52 DAYS OF 2005 & OVER 2 MONTHS OF 2010
Since time immemorial Nagas were one people, one culture and one nation; free, sovereign and self contained. The British Empire unsuccessfully tried to conquer the Naga territory. Lord Dalhousie’s policy toward the Nagas was –
“Allow the Nagas to exterminate themselves so as to create a buffer zone of no man’s land between British India and British Burma.” (Delhi Archive).
Sir Robert Raid, a political agent in Manipur, who later on became the Governor of Assam stated –
“The Nagas are not Indian in any sense of the word, neither in origin, nor in language nor in appearance nor in habit nor in outlook.”
Mahatma Gandhiji, the father of the Indian nation categorically told the NNC Leaders on July 19, 1947 during their meeting at Bhangi, New Delhi –
“… I believe in the brotherhood of man, but I do not believe forced unions. If you do not wish to join the Union of India, nobody will force you do that. The Congress will not do that.”
However, India forcefully included the Naga territories in the Indian Union and split them up in different political and administrative areas. On May 13, 1956, Jawaharlal Nehru wrote a letter to Medhi –
“…One of their grievances is that under our Constitution we split them up in different political areas. Whether it is possible or desirable to bring them together again is for us to consider…” (Nehru’s letter No.1116 – PMH/56 New Delhi, May 13, 1956).
Nagas are still separated in the four states of India, namely - Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.
Nagas in Manipur are unfortunate lot. The Meiteis who are majority have been exploiting the SC/STs and the minorities, and suppressing their rights, forcing them even to learn the Meitei script (Meitei Mayek).
Much has been said and written against the Nagas. Meiteis have conveniently made use of the media – be it the local dailies, the TV or the Radio. They have exploited the Nagas. They have insulted the very people on whose land they traverse, and whose resources they enjoy. The way they have brought shame and dishonor to their own womenfolk by bribing them to strip naked in front of the Assam Rifles at the Kangla Gate in July 15, 2004 shows what extreme means they can employ in order to get what they want.
The Meitei underground organizations siphoned out large sums of the Government money meant for the development and sustenance of the SC/ST and the Minority Muslims to establish a parallel Government with Sajik Tampak as their Head Office. That was the time when the whole state of Manipur went without salaries for months. Many Heads of Depts. had begun to attend office there. The Meitei UGs had already started to harass the tribals in Chandel and Churachandpur districts. Had it not been for the timely intervention of the Indian Army, they would have succeeded in staging a coup.
Another shocking incident happened in 2006 towards our brother Hmar community; 21 innocent Hmar girls were mass raped in Parbung area, Tipaimukh sub-division Churachandpur district by Manipur Valley based Meitei underground groups (Manipur Peoples’ Army).
And hundreds of innocent villagers lost their lives and over hundreds without limbs over the last 3/4 years due to landmine blasts and booby traps planted by Manipur valley based militants in Chandel, Churachandpur and Tamenglong districts.
There is global movement to ban the use of landmines, as they have become a threat to the humanity. And thousands of innocent people mostly in underdeveloped and developing countries have lost their lives, while thousands were maimed, besides forcing them to become refugees. There are about 26,000 landmine casualties every year in the world and most of them are women and children. There are estimated 110 million unexploded landmines around the world and about 1/5 of it is located in Africa. NSCN signed the International Anti-landmine Treaty, ever first signatory among the insurgencies in Northeast India.
Inspite of this, India did not withhold anything that was good from the Meiteis: She helped the Meiteis to learn the Hindi language, Hindustani music, imbibe her religion and brought about all-round progress and development in the state. This highly raised the standard of the Meiteis. The Meiteis reciprocated by banning the Hindi language and movies and burned Hindi literature and audio-video cassettes.
It was the Bengali script that has made the Meiteis what they are today. And now the Meiteis have condemned and burned all the books written in Bengali script and even once banned the local dailies for publishing in the Bengali script. They went to the extent of burning the State Central Library. They had another motive in doing this – to destroy the reservoir of knowledge and historical facts of the Nagas and other tribals.
Most of today’s educated and elite Meiteis owe their beginning to the Christian mission schools. They have strange ways of showing their gratitude – by killing the Catholic priests, brothers and sisters, demanding huge sums from the very institutions that had cradled and nursed them in their school days, and burning down the Christian churches, exhuming the dead bodies of Christians from the cemeteries.
Not satisfied with these, they resorted to systematic ethnic cleansing – the victims were Assamese, Bengalis, Biharis, Marwaris, Punjabis, Nepalese, South-Indians and other non-Manipuri's. Slogans like ‘Go back foreigners’ rent the air. And those who dared to stay on were forced to pay heavily in order to raise and strengthen the many Meitei underground organizations that had mushroomed. They even killed hundreds of Muslims. By latest threat ‘Quit Notice’ from RPF, dozens of Indians left Imphal valley, leaving behind their huge activities and properties.
On 14 June, 2001, after over 5 decades of fighting between the Nagas and India, a cease-fire between the two was extended to all Nagas inhabited areas. The Meiteis were against this (the only community in the world against a cease-fire)! They wanted the Nagas and the Indians to continue killing each other. They chanted slogans like – ‘There are no Nagas in Manipur’ (because all the Nagas in Manipur are in the four hill districts of Manipur – namely – Chandel, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul), ‘We oppose extension of cease-fire in Manipur’. They even criticized Christianity – the faith of the tribals in Manipur, calling it ‘foreign’ and ‘American’.
On 18 June, 2001, the Meiteis
1) burnt the Indian national flag and the constitution and hoisted the Pakhangba flag (7 colour flag).
2) burnt the State Legislative Assembly Hall.
3) ransacked the CM’s bungalow, MLA’s quarters and burnt their vehicles.
4) finally, they made an attempt on the Governor’s life. However, the Governor’s security men foiled their evil plan. 18 rioters were shot.
Now the most interesting part is that the Government of Manipur (Meitei), in her great wisdom has proudly declared those 18 rioters as martyrs and June 18 (that day of looting and arson) as Integrity day and state holiday. It was for this reason that the ANSAM called for the economic blockade of 52 days in 2005. Various Naga organizations are also supporting this just cause.
However, seeing the sufferings and hardships faced by the common people in Manipur, and heeding the appeals of the various organizations like NBCC, AMCO, NESO, AASU, MZP, KSA, etc., and valuing the requests of the Prime Minister and Home Minister of India to the Naga Hoho delegation including UNC and Outer Manipur MP, Mani Charenamai, and responding to the Manipur CM to hold talks on the issue, the NSF and the ANSAM, in consultation with the Naga Hoho and other civil organizations have relaxed the Economic Blockade temporarily on NHs 39 & 53 w.e.f. 12 noon of 11 August, 2005.
At this time again, Manipur Government interestingly imposed the ADC election under the Manipur (Hill Area) District Council Act (Third Amendment) 2008 in the hill districts without the consent of the hills people. This Act and Rules will only invigorate further the dangerous elements of exploitation against the tribals. This Act is literally an act of invasion on the polity, economy, religion, customs and tradition of the hill people of Manipur. Once election is held under this Act, we will be victims of economic and political exploitation and stagnation for another generation to come.
In order to protect and safeguard the younger generations, the Naga student body, the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM), who is for the students welfare no other option, but to call another economic blockade and started since 12th April, 2010. But still, Manipur government deaf to the public outcry due to acute shortage of essential commodities by blockade. And, instead of solving the problem Manipur government sticks to their decisions with the forces to subjugate the tribal rights.
In the event of the Manipur state government’s failure to resolve the issue, Naga people will be compelled to take appropriate course of action for which the state government of Manipur will be held responsible for any unwarranted consequences.
**The author is a a Research & Observer and based in Senapati, Manipur.
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