Nagaland in Retrospect
Nagaland in Retrospect
Title: Nagaland in retrospect
Publication: Organiser
Date: Jan 10, 1999
From Our Correspondent
Nagaland has always been in news since Independence due to
Church-borne insurgency. The Church propagated in the world that
if Nagas remained with "Hindu" India, they would lose
their identity and would be swallowed by the giant Hindu society.
The Church encouraged Phizo—the father-figure of Naga
insurgency—and his cohort is to demand secession from India.
Nagas were alured to become Christian if they wanted the outside
support guaranteed in their fight against India. But Nagas opposed
British rule and Christianity. Khonoma Revolt, Kekrima battle,
Mezoma War, the war of Jadonang and Rani Gaidinliu against British
rule and Church are a few examples that have gone into the golden
pages of history. Konyak Nagas did not allow entry of Christian
missionaries into their area.
Unfortunately, Nagas were left alone in their fight against
Christianity and British invasion. Hindus from the rest of the
country did not show their solidarity with Nagas. On the contrary.
British officials and Christian missionaries kept on their thrust
for conversion. They owned the education system. Thus, the schools
were centres of conversion. More than a thousand Nagas lost their
lives in their fight against Christianity. Haipou Jadonang was
hand-cuffed and his legs were enchained. He was paraded naked
through the main road to scare his followers and he was hung on 29
August 1931 at Imphal. Rani Gaidinliu was arrested and awarded
life-imprisonment.
The Church and underground Nagas lanuched a joint offensive
against Hindu Nagas. As a result, some 60 per cent Nagas were
converted and in that proportion the insurgency grew. The Church
propagated that Nagas were cent per cent Christians and all Nagas
support the demand for sovereign Nagaland. The Church gave
slogan—Nagland for Christ. It launched programmes after
programmes to "civilize" the savage and wild Nagas and
propagated that if Nagas want to get salvation they have to become
Christian because Jesus Christ was the only saviour and redeemer.
"Non-Christians and Hindus will go to eternal
hell-fire," the Church declared.
On thorough study and survey of Naga society it is found that many
Nagas were impervious to this alien influence. Even today 40 per
cent of Nagas are the followers of the indigenous faith which is
an inseparable part of the greater Hindu Dharma. In 1951, when
Phizo conducted Plebiscite in favour of sovereign Nagaland, he
claimed that 99 per cent Nagas voted for it. But the fact is that
most of the Nagas were not at all concerned with that plebiscite.
Moreover, it was not possible for them to oppose the plebiscite
for security reasons. The Government of India failed to provide
any protection and encouragement to these pro-Indian Nagas.
Christian missionaries added fuel to the fire. They were preaching
hatred against Hindus in churches. They also scared Nagas that if
Nagas went closer to the Hindu society, the Nagas would be
swallowed and merged with the Hindus to be lost forever.
Government of India did not make any fruitful effort to ascertain
facts. Nor, Hindu society cared for Nagas at social level. As a
result the Hindu society concluded that the whole of the Nagas are
Christian and anti-Indian.
On a careful study, however, it is found that more than 40 per
cent of the Nagas are still Hindu—the followes of indigenous
faith. And most of the Nagas don't support insurgency. Even many
church leaders and pastors do not wish to dance to the tune of the
Church, but they prefer to keep their mouth shut due to fear of
reprosals. They reason that revenue of Nagaland is nil, corruption
is sky high, and unemployment is increasing day by day. Naga
youths are becoming drug addicts and there is indiscipline
everywhere. They are at cross-roads. Due to American influence,
sexual liberalisation is preached and practised in and AIDS cases
are rising in the Naga society. The Church converted Nagas to
Christianity in the name of civilising them but society is
increasingly becoming uncivilised. In the fight for
‘Independence’, the American and British help is not bearing
any fruit.
On the contrary, the Pokaran-II incident has made India one of the
nuclear powers of the world. Ascendancy of the BJP on Delhi throne
is viewed by the Nagas as the rise of Hindu patriotic force. The
international political scenario is favouring Indian fortune. And
the doom of insurgents in Kashmir under BJP rule sends a signal to
Naga insurgents that same fate awaits Naga undergound cadres.
Furthermore, Issac and Muivah have become old. Most of their
lieutenants are at the fag end of their life. The future of
insurgency is bleak. This is the reason why the insurgent leaders
want some agreement during their life-time even as a face-saving
device.
For the last more than one-and-a-half years, the cease-fire
agreement is in operation. As a result, all the undergound youth
have come out from their hideouts and are living with their
families. They have also seen the aristocratic lives of their
bosses. Now, they are not in a mood to take up arms again. The
pictures of Naga undergound bosses are widely circulated in the
press. The video films of undergound meetings are available with
the Army. Their hide-outs are very much within the reach of
security forces operating from Army headquarters at Ranga Pahar (Dimapur)
after the cease-fire. In fact NSCN-IM (National Socialist
Convention of Nagaland, Issac-Muivah) was breathing its last in
the early part of 1997, prior to cease-fire agreement.
Naga society today believes that Indian government has already
given enough constitutional safeguards under Article 371 (A). It
also provides enough funds for the survival of Naga society. In
return, Nagas have not utilised the public funds judiciously. As a
result, agriculture is still primitive and there is no industry
worth the name. Will America, Britain and China not use Nagaland
as their colonies? The fate of Tibet and Taiwan is a burning
example of it. All these factors put together project a very
gloomy picture of Naga future. This situation has discredited
Church and insurgency. The Naga youths today condemn their own
elders of the underground set-up and the Church organisation for
their myopic and misguidance. Their fascination for the Church and
inclination towards undergound organisations have disappeared. And
large sections of Naga society wish to live with India and are
happy to enjoy the joys and sorrows of the country as their own.
The Naga society has very high hopes of the Vajpayee Government.
And Vajpayee Government has reciprocated it well by extending the
cease-fire for one year at one go. But much more needs to be done.
Shri Swaraj Kaushal, the emissary of the Prime Minister and Shri
Kapoor, the Chairman of Peace Monitoring Committee, have not done
anything tangible so far in solving the intricate problem of Naga
society. The Vajpayee Government should be quite serious in
solving the Naga problem.
In case, the cease-fire agreement fails, Kohima will witness a
most frightening bloodshed between the insurgents and the army
because NSCN(IM) has gathered enough lethal weapons and
sophisticated fire-arms.
The Hindu Nagas are watching the situation. They are awaiting the
time when Christian Nagas realize their folly in leaving their own
religion and adopting the Anglo-American religion—the
Christianity.
In the situation Zeliangrong Heraka Association is working as the
torch-bearer in the whole of the insurgency-prone North- East
India. They are organising Zeliangrong Heraka Silver Jubilee
Celebrations during 5 to 7 January 1999 at Haflong. They need our
moral and financial support for doing their work. On this
occasion, there will be a conference of all the tribal leaders of
North-East to review the grave situation and to find out the ways
and means to defend indigenous religion and culture from the
missionary menace.
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