Some Nagas are not happy with India.

[SR 71 Blackbird]

'Most Nagas do not want the Indian state of Nagaland'.

One of India's smallest states is also among its biggest conundrums. With a history as chequered and intriguing as its topography, Nagaland is a bewildering mosaic of social and geopolitical complexities. In his book Nagaland: A Journey to India's Forgotten Frontier, British journalist Jonathan Glancey tries to take a closer look at Nagaland. He shares his findings with Harsh Kabra :

Why a book on Nagaland?

Because Nagaland is such a forgotten corner of the world. It isn't at all well known even in India, and it is much misunderstood. I had known about the Naga hills from childhood. For me, at that stage of life, and as someone with a great love for India, this was a Secret Garden or Lost Kingdom, a land from a Kipling story. As I grew up, I remained curious. When I finally went to Nagaland in the early 1980s, I had the opportunity - not as a journalist - to tell the story of a people and a place that deserve recognition. I have been astonished by how little people in India know about Nagaland and its extraordinary history. Here, aside from a fascinating people with a rich culture, is a land that has been a junction box for political ambitions that have shaped the world. This is where the Japanese nearly invaded India in 1944. This is where China might have invaded in 1962. For any number of reasons, Nagaland matters.

Didn't you come across varying, even contradictory, narratives of history?

I would say that the vast majority of Naga people want independence from India. Being forced into Indian citizenship when the state of Nagaland was created in 1963 only strengthened the resolve of most Nagas. From then on, to fight for Nagalim - the dream of a greater Nagaland embracing all Naga tribes across state and international borders - meant being a subversive or traitor. This has not gone down well with Naga people. Of course, there are those who do well working with the federal government and in modern business, and these people - a small minority - do have a less intransigent view of where Nagaland stands in relation to India.

What is at the root of the Naga scepticism towards India?

Nagas were promised their freedom by Mahatma Gandhi. This offer was revoked, and brutally so as events proved, by Jawaharlal Nehru and his successors. So there is a lack of trust. Nagas come from a very different background and culture. They still want their own country, much, perhaps, as the Irish did when ruled by Britain.

Isn't Nagaland more at peace now with its current identity?

Nagas are very happy with the idea of being Nagas; their attachment to their beautiful hills is profound. India cannot truly understand Nagaland because most Nagas do not want the Indian state of Nagaland. If more Indians were able or willing to travel through Nagaland, I think they would understand. After all, Indians worked hard for their independence. They, of all people, should understand the dream of an independent Nagaland.

Can modern India's economic might counterpoise the Naga desire for independence?

The desire for independence is deep-rooted. The Look East policy, driving economic development into Nagaland and the northeast generally, has helped many people in a matter-of-fact way. Yet, whenever I speak with Naga people, no matter how seemingly integrated into modern Indian life and even the global economy, I hear a longing for an independent Nagalim. And,as Nagas, whether villagers or professors in North America, told me, Nagaland is not for sale.

'Most Nagas do not want the Indian state of Nagaland' - The Times of India

---------- Post added at 11:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:31 AM ----------

Baseless Propaganda.

 

[praveen]

the irish crap

 

[senselesstalk]

Why not these Europeans liberate Scotland, Wales, Ireland... they are crying for liberation

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

I had known about the Naga hills from childhood.

Indicates parentage from the Baptist Missionaries, who were the ones who converted Nagas in a big way and propped up Phizo!

Obviously, he has to be proud of what message his parents taught the Nagas to believe.

 

[SR 71 Blackbird]

Why not these Europeans liberate Scotland, Wales, Ireland... they are crying for liberation

They think they are going to be heroes by talking about this.

 

[mikkieB]

Well, we can't please everybody. There are still antagonist thus, there are really unhappy with India. Lets just understand them.

 

[senselesstalk]

Well, we can't please everybody. There are still antagonist thus, there are really unhappy with India. Lets just understand them.

There are lots of people in Europe & America's who are not happy. They want to get to be liberated, So India should go and liberate them from these western & European countries hegemony. I think that is not wrong.

 

[Infinity]

Indicates parentage from the Baptist Missionaries, who were the ones who converted Nagas in a big way and propped up Phizo!

Obviously, he has to be proud of what message his parents taught the Nagas to believe.

Nagas were converted to Christianity Long before they joined Indian Union

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Nagas were converted to Christianity Long before they joined Indian Union

At the end of the 19th Century there were according to census data an insignificantly small number of Christians living within Nagaland.

In the thirty years between 1870 and 1900 the British annexed Nagaland and from 1900 various Baptist missionaries were invited to proselytise in the region. They were aided by an effort to educate the local population in schools and universities.

History of Naga Separatist Movement dates back to late 1929 when 'Naga Club' submitted a memorandum before the Simon Commission demanding exclusion of Nagas from the proposed constitutional reform in British administration in India. They pleaded that: "Before the British Government conquered our country in 1879-80, we were living in state of intermittent warfare with the Assamese … They never conquered us nor (were) we subjected to their rule". Our language is quite different from those people of the plains and we have no social affinities with either Hindus or Muslims. We were looked down upon by one for our beef and other for our pork" (Politics and Militancy in Nagaland by Kuhoi K.Zhimomi, Deep and Deep Publications Private Ltd. New Delhi, 2004, page 27).

Since Nagas were not an organised community, the British formed a Naga Club in 1918 with a view to understand the socio-administrative problems of different rival Naga clans and accordingly included some of the Christianised village heads as its members. The move behind the memorandum was therefore, a hidden agenda of the alien power to ensure the isolation of this territory from the mainland freedom movement.

First time the Nagas came in contact with outside world only through the British and subsequently through Indian and Japanese soldiers during Second World War, when a section of them led by Angami Zapu Phizo had joined the unified command of Japan and INA led by Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and fought against the British. It is ironical that after the war the same Phizo became a pawn in the hands of the same colonial power when the latter was in winding up mode and negotiation for granting Independence to India began.

Inspired with the success of Pakistan movement a section of educated youth under the inducement of some Christian missionaries and support of some foreign powers expressed their reservation against amalgamation of Naga territory with Indian Union. When departure of colonial Government from India became a reality, they also started pleading that Nagas are a separate nation and demanded secession of their territories on the line of Pakistan. Accordingly they converted the Naga Club into a political organisation known as Naga National Council (NNC) in March 1946 with Imti Aliba Ao as its first President......

The colonial power was aware of the inter-clan rivalry of the Nagas and therefore did not respond favourably to the demand of the NNC. Thus, under the patronage of Christian Missionaries the NNC unilaterally declared Independent Naga Hills on August 14, 1947 just one day before Indian Independence and observed Naga Independence Day. Angami Zapu Phizo took a leading role in this revolt, which however was suppressed by the Government. Naga insurgency as we see today is therefore rooted to this Naga Movement engineered by Phizo.....

With the support of Christian Missionaries like Rev. Michel Scott and others Phizo emerged as the supreme leader of Nagas by arousing political consciousness among them. He mobilised his people as freedom fighters for liberation of their territories from Indian occupation and gave a call for boycott of first General election in Naga Hills. Boycott of election followed by his politics of militancy was a direct challenge to the Government of India, which compelled the latter to declare Naga Hills a disturbed area.

http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/\papers13\paper1256.html

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

The first American Baptist missionaries, Edward W. Clark and his wife, Mary, arrived in 1872, when it was considered extremely risky to minister to the Nagas' headhunting culture. But the Clarks served faithfully for 21 years in the hill country and helped establish a lasting Christian influence. By the 1890s, the British, who maintained a colonial presence in Nagaland, had outlawed headhunting.

The church grew slowly at first, and then in great spurts during revivals in 1956 and 1966. A third revival took place in 1972, the same year evangelist Billy Graham and an associate, Akbar Haqq, held a three-day November crusade in Kohima with 500,000 people attending.

Let us not underestimate the evangelist zeal of the Church and imposition of western culture and thought as also dividing people.

I hope you have read about the South Korean 'aid workers' who came to assist in Afghanistan's development. They turned out to be evangelists and caused an international spat when the Muslim locked them up and wanted to behead them!!

Heard of Rice Christians?

A rice Christian is someone who has formally declared himself/herself a Christian for material benefits like free food. It is usually not for religious reasons. The term is often used pejoratively.

The term comes from Asian countries, such as India, in which local populations were suffering economically under Western colonialism and unequal treaties nominally converted to Christianity in hopes of getting food from Christian missionaries. Concerns have been expressed both by Christian missionaries and by those opposed to Christian missions that people in these situations are nominally converting to Christianity in order to receive charity or material advancements.

And guess what my religion is?

All I will say is hypocrisy is what I find most abhorring.

 

[justanobserver]

At the end of the 19th Century there were according to census data an insignificantly small number of Christians living within Nagaland.

In the thirty years between 1870 and 1900 the British annexed Nagaland and from 1900 various Baptist missionaries were invited to proselytise in the region. They were aided by an effort to educate the local population in schools and universities.

Quite similar to the stuff these Europeans did in Africa

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Let us be frank.

The Christian missionaries, their hospitals, their schools, colleges and charity has done much for people around the world.

But then I find that the agenda they sometimes have, as in Nagaland, is a bit jarring.

As an Indian one cannot subscribe to their acts, not even those who are of the same Faith!

The Honour, Safety and Welfare of our country comes first, always and everytime!

 

[Infinity]

Let us be frank.

The Christian missionaries, their hospitals, their schools, colleges and charity has done much for people around the world.

But then I find that the agenda they sometimes have, as in Nagaland, is a bit jarring.

As an Indian one cannot subscribe to their acts, not even those who are of the same Faith!

The Honour, Safety and Welfare of our country comes first, always and everytime!

I agree with you that not even an inch should be separated from Indian Union.
But that doesn't mean that you can bash a religion for their misdeeds.
It will hurt our Christian Brothers.

 

[lonelyone]

They are in Bangladesh, too. I went there on a vist to the Eastern regions, couldn't find a single Buddhist village. All of them were Baptist Christians. Conversion is taking place village by village, not person to person.

They (Baptist missionaries) are very active in South Korea, Japan, China and India, the economic giants of the region.

Sometimes I wonder whether its a long-term strategic plan.

---------- Post added at 08:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:58 PM ----------

But I guess if they start fighting themselves (Buddhists vs Christians), there will be no anti-state activities there.