Shamsuddin Ahmed
India’s Home Minister Rajnath will visit Assam next week in a bid to expedite the peace process with pro-talks factions of separatist outfits of northeast India. Peace talks held occasionally continued for years raising mistrust and giving birth of fresh groups of militants fighting for independence from India. Maoist insurgents have joined the hardliners fading out the hopes of peace. The Modi government felt the urgency for resolving the problem amid reports that the outfits based in camps along the border with Myanmar were receiving external support.
Reports trickled down from across the border said the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) and United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), the main militant outfits, have made it clear they will not comprise on question of independence. Pro-talks made of leaders captured by the government viewed that peace-talks is a ploy of Delhi to buy time and close in on the militant groups continued fighting.
NSCN fighting since 1960s
NSCN, the oldest party that fought fierce battle with government forces in ’60s, said Nagas will neither accept the Indian constitution nor be a part of Indian Union. Nagaland was never a part of India either through conquest or by consent of Nagas. India and Nagaland must be two separate countries. It, India. In that event also should in case another country attacks Nagaland, India may come to its aid because if Nagaland is in danger from an external force it would be a threat to India too. But Nagaland would have no obligation to come to India’s aid if it is attacked by another country.
Thinoselie Keyho, a veteran of NSCN and former Lt General of Naga Liberation Army pointing to activities of the hardliners group had said, “You must prepare to fight for peace.”
The other separatist outfits active in the northeast Indian states are National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) of Assam, United National Front and Maoist Communist Party of Manipur, All Tripura Tiger Force of Tripura and Garo National Liberation Army of Meghalaya. They have expressed identical stand with NSCN. In Mizoram, the tribes were united under the banner of Mizo National Front (MNF) that started claiming independence early in 1960 and declared independence in February 1968. Indian army suppressed them and forced the outfit to go underground.
Northeast India is inhabited by Mongolian tribes who have close ethnic and cultural ties with tribes of China, Tibet and Burma. Baring Khasias and Jaintias of Meghalaya almost all hill tribes belong to Tibet-Chinese fold and to Tibet-Burma family. They are culturally, ethnically and linguistically different from people of all other states of India.
Genesis of Nagaland movement
Nagaland has suffered the most and endured ordeals in its long history of fight for independence. Its tribes had been conquered and ruled by the British. With the fall of British Raj, Nagaland celebrated the Independence Day on August 14, 1947. Gandhi supported their desire for independence. But centrally controlled enthusiastic Pandit Nehru pounded the table saying Nagaland would not be given independence even if the sky falls on earth. He sent the army that had ruthlessly suppressed the Nagas.
Speaking about the genesis of Naga movement, octogenarian Thinoselie Keyho had said exposed to the nationalistic fervour that gripped Europe during World War I, Naga workers returning from France took the first step towards creating a unified identity by forming the Naga Club (NC) in 1918. As cohesiveness grew among the 16 Naga tribes, the NC gave way to the Naga National Council (later renamed as Nation Socialist Council of Nagaland) under whose leadership started the movement. For more than six decades they have been struggling for freedom. But the battle is not over yet.
Thinoselie Keyho, one of the driving forces of the NSCN was in Delhi’s Tihar Jail for four years in the ‘70s. Citing an instance woes of Nagas he said Assam Rifles came to his village and killed two Gao Buras (village leaders). They tied them and put them on display at the village square. The troop leader mocked them as they lay there dead, tied to a bamboo pole. He warned us that we would suffer the same fate.
Northeast rebels appear firm
Such cruel incidents angered instead of discouraging them. The tribal had to avenge the deaths of fellow tribal. Failing to hold the first national elections in Nagaland as Nagas totally boycotted the polls, the government launched the war on Nagas. India offered general amnesty in 157-58 and used peace talks to buy time to close in on the rebels. But before they could do it a group of 300 rebels under the leadership of Issac Muivah went to China in 1968 seeking assistance to their war of independence.
They reached China after three months of arduous journey. When reached near the Hokan Valley in Burma, the Kochin Independence Army took them to the Chinese border camp. The Chinese were surprised. They kept Naga rebels in the camp for 10 days, waiting for the translators to arrive. It was tough to communicate before that because no one spoke English. Once the translators came the Naga rebels explained their purpose. The Chinese took them to the barracks and trained them in combat, taught military strategy and also gave political and psychosocial training.
Gen Thinoselie led half of the group back home while Muivah stayed. Armed with AKs (Naga rebels were the first to have AKs in India) their morale was high as they were better trained and equipped. They numbering 60 were once surrounded by 2,000 Indian troops. Naga rebels inflicted heavy losses to the Indian Army, around 300 troops were killed.
The peace talks are unlikely to achieve tangible result as the spirit of the militant groups continuing the fight for independence with external support.
Source: Weekly Holiday
