The rich civilization and culture that flourished in the hills of Nagaland is today an invaluable heritage of the state. However of late the traditional Naga music has died down and as guns blaze today echoes can be heard all over the state gripping the region in a reign of terror and uncertainty. Mushrooming of underground cadres in towns and built up areas inhibiting the growth and development activities has become the fate of all Nagas today. Gun totting cadres within towns involved in rampant extortion killing innocents under needle of suspicion has brought the normal life of a common man to a grinding halt.
Whether it is Kohima where gunmen go on a killing sprce in broad daylight or its Zunheboto where faction fussle to gain cont of the town, it has added only to the misery of the Nagas. Building up concentration of cadres by the factions in close proximity to towns and villages have only increased all sorts of problems for the locals as they are caught in the ongoing turf war within the factions. This murky environment has spelt doom on Nagas, it has shattern peace, adversely affected development work and has cast shadow on economic prosperity. Can this peace process go on indefinitely with no sign of winding up or submitting any findings on solution to the Naga people? Will this brickbatting followed by spiral of bloodshed across the state redefine Nagaland and its history? Will such factions whose loyality to ideology now stands changed to suit opportunism navigate us to peace? To my mind comes the question where is the Govt? Where sleeps the administration? Can we wait for the day when they rise from their state of slumber.
The irony of the situation remains that our own brothers are the reason for our suffering and downfall as they want us hooked to their demands and agendas. Bitterness among factions and differences of opinions will seal the fate of locals as they will ensure we remain under war clouds because of their vested interests and personal gains. Under these circumstances when we stand lost out on decades of progress and advancement and factions quagmired in controversy and cripples by lack of vision lets join hands together and declare “PEACE” as birth right of all Nagas.
We do not require the so call custodians of Naga peace Process as their definition of peace starts with gun and bloodshed. What light they can offer us when both factions seams to be stuck on a single boat in the waters of GoI rocking back and forth yet heading nowhere. Let us not keep playing into the hands of such agencies but make endeavors to achieve true peace, which means as environment which allows you to take yours decisions, freedom of movement and economic development. Let us all get united together and clear the hurdle of tribalism and take pride in identifying ourselves as Nagas and above all sent out the message that we cannot be held at ransom in our own land. Let the GB’s and DB’s reaffirm their 10 point resolution and formulate a stance where actions speaks on ground. Let us come forward and join hands from all walks of life and put the first step forward towards shaping our own destiny without any threat, fear or pressure.
Greatness in not something bestowed on nations or civilization by geography and demography. It is earned as a result of vision of the people themselves and relation within the population. Let us prove it. To all may friends out their in Nagaland I would like to send a message of solidarity. Together we can overcome the troubles of today and create a happier tomorrow for ourselves and project a better face of Nagas to the nation.
T Veheshe Sema
BA ( English), final year
Nehu, Shillong
