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04/14/2008: "Identity, insurgency and development: The Naga case- Nagaland Post"

Identity, insurgency and development: The Naga case- Nagaland Post

The Naga struggle for sovereignty has been the first and longest of the secessionist turned insurgency movements in South Asia which had posed the foremost challenge to the nascent Indian nation-state. At the core of the Nagas self assertion was the question of its identity. Nagas defined themselves as a separate nation as opposed to the Indian nation and demanded the right to self-determi-nation. When it was not granted to them, they appropriated the politics of secessionism to achieve the goal of Naga nation-state
What has been done: Early modes of negotiations
The early Indian leadership appreciated and empathized with the Naga identity crisis, their fear and apprehension of the tiny tribe amidst the multitude of other Indians. Nehru appreciated the Naga exclusivity as they were excluded from 'the sensation of being in the Indian national movement' by the British. In his letter to T. Sakhire on August 1, 1946 Nehru tried to allay the fear and apprehensions of the Nagas and envisioned a model which would perfectly suit them. In fact even before the Nagas themselves had visualized the quantum of autonomy, Nehru had promised it to them with a model which subsequently became paradigm of tribal development.
Nehru promised Nagas all the protection even before the Constituent Assembly had discussed the Indian Cons-titution. Mahatma Gandhi went a step further and said that "Nagas have every right to be independent." On the question of being forced to join India, Gandhi said, He (Governor of Assam) cannot do that. I will come to the Naga Hills. I will ask them to shoot me first before one Naga is shot." Gopinath Bordoloi painstakingly incorporated all the principles that Nehru enunciated in constructing that hugely important piece of legislation called the Sixth Schedule which provided protection not only to the Nagas but other tribal as well. Nehru went much ahead, overruled massive opposition and granted statehood to a population of seven lakh not under home ministry as was the law but foreign affair ministry. But with the disappearance of this band of leadership such resilience also disappeared which was responsible for non-resolu-tion of the problems which required different outlook.
Post nationalist phase: the disasters
In the second phase, we find a series of accords between the Nagas and governments of India. Accords failed because they aimed at pacification not addressing the real problem and whenever it failed it was back to the use of army.
The army operation has disfigured the social fabric of the Naga society and economy. The coercive measures that started in 1953 with the mass arrest of NNC leaders continue to this day. There were draconian laws like the promulgation of Naga Hills Disturbed Area Ordin-ance and Assam Main-tenance of Public Order Act of 1953. The Armed Forces Special Power Act 1958 was promulgated adding muscle to the power of the army. More brute power was added by the legislation of Nagaland Security Regulation Act of 1962 and North East Armed Forces Special Power Act was amended in 1972 to make it more brutal. The result was disastrous. Villages were uprooted and rearranged in the name of 'grouping', youths arrested or tortured forcing them to move under-ground, women targeted, economy destroyed, social life transformed. Prolonged army operation for an astonishingly long period from 1953 till this day is capable of destroying any social fabric which it did. The depression and the conseq-uent alcoholism and drug addiction by generations of Naga youth is a major result of this non-existent socio-cultural life.
What has not been done?
In fact the core issue of identity had never been addressed neither at an academic level or political level. The Indian intellectual in general showed total disdain and apathy to understand and win over the Naga. It has to be premised that Naga identity as was constructed in the 1940's was based on its primordial principles. In the context of modernity it needed to be modernized. The way despite the existence 370-A, a modern school, college, university, clinic, hospital, electricity, housing, food habit, TV, radio, telephone, mobile and such inventions of modern science and technology were accept-able to the Naga without interfering their tradition and custom, being a constituent of a multi-nationality Indian union was not antithetical to the Naga identity. This idea was not communicated to the Nagas.
Nagaland is in a pathetic state of development. The communication, level of poverty, employment, agri-culture, infra structure in Naga Hills is non-existent to say the least. There is no sign of a modern state in Nagaland. Peace and submission to the will Indian state was made a prerequisite to development. It appeared that Nagaland have been punished for demanding autonomy by depriving its development. It is a mystery why peace negotiations and develop-ment could not be coeval. How will Nagaland catch up with the sixty years that it lagged behind has to be thought about now?
What should be done?
It is ironical when the rest of India is reaping the benefit of globalization and liberation the lack of basic amenities is an issue in Nagaland. The argument that prerequisite of development is peace is untenable. Doling out cash money and abdicat-ing responsibility thereafter would be only a continuation of the old policies.
Nagaland has to be opened up to South East Asian countries like Myanmar. Chindwin River is not very far. Through it an opening to the Bay of Bengal is a possibility. The social capital of Nagaland has to be nurtured.
Nagaland had been granted an Institute of Mass Communication, Centre for Culture etc which are misplaced. What Nagaland needs a Medical College, and Engineering College, regional offices of Sports authority of India and centres of Infor-mation Technology. Medical Colleges would improve the abysmal health facilities in the region by training their own manpower. The Engineering College similarly can produce graduates who would have the skill to exploit the huge mineral wealth of the hills. It has been granted a Central University but it has been negligent in appointing its Vice Chancellors. Nagas have produced world class footballers like T. AO and Basant Kabui who led Indian football team in the Olympics. Even now individual Naga players are paid players in Bengal Football League. But neither fields nor coaching facilities are available to the Naga youth.
It is an established fact that Nagas are naturally endowed with special skill in sports like Table Tennis and Badminton but the political climate or the physical amenities are absent to nurture these talents. Pro-motion of sports culture and amenities is absolutely essential as a part of develop-ment package.
Nagaland is naturally endowed with geographical features which would allow trekking, rock climbing, river rafting and such adventure sports. Nagaland has the unique monument of War Cemetery where the remains of the European soldiers of the Second World War are preserved. This pilgrimage to this war cemetery should not be confined to only relative of the war victims but general European tourists. Like the Khonoma village more and more model villages should be developed. It would encourage ethnotourism through which foreign tourist could get a glimpse of traditional Nagas’ life and tradition.
Naga handicrafts, ethnic garments and artifacts symbolizing Naga identity can reach world market through the tourists. Army can clear their tarnished name to some extent by adopting village and see their growth and transition to 21st century.
Dr Sajal Nag, professor of History, Assam Central University, Silchar.
NSCN (IM) reacts to media reports Nagaland page
In reaction to the media reports of NSCN's role in reviving militancy in Punjab the media are caution not to go overboard to throw a challenge to the political ethics of NSCN as far as the Indo-Naga political talks is concern. The NSCN knows where it is going and what India is doing all about in handling the Indo-Naga political issue. The media are also advised to go deeper into the matter and know the truth of the India's hand in creating trouble in Nagaland.
At the time when the NSCN is contemplating another round of talks with the government of India it is ironical for the government of India to be actively involved in sponsoring rogue elements in the name of Naga unification and solution. Such clandestine relationship is an open secret in the Indo-Naga political relationship when examined through the pages of the unpleasant records of Indo-Naga history. But the present crisis in the name of unification has taken an unprecedented turn due to the faact that India is finding her relationship with NSCN too close for comfort after undergoing the travails of over 60 rounds of political talks in the last 10 years. This is the realistic face of the government of India in creating such unpalatable situation among the Nagas, and thus building the groundwork for undermining the NSCN's position as the chief negotiator. The legitimate stand taken by NSCN in pushing for the acceptance of its political rights has forced the Intelligence agencies to look for an amenable force to balance the hard stand adopted by NSCN. This is the game India is playing and NSCN is not too naïve to ignore this political misadventure indulged by India.
NSCN is not restricted by any international human rights laws and shall respect and understand the inalienable historical rights of any legitimate nationalities across the world. And therefore, for the same reason NSCN never undermine the rights of the Sikhs and diplomatic respect is always reserved for them.
As far as maintaining the spirit of the Indo-Naga ceasefire is concern NSCN has been faithful to the core, and there is nothing NSCN has not done to pursue the Indo-Naga political talks incorrect spirit in consonance with the historical rights of the Nagas. The problem is with the government of India by deviating from the spirit of the Indo-Naga ceasefire. The offshoot of the rogue elements taking the name of Naga national workers to work for Naga solution as prodded by India is the exact face of the Home Ministry of India Government under its Intelligence agencies like Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Military Intelligence (MI). This is a violation of the ceasefire agreement, as these intelligence groups are going too far to give comfort to NSCN and the Nagas as the Indo-Naga political talks are unnecessarily disturbed and delayed.
The Sikhs are an enterprising people, both in politics and business. And it is the political will that matters for the Sikhs. And for the same reason NSCN does not matter in reviving the Sikh's political struggle. Notwithstanding NSCN's diplomatic advancement across the world it is not in NSCN's interest to indulge in clandestine arms dealing with any group that will jeopardize its ceasefire relationship with the government of India. The problem will always be on the side of India in not honouring the spirit of Ceasefire and not demonstrating her sincerity in dealing with the Nagas.
Issued by: MIP/GPRN [NSCN-IM]

Role of churches hailed Nagarealm.com



KOCHI: Peace goes hand in hand with development, Nagaland Governor K. Sankaranarayanan has said. Inaugurating a seminar on “Relevance of peace in the present-day Kerala context,” organised here on Sunday in connection with the centenary celebrations of the Immanuel CSI Church, Broadway, he called for a change in people’s mindset to overcome barriers created by religion, politics and geography.
Referring to the pathetic infrastructure and educational facilities in Nagaland, he said the State did not have a single motorable road. “The first and only engineering college there began last year. Development is a pre-requisite for peace efforts in the insurgency-torn State, which has deeply religious people,” he said.

He lauded the attempts being made by churches in that State to bring about peace. Reflecting on peace, K.S. Radhakrishnan, Vice-Chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, elaborated on how people who strived for power, money and fame would come to ruin.

Naga king chili makes entry into national market (MExN)
World’s Hottest Chili, dried and powdered at Naga Spice Collection Centre, Dimapur in preparation to hit national market
Dimapur, April 13:Naga entrepreneurs have come of age and are ready to take on the national as well as international markets by storm. This is the assertion being made by two strong willed ladies, Abeau Mero and Atele Khesoh, the owners of the Naga Spice Collection Centre at Nahabari, Dimapur. The venture of exporting Naga spices has already taken off as the Collection Centre sent off its first consignment of 30 kgs of powered Naga king chili to Guwahati on April 4; and what’s more, there is already another huge order for the world’s hottest chili from Egypt.

Besides providing a one stop point in the state for all locally grown spices to enter the national and international market, this small industry unit has taken upon itself the entire work of raw material pre-treatment which includes cleaning, grading, sorting of spice using water, followed by simultaneous powdering and drying. In the case of dried raw materials, only powering is done and finally processed into various finished products before the final packaging.
In the light of the successful implementation of various schemes taken up by the department of Agri and Allied, an industry like the Collection is not just welcomed but crucial. With integrated development of horticulture through technology mission and its Mini Mission-III for Area Expansion and double cropping production of cash crops; production of spices in Nagaland is expected to reach great heights. And since marketing of the spices in raw form is difficult and not very viable economically, it is imperative that the state have a collection and value addition unit which can bridge the gap between the farmers and the market.
The Collection Centre will also act as a safety net for farmers and they need not be left stranded with no one to buy their produce since the centre will always need raw materials to keep up with the demand of the national and international markets once the transaction begins in the earnest.
Acknowledging Principle Secretary, Alemtemshi Jamir for his constant encouragement towards the project, Abeau Mero is positive that the multi-collection unit, which is dealing with Naga King Chilli and cardamom at the moment, will be the breakthrough for Naga’s entry into the International and National market. Keep your fingers crossed!
175 terror groups active in India (Agencies) Nagaland page

MUMBAI, APRIL 13: Manipur has the highest number of terror outfits, followed by Assam and Jammu and Kashmir, according to a list prepared by the Union Home Ministry in consultation with state governments and intelligence agencies.
The Home Ministry is closely monitoring the activities of nearly 175 terror organisations spread across India and attempting to ascertain their links both within and outside the country.
The list includes those suspected of, or indulging in terrorist, insurgent, extremist or fanatical activities. The majority of the outfits are centred in and active in the northeast, according to intelligence sources.
Manipur tops the list with a whopping 39 organisations, followed by Assam with 36 organisations that are under the scanner of the state and central intelligence agencies.
The next is the sensitive border state of Jammu and Kashmir with 32 such groups active, semi-active or dormant. In addition to these, there are at least four other independent groups that are not based in Kashmir but are coordinating or supporting terror groups in the state from across the border.
The surprise inclusion here is Dukhtaran-e-Millat, an all-women organisation that exerts community pressures to further social norms dictated by Islamic fundamental groups.
Most of the groups named in the list are engaged in secessionist activities, mostly armed and violent, either independently or with support from across the border, mostly in regions neighbouring Pakistan and China.
A matter of concern for law-enforcing authorities is that the list is not exhaustive and keeps growing, the sources said.
Thirty groups belong to Tripura, followed by 4 in Meghalaya, 3 in Nagaland, 2 in Mizoram and 1 in Arunachal Pradesh.
This makes a total of 115 groups in 7 states in the sensitive Northeast, including those bordering China.
Punjab, which witnessed heavy terrorism in the 1980s, has at least 12 active or potentially dangerous terror groups in the state.
Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare said there are around 8-10 frontline terror groups on which they keep tabs on a regular basis, but he declined to identify them.
"In addition, there are more than a couple of hundred other such groups of which we have knowledge. At times, new ones suddenly crop up, like the Hindu Garjana, which attacked communist party workers in Pune last fortnight. Then we do the needful investigations," Karkare told reporters, but did not elaborate.
In addition to these state-level groups, the agencies are keeping tabs on the activities of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Tamil Nadu Liberation Army, Tamil National Retrieval Troops, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI - banned since September 2001), Deendar Anjuman, Asif Reza Commando Force, Kamatapur Liberation Organisation and the Ranvir Sena.
Even some Nepalis in India have their own struggle group - the Akhil Bharat Nepali Ekta Samaj - fighting for different causes.
Left-wing extremist groups that are under a close watch include the Communist Party of India-Maoist, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)-Janashakti and People`s Guerrilla Army.
As far as Mumbai Police are concerned, they are quite pleased with the recent successful investigations that led to the nabbing of important terror operatives who were reportedly targeting sensitive installations and religious places in Mumbai.
These include terror suspects caught from Goa, Karnataka and from Thane district, bordering Mumbai, in Maharashtra.
Last Thursday, police nabbed two prominent SIMI activists from Mira Road (Thane), Irshad Salim Khan (37) and Israr Ahmed Abdul Hamid Tailor (38), who may be linked to the July 11, 2006, serial bomb explosions in Mumbai`s suburban trains.
Chinese trucks to tow howitzer arrive on border Myo Gyi Mizzima News
Ruili – Over 50 Chinese trucks to tow howitzers, which were transferred to Burma, arrived on the Sino-Burma border town of Ruili on Friday morning, eyewitnesses said. Local residents in Ruili said they spotted the Chinese made howitzer towing trucks being parked at a car wash.
"The trucks arrived this morning. There are more than 50 trucks. Many are now in car washing service shops," a local resident from Ruili said.
The military trucks are said to have been produced by a Chinese company called 'Dong Feng' (East Wind) and are equipped with three axles (six wheels).
"These are not passenger trucks, they are designed to tow the howitzer and can also be used to transport military supplies such as ammunition and foodstuff," Aung Kyaw Zaw, a military analyst based on the Sino-Burma border said. Aung Kyaw Zaw added that these trucks are bigger than the previous FAW and Dong Feng trucks and are tougher and sturdier. These are specially designed to tow howitzers. They can tow both 105 mm and 155 mm howitzers.
A local resident on the Chinese border town of Jae Gao, opposite Burma's Muse, said that the trucks were seen parked at the Jae Gao car park. Since January, China has transferred about 1,000 trucks to Burma through the Jae Gao-Muse route on the Sino-Burma border.
Some of the Chinese made trucks are painted with the colour and emblem of the Burmese police force and were transferred to the Riot Police battalions in different parts of Burma including to Kyatpay (Naypyitaw), Rangoon and Mandalay last month, sources said.