My attention has been drawn on the resurfacing of my article written in January 2024 with regard to donations towards construction of historic Ram Mandir at Ayodhya in UP by present prominent Naga leaders, Naga academia, officers and businessmen in Kohima, Dimapur and other places of this beautiful hilly state. I published this news article to establish the sobriety of Naga samaj who contributed very generously towards the construction of historic Ram Mandir. The list of contributors include Governor of Nagaland, Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Neiphiu Rio ji, Dy. Chief Minister Shri Y. Patton ji, Dy. Chief Minister Shri T. R. Zeliangji and Prominent BJP leader Shri M. ChubaAoji Natonal Vice President of BJP and thus the list goes on. But what is wrong with that? Should they have refused the donation when approached humbly for such a historic noble cause? Imagine, if Shri Neiphiu Rio ji had refused the donation, the other political leaders and Naga well-wishers would also have hesitated or refused the donation. This historic blunder would have gone into the pages of history. And I would have written the report in print, electronic and social media. In that case, the generous and all-inclusive image of Naga samaj would have harmed. These Naga leaders and prominent Naga personalities are very close to prominent Hindu leaders at Delhi, Dimapur, Kohima and other prominent towns and district places of Nagaland. No Hindu festival and Hindu festive occasion is exception where Naga friends and well-wishers including top-ranking political leaders and officers have not voluntarily donated, on approach or voluntarily.
It is not for the first time that a Naga Chief Minister, some of his cabinet colleagues, Naga IAS officers, Naga businessmen and Naga moneyed men have contributed towards building of Hindu mandirs in and outside of Nagaland. Shri Vizol Angami donated Rs 25,000/- (Rupees twenty five thousands only) in early 1980 towards construction of Vivekanand Rock Memorial, Kanyakumari when approached by Revered Eknath Ranadeji, Founder of Vivekanand Rock Memorial Kanyakumari accompanied with M. J. Risbud, Chief Engineer PWD Nagaland Kohima and Ramachari, the Life Worker of Vivekanand Kendra, Kanyakumari and posted in Kohima. Vivekanand Kendra was running its office in Dr. K. K. Angami’s building near TCP gate Kohima.
I have been General Secretary of Hindu Mandir Society, PWD Kohima for nearly three decades. The team of Hindu Mandir Society Kohima led by Prof. B. B. Kumar, Principal Science College Kohima and joined by Dr. K. K. Sharma, Pro- Vice Chancellor of Kohima Campus of NEHU Shillong, M.J. Risbud Chief Engineer PWD Nagaland Kohima, S.B. Mitra Chief Town Planner Nagaland Kohima, Nagrajan Chief Engineer PHE Nagaland Kohima, Hari Prasad Gorkha Rai a gazetted officer, Ram Pyare Mall, Ramchandra Singh and Radheshyam Mall (prominent business men in Chanmari Kohima) collected donations from Vizol, J.B. Jasoki, T. N. Angami, Vamuzo, Dr. Hokise Sema, Padma Bhushan Dr. S. C. Jamir and other Naga leaders for the construction of Hindu Mandir Kohima. I played the pivotal role. Whenever approached by us, they voluntarily donated handsome money for the construction of Hindu Mandir PWD, Kohima. At other places also, Naga political leaders and Naga moneyed men donated handsome money for the construction of Hindu Mandirs at different places in Nagaland. When approached, we also donated for the construction of church at various places. That is what the exchange of reciprocal love and regard with each other.
Even after the appreciable generosity shown by visionary and wise Naga elders at different point of time, the general image of Naga society in other parts of the country is that of anti-Hindu, anti-Hindi, secessionist and extremist American Baptist Christian because of secessionist movements led by NNCs and NSCNs from 1950 till today. Why? It is because generosity of Naga elders and Naga academia is not properly conveyed in other parts of the country. There is 1724 church in operation in Nagaland. There are 14,299 Baptist missionaries in Nagaland. The Diocese of Kohima also sustains hundreds of Catholic Church leaders including 49 dioceses and priests, 11 religious priests (Catholic missionary). Other denominations of Church are also in thousands in number. Why is then disturbance in Nagaland? Where is peace in Christian majority state of Nagaland? It is because of the policy of isolation and opposition to the policy of assimilation adopted by British invaders is still in continuation in Christian majority state of Nagaland. The continuation of ILP and Article 371A of constitution in Nagaland are big hurdle in the process of assimilation and industrialization of the state.
To clear the cloud in a humble way, I wrote that report in local and regional media to inform the nation about the sobriety and true picture of Naga leadership in particular and Naga samaj in general. I have also written a voluminous book “Purvottarke Prahari: Nagaland”(1100 pages, Suruchi Prakashan, Delhi)(Sentinels of Northeast : Nagaland) to project the patriotic picture of Naga samaj. My other books on Naga samaj are i. “Rani Gaidinliu” (National Book Trust Delhi) ii. “Haipou Jadonang” (National Book Trust Delhi) iii. “Manipur In Flames” (Prabhat Prakashan Delhi) and iv. “Nagaland aur Hindi Shikshan” (Prabhat Prakashan, Delhi).
If all Nagas were open minded and receptive to different thoughts and social movements and demographic change through religious shift could be avoided, such type of problems and controversies would have not come up, not even Naga insurgency. The religious shift of Nagas to Christianity and change of demography from Hindu to foreign religion are the root cause of all the problems. This has altered the Naga native perception, ideology and belief system. The indigenous and primordial Naga minds and social activists and thinkers should contemplate and do brain-storming muse before it is too late. There are forces at work in Nagaland who encourages isolation and discourages assimilation.
(The views expressed are those of the writer and not of the newspaper)
