The Heart of Starkness: Naga Diaries 4

Dear Ianla,

I have stayed in guwahati for 7 years and have visited the various North Eastern states including Nagaland...
I can understand the apathy that the rest of Indians have for N.E people,but I think it is in the best interests of both Indian government and the people of Nagaland that state remains a part of India.Even if hypothetically Nagaland would be given independance ,neighbouring countries like china would allow its independance or long, and considering Indian record of allowing its manifold communities and ethnicities it is not such a bad idea.Someday in near future I hope that Indian Army is replaced by Nagaland state force.

IB,

This self- determination talk reminds me of PTV news bulletin where atleast 15 min are kept aside for kashmir.Why dont you guys keep your house in order ,take care of your mohajirs and baluchis before advising us.

hi all,
It does not come as a surprise that there are many theories linked to the Naga situation. Tribal chauvinsim, Christianity`s policy of imperial expansion, and the recent theory - links with Al- Qaeeda!! As grave as the situation is- I can`t help but smile wryly!
Maharana is right in saying that there unbiased, objective information is unavailable.
Even for me , a Naga, all the information I is get is through the Internet. My parents never talked about it( I dunno why), we never asked I guess..My mother has an interesting incident about the whole ``combing`` operation `( during the 1960s by the Indian Army when all the villagers were gathered in the village grounds and their huts searched for hidden undegrounds or any proof of aiding the UGS...) and her first taste of the `chappati. My mom and my granmom were coming back from the village stream carrying water in bamboo cases in canebaskets. They were stopped by a group of Indian army on their patrol who were having lunch. They asked my mom and granmom for water. They hadda oblige , of course ;) and in return they gave my mom a piece of roti and that`s how my mom had her first taste of the roti.
The urgency and the need to learn about our own history has been doused since we were in school. School textbooks don`t say much about the history of the Nagas ( and here I do not mean the political history)that`s another issue.
And now the present situation of the Nagas is everyone wants peace. But it`s such a vague cry. Factions within the movement do not see eye to eye. People are tired of being harrassed by both sides to support them through taxes. Disillusioned young people, some brainwashed esp from rural, poor families join the movement without really understanding what they are figthing for.But on the other hand the state government is trying it`s best to provide avenues of employment for the youth. Different civic, social , cultural, religious organization are making the clarion call for reconcialation and peace.

IB,ianla,wiseguyin,Maharana,

Thank you for interrating. This is one of the less discussed problems in mainstream media, but also among mainstream Indians. Much like all North East.

Regarding the issue about the missionaries role; I think it is a much exagerrated aspect of the Naga problem. And in a way, also the obvious angleoverstressed.

In BN Mullick`s book he attributes it to complacent intelligence officers in the North East constantly trying to merely see it as a missionary sponsored unrest instead of the genuine aspirations and ambitions of various tribes, and it getting organised by the time Phizo arrives, Nehru himself being rather impervious of the seriousness of the issue reportedly slighted Phizo during the early days of talks.

In many ways the bigger problem of partition and refugees in the north kept the centre looking elsewhere. Then the Chinese in 1962 kind of helped sensitise Central leadership of NE`s strategic importance. A kind of partisan view of the ``ears and eyes`` od the centre kept the North East, but especially the naga movement easily understtod as a missionary incited insurgency. It is also true that Christianity among the new converts looked sufficiently in-your-face to justify such a view to visiting central observers/ minsters. The truth is that Nagaland and the Nagas never got the kind of sustained, sensitive, and understanding engagement from India for long.

Even the latest Intelligence Bureau officer`s memoirs (MK Dhar`s Open Secrets) talk about the sheer mismatch of the ethos of the NE and those deputed to study it, and above all a distant and smug centre unwilling to give sufficient credibility to original intelligence inputs that suggested a closer to the truth reality of the region.

One excellent book I would recommend is Nirmal Nibedon`s The Night of the Guerillas, one of the rare and insighful books on the issue that is not partisan.

HN

Ianla,

By the way my friends from N.E too have the same grievance of being called chinku or sometimes even chinese by rest of the indians. I wish better awareness and education can instill some sense in these people about the diversity in our land...:)

Ianla # 5&6,

Thanks again.

I suppose you are a christian and I do not intend to hurt your religious sensibilities.

I found the links you provided helpful. The fact unfortunately is that there`s little OBJECTIVE and factual historical documents of that region. The stated objective of the northeastvigil.com is quite easily given away by its domain name.
My curiosity in the region is alive due to a few of my friends from that region. One being from Dimapur and the other from Manipur. Some of the day to day life facts they tell me about nagaland and what I read in places like Wikipedia match quite well.
You may visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_terrorism this site where naga group NSCN is listed under X-ian terror groups. Hence my questions about christianity`s link to trouble in NE.

I understand well that tribal feelings are equally important while discussing the causes of separation demand from india. But usually in such cases, when the government offers some sop, they fizzle out and integrate in the mainstream india. By the logic given by naga separatists, i think tribals from chhtisgarh or andman, Nicobar could easily have separatist demands. I think, being tribal is just one of the reasons for disconnect from the rest of the indians. Adding to it, christianity, that too of baptist variety (and their views on hinduism, buddhism are well known to me, as I live in the mid-western part of the US) really alientaes them further from the rest of us. I think christianity is one of the bigger factors behind the naga demand for independence today than it was decades ago. Kindly let me know if and why you think otherwise.

Adios

Re: # 4

Maharana , please check these links out. perhaps you will get some information
http://www.northeastvigil.com/issues/naga/general/books.php
http://www.northeastvigil.com/issues/naga/index.php

Re: # 3

wiz0 , thanx for the welcome.
I do share your hope of both the Nagas and Indians accepting each other with all the differences that exists. Believe me you, it`s tough. It`s a challenge to smile through when you are called a chinky as you walk down the road :)

Re: # 4
hello Maharana, it is nice to be among chowkies to share info and learn too.
I will not put so much blame on the missionaries for igniting the political movement of the Nagas. Tribalism cannot be ignored as one of the factor that has led to the split in the Naga movement.
Majority of the Nagas (barring a few) are indeed ever so thankful for the benefits westernization has brought about...

Ianla # 2,
Welcome to chowk.
Thanks for an informative post. When journalists in our country become incapable of deciphering reality and reporting the same, common man has to do it.
For a long time I have wondered about the actual reasons for Nagaland turmoil and the regions history. Unfortunately, there is not much documented history available. If you have any objective sources please let us know.
My own understanding of the situation about the split in NSCN is due to the christain vs. local naga cultural rift as well. Some of the ex-leaders were non-christian who got disenchanted with the christian angle of NSCN and decided to leave. The indian media and populace while obsessed with the islamic angle being the cause of pakistani creation never utters christianity a cause for naga separation demand.
You mention that early on the administrators had the same patronizing attitudes as the missionaries had. Well that was the case all over india, where the brown sahibs merely stepped in the shoes of the british who had just left. The same attitude is prevalent even today, but to a lesser dgree and is a cause for friction between the locals and the administrators in many parts of india. Missionaries cannot convert unless they show themselves to be above the locals. The new converts follow the same attitude. In case of nagaland, however this friction in my opinion, has been given a new edge due to the proliferation of missionaries.

Adios

Re: # 2
Wow. THAT was detailed.
ian ji ... pls update more details in ur profile. and of course - welcome aboard.

Regarding the Naga movement, I think there must be some blame put on the desis from
plains too. The incapability to recognize others who might look a bit different from yourself
is something that can only go away with time. But I attribute that to the fact that till about a
decade back all of us indians were more focussed on local and regional issues. (Barring
national emergencies). But now - with more and more people moving across this vast country
things can only change for the better.

wiz0

Harish , the story of Shintoba Chang is an eye opener for me. Look forward to more entries on your Naga diaries.
For all lack of amenities i hope the warmth of the locals make it up to you on your next trip.
(Tuensang, Wokha, Mokokchung that`s how it`s spelt)

Nagaland has no written history. Till the nineteenth century when their lifestyles were first recorded, the Nagas lived a life centered around agricultural and headhunting and the various rites and rituals connected to the two activities. The derivation of the word Naga is obscure. Some say it its been derived from the Sanskrit word Naga, a mountain, hence mountain man. Some linked it to be from the term warrior and some thought it was from the Hindi word Nanga, meaning naked and some believed it was derived from the word Naga, meaning snake. The most likely derivation is from the word Nok, which means people in some few local dialect.
Never were the Naga`s under any administration before the British Empire, though many writers claim to be, the British established rule over Assam and gradually annexed the Naga hill area to the British Empire. It is likely that the Naga`s bore their share of suffering during the troubled years at the end of eighteen century too. In the year 1832-33, Raja Ghambir Singh of Manipur, who had the ambition of achieving the permanent conquest of of the Naga Hills, marched through through Naga territories from Imphal. The British Government was not happy about this, but in a general way submitted some portion of the Southern Nagaland, now extending up to Mao under Manipur, to the Manipur rulers. The British put an end to headhunting and the inter village raids and the Naga’s settled to a more peaceful life of cultivation and trade. In 1887, after the the local officials were given authority to act as arbiters in inter village feuds to enforce their their powers, Kohima was established as the chief administrative centre of the area, with a sub centre at Wokha; a strong police force was posted in the interior; house taxes were collected. This was the beginning of of an effective administration in the Naga Hills, which was established in 1881. In 1888 a new sub centre was opened in Mokokchung. On the other hand, the American Baptist Missionaries started their station at Molung among the Ao tribe and started educating the Naga`s and evangelizing the Naga people. Education was an integral part of the mission and converts were educated in their schools. Literacy was the stamp of authority that gave Christianity supremacy over traditional customs and belief. What the missionaries taught was to have a drastic effect on the traditional social fabric of Naga society. The missionaries had little understandings of the working Naga society and made little or no effort to look beyond the surface. When they saw, using beliefs as a yardstick was promiscuity, heathenism, barbarism and ignorance, converts were compelled to make a complete break with the tradition; they were forbidden to drink rice beers, take part in traditional singing and dancing, sleeping in the Morungs, or participating in any of the traditional co-operative activities of the community. They were actively encouraged to emulate their converts in every ways, dress included and to renounce their heathen brethren. The missionaries are even believed to have destroyed traditional artifacts. Many of the administrators of the time disagreed with the missionaries methods and feared they were destroying Naga culture. They would have preferred Naga culture unchanged. They failed to realize that by romanticizing the Naga`s as noble savages they were being a paternalistic as the missionaries. They themselves were not blameless. Their administration had introduced a market economy that brought an end to Naga self sufficiency. The only way up for Naga`s was through education which at the time was being provided by the mission schools. The product of these schools dressed like the sahibs, and spoke, read and wrote their languages. They were the ones who found employment usually in the service of the Government and started to earn salaries. In the new climate where new aspirations had replaced the old, their success did not go unnoticed. Their example was emulated by increasing number of Nagas. Often these boys and girls went to Assam to continue their education. Some even went to colleges as far as Calcutta and Bombay. Nagas were to come into even more contact with the outside world and new ideas with the coming of the two world wars.
The first world war did not have much impact on the the Nagas, though Naga warriors were recruited for the Labors corps in France, the response of which was remarkable. The second world war, however, had a more devastating and far reaching effect. The Japanese penetrated up to Kohima under the Naga Hills District and the Nagas faced the sufferings, dangers and disaster of the modern battle. The Nagas gave invaluable support to the allied forces. Despite floggings, torture, execution and the burning of their villages, they refused to aid the Japanese in any way or to betray the allied troops, instead they guided the allied columns, collected information`s, ambushed the Japanese patrols, carried out supplies and helped the wounded in the battlefields.
As far back in 1918 an organization was formed by A group of Nagas who returned from France, Its members were Christian`s educated Government officials and headmen from various Naga villages called the Naga Club. This was the first attempt at consolidating a Naga identity and solidarity. Their activities which included a cooperative store and holding discussions were informally supported by local British administrators. During this period the Indian Independence movement had begun to gain momentum and the British Government was negotiating the future of the country. The Nagas club felt that in order to preserve the Nagas tribal identity they should be allowed to decide their future for themselves. They feared that Naga culture would be engulfed by that of the plains people which they had come to see as the antithesis of their own. As, Second World War ended, the Naga Club and the tribal councils that had been formed along its lines had merged and evolved into an organization called the NNC (Naga National Council) which dedicated to reforming Nagaland from the scratch of the war and advocated Independence for Nagaland. It held that the Naga’s being fundamentally different from the mass of the Indian people and had lived independently before the British conquest of their territory. Therefore, their inclusion into the Indian Union would be an artificial and forced one. A delegation led by Mr. Z.A.Phizo met with Jawaharlal Nehru to reiterate this stand. The Indian Government maintained that the Naga Hills were an integral part of the British India, and the Naga Hills District was handed over to India with the rest of the British India.
When it became evident thatIndependence would not be allowed, nine members of the NNC signed a Declaration of Independence. This move was ignored by the Indian Government. The NNC then started negotiations with the Governor of Assam, Sir Akbar Hydari. They reached an agreement with him called the ‘Nine Point Agreement’ but it was more of a compromise. The NNC gave more importance to the clause that gave them the right to reconsider their status within India after ten years. The NNC believed that this gave them the option of choosing Independence. For the Indian Government such an option did not even exist. The fundamental difference of opinion between the NNC and the Indian Government led to armed revolt and many years of insurgency that continues to this day. The NNC held a plebiscite in 1950 which resulted in a majority supporting the NNC stand. In 1952 talks between Mr. Z.A.Phizo and Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru ended without any results. In 1955 fighting broke out after NNC leaders were arrested. The NNC went underground and in 1956 proclaimed the Naga Federal Government with a President, Parliament and Ministers under the leadership of Mr. Z.A.Phizo. The first flag of the Naga federal Government was unfurled in 1956 at Phensinyu, a Rengma village. In the following years a virtual undeclared war was fought between the Indian army and the Federal Government. Unfortunately, the innocent Naga`s bore the brunt of the hardships. Villages were relocated. Without any prior warnings, the villagers would be ordered out of their houses and the village torched. Innocent villagers were often tortured and beaten if suspected in aiding the insurgents. On the other hand, the insurgents also killed Naga`s suspected of collaborating. Businessmen, Government servants, villagers ordinary citizens are often compelled to ‘donate’ grain and cash for the cause of the Naga`s. By the end of the 50`s and 60`s many Naga’s had wearied of the violence and the disruption of their lives and longs for PEACE till this day.
An organization of Naga leaders called the NPC (Naga People`s Convention) was formed for negotiation the settlement for peace. They held meetings attended by large numbers of villagers and delegates representing all the Naga tribes. It was decided that the Naga`s should opt for statehood within the Indian Union. In 1963 the Naga Hills districts of the state of Assam was granted Statehood. From then it was to be called Nagaland. The NPC became a political party called the NNO (Naga national Organization). It formed the first Government of Nagaland after gaining majority in the elections. The Federal Government refused to settle for anything short of total independence and continued to fight the Indian Army. It also targeted the Naga`s who had led the movement of peace and statehood and attempted to assassinate leaders. There was still no peace in Nagaland. Negotiations initiated by the Nagaland Baptist Church Council with Reverend Michael Scott as mediator resulted in a cease-fire in 1964 but the basic differences between the NNC and NPC remained irreconcilable. In 1966 negotiations broke down. The cease fire had brought an end to the war like situation in the state but sporadic encounters between the NNC and Indian Army continued. In 1972 the Indian Government formally terminated the cease fire. By that time NNC had forged links with China and other insurgency movements in neighboring Burma (Myanmar) where some of them based their camps; but, dissent within the organization had grown and by 1975 a faction of the NNC living within Nagaland signed a Peace treaty known as the Shillong Accord with the Government. Another factions calling itself NSCN (National Socialist Council of Nagaland) led by Mr. Muivah, condemned the move and continues to fight for independence. Today the NNC and the NSCN have further both split within themselves into splinter groups each competing for supremacy and legitimacy as the official representative of the Naga independence movement ….and of course we have another chapter in the history of the Nagas- the ongoing peace talks between the Naga leaders and the Indian government.

Good reading...
the movement in Nagaland is `pre-historic` , these people had been fighting for their rights for centuries - first against the feudal then with the Raj & now they are fighting with India for their right of self-determination .
There are two types of people in Nagaland; one who thinks that Indians had been treating them as a `colony` & these people wants provisional autonomy while the other group which is supported by the masses especially in rural areas wants ‘freedom’. Indians started this peace process which has restored some peace in Nagaland but I have doubts since the issue is not just of provisional autonomy, the issue is of freedom - where the Naga people do not wants talks under Indian Constitution & Indians believe in pro-longing the negotiation process - so to me the peace process is just another trick by Indian Establishment to `pin-point` the organizational structure of Nagaland. It’s clear the situation in Nagaland is not like in Kashmir but even worse where these people also are covertly helped by the Chinese Liberation Army & obviously India(s) Most Favored Nation.