Tnt Apr Cover Story 32-33

Nagaland

Cover Story

Cover Story

turn in history of NE militancy

When Naga insurgency is called mother of all insurgencies in Northeast, it suffered big blow when ethnic rivalry caused split in the NSCN into two groups one led by Issac and Muivah called NSCN(IM) and another by Khaplang called NSCN(K). Of the three prominent insurgent leaders while Issac Chisi is a Sema Naga, Muivah is a Tangkhul Naga of Manipur. Khaplang on the other hand belongs to Konyak Naga sub-tribe largely settled in Myanmar. The Naga struggle saw a major upheaval in the following years when members of each group were baying for the4 blood of their brothers from the other section. Asa recently as

in March this year, the NSCN-IM accused the rival Khaplang faction and top brass of the Indian army collaborating to eliminate top Sumi leaders working in the Isak-Muivah faction of the outfit. The NSCN-IM alleged that Rs. 10 lakh per head had been offered by the top officer of the Indian security forces to the NSCN-K for killing the Sumi leaders working in the NSCN-IM. The two NSCN factions are operating a ceasefire with New Delhi. The NSCN-IM is currently holding talks with the Indian government after entering into a truce in 1997. The Khaplang faction is yet to begin formal peace talks although it entered into a truce in 2001. But the two groups have been engaged in a bitter turf war for territorial supremacy in their area and during these three years of turf war, more than 200 rebels were killed in separate clashes between the two warring groups.

Lucky Jamir

Former Chief Minister of Nagaland and now the Governor of Goa, Mr 32

April 08

S.C. Jamir is probably the only man in India who survived as many as four attempts on his life during the past one decade. The latest attempt was on November 24 last year, when some unidentified assailants ambushed his convoy near Changki village while he was travelling from his ancestral residence in Mokokchung district in Nagaland to Dimapur at around 6:30 am. Suspected underground rebels am-

bushed his convoy using mortar shells near a bridge on the hilly road. A couple of security personnel received minor injuries in the attack though the former Nagaland Chief Minister escaped unhurt. Earlier, the Naga rebel group NSCN-IM, which is now in truce with government of India, made three abortive attempts of his life, including the one on November 29, 1999. This time, the NSCN-IM had banned Mr Jamir from coming to his home state accusing him of being antiNaga. The NSCN-IM is apprehensive of Jamir’s attempts to make a comeback in the state politics by contesting the forthcoming assembly elections on a Congress ticket. But the outfit washed off its hands from the incident saying that the attacked was “stage managed”.

Apartheid and division within

Northeast in general was taken a back when a booklet under the name and style “Security Tips For North-

nagaland East Students/visitors in Delhi” stereotyped the Northeast girls not only for their dressing style, but also for food habits. And want to know who had drafted this – It was Robin Hibu of West Delhi police. It was a vitriolic impression therein whamming and prodding to the students of Northeast who are/were undergoing training or studies in various vocational and general trades/streams inclusive of casual/habitual commuters at Delhi on the use of dress bracketing revealing dress, the manner of having dishedup foods and preparation and cooking regimen and cuisine items which we may term it “food habits.” In this context, it is said, revealing dress is no more a fresh ones as people have been evidenced for the past many decades. No doubt, revealing dress, beauty contest, body fitness fever became acceptable to the women of Indian soil circa 1980s. This kind of changing trend in dressing is/was seen on the screen, mega cities dotted in the urbanized areas as a fashion influenced by the western civilization. Besides school/college uniforms, most of the students from the length and breadth of the country who camp at Delhi appears to have used/attired varieties of clothes of which mention may be made of traditional dress, chic-design, glitz, grunge, trendy casuals (short-wears, jean jackets, trousers) etc. are being used according to time and place and comforting the clothes. Questions can be raised whether Delhi girls are always well dressed? When they reveal their vital statistics – it does not evoke or provoke any Delhite, but when NE girls put on their casuals and in what they are most comfortable, it provokes those guys who are always on the look for some girls to display their sparks of manhood (sic). Its also unfortunate the way Northeast girls were portrayed in Bollywood movies like Lalkaar and Haqueeqat. Apartheid and stereotyping is what is destroying our social fabric, causing a division within. April 08

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