A lesson to learn from Scottish Referendum (18 September 2014) Today’s Scottish referendum whether to remain part of the United Kingdom or to become an Independent State has open a new chapter in political discourse around the world. Scottish struggle for Independent State is not a recent movement. The oldness of its struggle for Independent is captured in a Hollywood movie titled Braveheart, played by Mel Gibson, based on the life and struggle of the Scottish hero name William Wallace. Despite of its long struggle, Scottish continues to remain integral part of the United Kingdom. This led me to thinking two questions. Firstly, despite of the political conflict and differences how the English and the Scottish co-operate each other on a range of different issues, making United Kingdom stronger both at domestic as well as at the international platform? This was aptly described in British PM David Cameroon passionate speech, appealing both to the Scottish people and other citizens of the United Kingdom how they are better as a United Country. The interesting thing is how he used logic, cooperation, acknowledgement of how important they are to each other, facts about how they have economically stronger as one country, how socially and politically they benefitted from each other in their long association. Here are some of the excerpts of PM Cameroon speech urging his countrymen and women why Scotland is important for the UK and why people of all the other three Nations; the Whales, England and North Ireland must talk to Scottish people why they should stay with the UK. Mr. Cameron gives fours reasons why the UK is stronger with Scotland. I just want to bring some of the points that he mentioned. He gave a list of the Scottish strengths – that includes historic universities like Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and St. Andrews; great industries: from food processing to financial services, from ship-building to science. It is very unfortunate to say that Naga under the Indian State control there is not a single medical or engineering institution or college in all the Nagas areas in NE. Not even a single business enterprise that you can identified as the indigenous product of Naga in the Indian market not to mention at the global market. I wonder what PM of India will have to say to the people of India and to the Nagas why Naga should stay with the Indian Union. On the contrary what we see in our case is just the opposite. There is no room for cooperation and accommodation but always silencing the voice of the Nagas, torturing, destruction of economy, constant threat to the cultural and customary practices of the Nagas, ever ready to exploit the natural resources of the Nagas without their consent, dividing Nagas into different administrative jurisdiction consequently engineering to de-Naganize that falls outside the jurisdiction of the present Nagaland State, imposition of various colonial laws such as Assam Maintenance of Public Order Act of 1953, Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958, Nagaland Security Regulation Act of 1962, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, in 1972, Maintenance of Internal security Act (MISA) under Indira Gandhi’s Emergency in 1975 and the list can go on and on. It is high time that the Indian State face the reality. India should not exist in the idea of insecurity of breaking apart if certain minority Nations like Nagas and Kashmir get separated from India. If one Nation does not have a freedom to divorce from the Union then it is a force Union and it cannot be called as Union either. History has adequately given us a lesson that such Kingdom or a State does not survive long. If Indian State really wanted to protect the Union then the State and the people at large must be allowed to engage in dialogue. Voice of the minority Nations within the Indian State has to be respected. Their voice must be well presented in the “Idea of the India”. If at all the minority Nations has to be part of India then there must be a valid argument and opportunity for them too, it cannot be one sided. If things does not work out then divorce is inevitable. Otherwise, the result will always be undesirable for all. The second question will be for the Nagas, Kashmiris and Indians to think how Scottish was able to effectively engage with English, Wales and Irish in the “mainstream” and at same time how they were able to continue their political struggles. What I see in our case is a total disregard and indifference in Indian State; no doubt it can be because of the constant betrayal and antagonistic stance toward the voice and aspiration of the resisting people such as Nagas and Kashmiris. Even if we see the case of India’s freedom movement we can discern many examples how well integrated and cooperative many Heroes of India’s Independent Movement including father of Indian State Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and others in the system of British India. Some of my Indian friends often try to belittle us by arguing that the Indian State is doing a great favour through various financial grants to the State like Nagaland and Kashmir. Or question like why you study in Delhi or Indian University, why hold Indian passport etc. I am tired of explaining that Indian State is not doing any favour but playing a colonial politics like the British empire were doing in India by favouring the Zamindaris, in the same way they are investing in purchasing Nagas such as politicians to do work for them in forcefully occupying the territory. If you look around all the “Naga Cousins” (read as South East Asian countries” barring Burma, they all are doing far better than India in many areas especially in economy. If there is one reason why our economy is the way it is today it is all because of Indian State occupation. Moreover just because Chinese President Xi Jinping or Japanese PM Shinzo Abe announces monetary investment worth US$100 billion and US$35 billion respectively to be spend within five years, does not mean than Indians should become Chinese or Japanese. These amounts are something India’s is not capable of investing in any part of India the way India will invest through this FDI; forget about those occupied areas such as Nagaland or Kashmir. And Nagas are not fool where to find a business partner whether in India’s side of territory or in Yunan Province. For passport issue; India please leave Nagaland and I am sure all Nagas will be so proud and happy to hold “Republic of Nagaland” Passport, we are as inconvenient as Mahatma Gandhi or Nehru would be to Hold British passport during the British rule in India, it is a matter of circumstances. Lastly, let us draw a lesson from what is happening in the UK, see how they flourish together despite of the political conflict. How the culture and economy of Scottish people could flourish even though they are part of the Union to which they have been in conflict for a very long period of time. Such situation creates many Scots to even favour for a strong Union, thus opinion poll project that 52% are for Union. Indian State needs to grow its political maturity and wisdom, high time to get over with colonial hangover. Your former master after poisoning you have walk a long miles away for better! Wake up!
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 21:03:56 +0000
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