not be an accepted practice and given legitimacy as that would corrupt and confuse them all the more. Their pristine space as defenders of the inherent rights of the people cannot be reduced to that of mere state level political positions under the Indian constitution.
The FNR must of necessity take the above observations into account as they continue with the noble mission of reconciliation. There must be a viable alternative for their present engagements and occupations. FNR must facilitate an honourable exit for them. Or else they could well be the spoilsports and given the complexity of Naga society, we could very easily slide down again. While haste is not desired, time is the essence at this juncture and therefore this issue of the not so nationalistic National workers must be duly addressed in the interest of the Naga people at large.   
It will be helpful, if other commentators will endorse these recommendations.

L. Angami
Kuda village, Dimapur
langami@rediffmail.com




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