Nagaland church and politics:
Birthright and preservation of self identity:
People struggle for self-Identity;
By creation, God gave mankind his right to preserve his self-Identity, whether individually or collectively. This was the reason why Abraham didn't permit his son to marry canaanite girls. He sent his servent to his own country in search of a wife for his son (Isaac). Abraham said to his chief servent, you will not choose a wife for my son from the people of Canaan. You must go back to the country where I was born and get a wife for my son Isaac from my own relatives. (Genesis 25:3-6). Again, later on Isaac also said to his son Jacob: Don't marry a canaanite girls,but instead go to Mesopotamia to the home of your grandfather Bethuel and marry one of the girls there, one of your uncle Laban's daughters" (Genesis 28:1-2).
To maintain their identity, both Abraham and Isaac were strict about mixed blood. Although they become citizens of the canaanite country. They did not allow their children to marry canaanite women. And thus, throughout Israel's history, one of God constant instructions was, "Never marry a foreigner". And even two thousand years later, after the death of Abraham, Israel become a great nation and they preserved their identity. Also today after another two thousand years of Diaspora (dispersion), they still retain their identity wherever they are in any part of the world.
Now, coming back to our context ,we have to realise our own existence. Nagas are a peculiar people and our ways of living and behaviours are quite different from that of other tribes and peoples. Because of the peculiarities of the Nagas, Robert Reid (a British) gave a proposal for a 'New England ' consisting of all the Naga inhabited areas under British india.but the Labour party in England rejected the proposal. This has led to allegations that many Indians assumed foreign missionaries were to be responsible for troubles in north -east India. For instance,one Indian writer, Mr. B.P Sukhla alleged in his book, (what Ails North-east India). "Are not the seeds sown by Robert Reid now bearing poisonous fruit?" He further added, "Foreign spies are always there under the guise of missionary. It is common knowledge that Naga rebels are helped with arms and money by foreign missionary."
What a wrong conception? It was Robert Reid who foresaw the inevitable political problems that would come and so he demarcated the rights of the Naga people. He never sow the seeds of poison. Because it is people right, and that is why different ethnic groups were fighting for their identity. To prove that,the ethnic groups in Burma according to Reid plan people started fighting for their identity and this is the text of their convention.
Summary of Myanma National conventions: Covenant Adopted on 10-3-1979;
The covenant was smuggled out of Burma by an emissary of the convention and was given to observer in London on 12-4-1979.
The covenant has 31 Articles and the convention was called Myanma because that is the ancient name of Burma. The convention, a full-fledged conference of the delegates and armies of the following liberation councils, met at Thaton in Karen state on March 8-10-1979 and adopted a covenant:
1. Kachin
2. Nagas (Observers)
3. Chins
4. Shans
5. Kayaks
6. Karens
7. Mons
8. Arakanese
9. Burmese
10. B.C.P (white flag)
11. B.C.P (Red flag) both B.C.P As Observers
The covenant is a pledge taken by all and signed by all except Nagas and the two B.C.Ps.
1. To receive the AFPL (Anti-fascist peoples freedom League).
2. To establish a free, independent federation of Burma with autonomous constituent state (9th may be Nagas).
3. There will be a federal constitution and a guideline constitution for the state.
4. Defence, foreign relations, currency, communication, foreign trade with the federal subject.
5. The state may have their own constitution. Law consisting with the federal constitution.
6. The state may have their own election system.
7. There will be state legislature and cabinet government.
(Full points will be available in the Book "Nagaland church and politics"- by- V.K. Nuh).
The Matchless Naga Society:
The moment a baby is born, the custom and habits of the society into which his is born is imparted on him. By the time he is able to talk , he has a fair idea of what his culture is and as he continues to grow, he is able to take part in the cultural activities. Therefore, whether a person is born into a primitive society or into a most civilized society, he became part of the society and culture.thus his love for his country and home grows.
The Gospel of Christ was imparted to the Naga through western culture which was adopted by the Nagas without any questions. While doing this, we have disregarded our own culture. A culture which had been handed down to the growing generation by our forefathers, and this culture is one of the best cultures.
The desire to grasp the meaning of culture as a whole that compels us to consider this features as standard behaviour merely as a stepping stone leading to others problem.
One must understand that an individual is living in his culture and that the culture is lived by the individual. The interest in this socio-physiological problem is not in any opposed way to the historical approach.
Every child that is born into his society culture shares it as his heritage. Great people give their best of theories, inter changeable from the primitive to the highest modern civilization and how to know human beings living with culture. But they cannot help a man falling in love with his own culture because it is a gift of God from the dawn of history.
People can be Christian within their own traditional structure while salvation is gained through personal act of faith in Christ Jesus as personal saviour and Lord as it is purely a personal matter. Whereas, culture has to do with the society in relation to individuals.
Culture and religion are closely linked and often can hardly be separated as their elements are essentially the same. However, cultural pressure must not permit a chance of emphasis in the purity and demand of the New testament.
Every religion, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhist, Jainism, Sikhs or ideology like communism, wants to convert people to its cultural and religious views. This is seen in the working an functioning of the RSS (a political party which wants India to be a land of Hindus). So are the Muslims in Pakistan who made it an Islamic country. This is why many Hindus want Arunachal to remain a Hindu land.
People know that China is a great country which had faced a cultural revolution led by Mao Tse Tung and who turned his country into a communist land. Those days churches were in critical situation in communist China. However, the churches in china got their own rights and the Chinese National convention was formed. In its third convention on 6th October 1980 Bishop K.H Ting delivered the key note address at the Chinese Christian National conference. He said:
"In the past, the church stood in the sidelines in the liberation of the people Chinese Christian did not share the thought of the people. That is why it was said, "if we add one more Christian, you made one less Chinese ".
And more importantly, the three -self movement was able to relate the Chinese church to the people and church in china.
Nagas by nature are republicans. They maintain their own institutional system. Settling their disputes justly and are self governed. Agriculturally, they are self reliant, and are blessed with other valuable resources and natural beauty. They are vigorous, honest, straight forward and patriotic. Writing about them, J.H. Hutton said, "Nagas have fine qualities. They are simple, cheerful, colourful, humorous, courteous and hospitable people." And further he added that the Nagas are people "with senses of humour and generosity at home, at work and at gathering. Laughter is the food of the society and hospitality is overwhelming Nagas are honest and truthful people, stealing is not common, and have respect for the elders. Nagas are generous but begging is an abomination. They are healthy active, vigorous and brave people. The Nagas are well built and enthusiastically looking for a true God and are also religious."
J.P. Mills, one time Deputy commissioner also once remarked, "Naga people never lie". Those comments were given by non Nagas after careful observation and therefore are not flattery. They have no written document of codes, regulations or procedures: the things needed to be done will be done. They depends only on the wisdom of the village elders who look into all cases. In their past life there were no police to enforce the law: but there was no disorder in the village. Doors were never locked. No army, but only a few patriotic people to guard the village from external danger. There was no established institution to teach the youngsters to do things, they learned as they came by. They learned to cultivate the field, to do the right things, to face nature and to stand up to life. Most Nagas are distinguished by some noble qualities their pledge, word can be trusted. They are ever ready to devote themselves for common safety.
It is a free society, and yet they learned to work together to live together as a family and as a society singing together, laughing together even as they work. Helping the weaker people was not a legal obligation, but a moral one which is recognised by all everywhere. All these qualities have been handed down to us by our forefathers. Through the centuries, nature has been good to the Nagas. They have been living with nature and have learned to appreciate it. The whole year through weather is pleasant and the land does not need an artificial cooling system. Travelling through the land , within a distance of few miles or even yards, there are cool sweet spring waters or fountains. The scenery with all it's ruggedness is beautiful everywhere; with high mountains and rising, natural calamities are almost silent in the land.
Now, however, confrontation with modern civilization has dislocated everything, especially in economy, social system, political pattern and quality of life. A paper presented at a chakhesang cultural seminar said, "the main task is to fight authoritarianism, capitalism and restore the old system of equal opportunity in socio economic and political life".
(Full articles in the Book "Nagaland church and politics - by V.K. Nuh).
Book "Nagaland church and politics"- V.K. Nuh.
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