I came back from a journey and read a very interesting article in the Nagaland Post ( Jan 23) under the caption “Oh to be an Indian”, where some of our MLAs with names like Chingwangs and Changs had a tough time in convincing Chinese immigration officers that they were really genuine Indian citizens. I would like to here add a few of my own experiences and also that of some of my friends. Many times, going to foreign countries, I am held up at immigration check points in foreign airports when I present my Indian passport to the immigration officers. They would look at me with great suspicion and say that I am not an Indian citizen. But the more irritating experiences are when I return to Delhi or Kolkata airport and am held up by suspicious Indian immigration officers who would cross examine and interrogate me, saying that I am not an Indian citizen! On two occasions, when I was standing on the Indian citizen’s queue to present my passport for verification, I was told by an immigration officer to queue up in the foreigner’s queue!
Then there is this more interesting story about my friend Dr. Ashikho Daili who teaches in the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. He is also an executive member of an organization called Indian Association for Peace and Friendship with China. On one of his friendship trips to China, deputed by the JNU authorities and the Government of India, he was held up by the Chinese immigration officers for five hours at the airport on the suspicion that he was not an Indian citizen. My friend is very plumb and white and he looks more like a Korean or Japanese then a Naga. The Chinese officer probably suspected him to be a South Korean spy with a false Indian passport trying to spy on China! However, the story did not end there. When he finally returned to India after the conference, he was detained at the Delhi airport for another three hours by the Indian immigration officers on the suspicion that he was a Chinese spy trying to enter India with a false Indian passport!!!!
Our MLAs who went to China recently had an irritating experience because they were carrying Naga faces though they were carrying Indian passports after swearing their allegiance to India. Now the point I want to make here is that trying to live under a false and farcical identity will always get us into trouble wherever we go.
As for me, truthfulness to who I am is a moral, political and historical obligation. Despite all my flaws, I am a Christian and my Christianity demands that I speak and live the truth. This is because I am a follower of Jesus who is “The way the TRUTH and the life.”
As far as I am concerned, truthfulness to who one is, is the most important things in life. To elaborate on what mean; I am Kaka D Iralu of the Meyasetsu Clan of Khonoma Village. I am also an Angami and a Naga. Under this truthful identity, I cannot say or do anything I like, because my actions would implicate my family, my clan, my tribe and my Nation. However if I falsely say I am an Indian then I can say or do anything I like, became my false Indian identity will not implicate my family, clan, tribe or Nation.
The state of Nagaland is founded on the false historical, political and cultural premise that Nagas are Indians and Nagaland is India. Now to expect that something politically or economically beautiful would grow out of this false foundation is no different from planting a thorn bush and expecting that beautiful apple fruits will come out from that thorn bush. Far from beautiful apple fruits growing out of this false thorny bush of a state, what we are harvesting today is corruption, irresponsibility and a decadent law and order system where liars are millionaires and honest people are paupers. I for one refuse to accept such a system or such a future for me and my children.
Fellow Nagas, Let us stop lying and start fighting for the truth that we are Nagas and not Indians because only the truth will set us free from the tyranny of political and economic stagnation and oppression.