Great Greek philosopher Socrates once sarcastically remarked, "There is nothing wrong or surprising if children are afraid of darkness, but it is disturbing and dangerous when the grownups are afraid of the light!"
Needless to say, the Naga Peoples' Convention (NPC) leaders were, literally, standing at the centre of a crossroad where four different roads led to four different directions. It was a classic case, as Socrates said, of matured men "being afraid of the light!" However, all was not lost nor had people become so desperate that they were resigned to fate. They were aware that they stood at the most critical juncture of time. Something needed to be done quickly. Any dillydallying with the already volatile situation or even doing nothing would inevitably dent the Naga dignity and the Naga pride. But, as is very well said; cometh the hour, cometh the men! So, it was enough for some well-meaning over-ground Naga leaders who thought of a future, 50 years thence, and joined hands.
May I put the record straight here that those who took this momentous decision they did so with a heavy heart, literally bleeding, for all of them were aware that they were adopting an approach hitherto unknown and nobody knew not what the future had in store for them and when they would tread on this path. However, one thing: each of them was fully aware and that was a simple and humble proposition: they had the good and welfare of others in their heart and their conscience was clear. Each one could hear, loud and clear, the call of the heart! More than five decades have gone by, yet I vividly remember today how emotional we all were, how engrossed we all were in heated debates and seemingly unending arguments.
Why do I keep coming back to this period that almost belonged to no oneIJ The answer is simple. As time flew by, the comments and opinions emanating from the contemporary political debates in today's Nagaland focus on misleading facts and inadequate knowledge and reflect a flawed understanding that has already been a breeding ground for more biased interpretation of the then prevailing situation and generation of still distorted versions of the developments in 1957.
In August 1957, a shrill cry from the heart of the people for peace and normalcy, the two sides of a coin called humanity, reverberated throughout the length and breadth of the Naga area. Visionary Naga leaders held extensive discussions with a cross section of Naga people and tribes and involved anyone who showed a keen interest and passionate concern for everlasting peace. They all were energetic and bubbling with a burning desire to do something to stem the rot and let people realise that life in peacetime is much more beautiful than life torn between forces of hatred and violence! I firmly believe in the doctrine that peace creates opportunities for blossoming of the human potential and violence destroys human potential and stunts human growth. War and violence have never been the cause of prosperity or human enlightenment; rather it has always led to destruction and devastation, so much so that civilisations have been wiped out from the face of the earth! I was a firm believer of peace then and nothing has changed over the years; and I am a firm believer of peace now. Peace sows the seeds of love, tolerance, brotherhood, concern and care, a scenario where one's mind, heart and soul are clear of the long dark shadows of mistrust, hatred, contempt and jealousy that violence breeds.
The Nagas needed peace, stability and normalcy in the past, they need these now and they also need these in future. Those who are skeptical about this are obviously misled. The ground realities were vastly different when Phizo gave the call for self-determination and a separate Naga country by peaceful means. However, one crucial generation of the Nagas wasted one after another opportunity to contribute to the renaissance of Nagaland. The great cultural, social and economic revolution that could easily have transformed the landscapes of the Naga Hills could easily have galvanised the Naga into certain proactive activities and could have catapulted the Naga hope and aspiration to a much bigger stage did never happen. Instead, the enlightened Nagas, who could easily have become an immortal cog in the wheel of this renaissance, went underground leaving the over-ground Nagas under a haze of frustration, despair and suffering! Hence, the only rational step ahead was to lead the people out of such gloom and despair and lead them to peace and stability.
(Odisha Governor SC Jamir is considered the tallest living leader of Nagaland. Jamir is the only leader alive today to tell the story of creation of Nagaland as the 16th State of the Indian Union because as Joint Secretary of the NPC he was one of the signatories to the 16-Point Agreement and creation of Nagaland. Beginning his journey with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Jamir went on to become a five-time Chief Minister. He also served as Governor of Maharashtra and Goa.
His forth coming book Nagaland: 50 Years & Beyond is being released at Kohima on December 1, 2013, Nagaland Foundation Day. This article is an excerpt from this book, published by PIONEER Printing Solutions, Bhubaneswar.)