A Silent Holocaust: Unheard Tales of Independence from the Voices of Naga Women

Abstract

In documenting the freedom struggle of India, the contribution of the North-East has not found its due place in popular discourse. The history and the struggle of north-eastern tribes are one of the least-discovered and discussed matters of Indian history. On one side we have a Partition that physically separated northeast India from the rest of the country and transformed it into an alien land for the mainland Indians. On the other postindependence strategies of the Indian Government for national integration worsened the relationship of this hilly region with the central government. After Independence, the Indian government failed to respond to the intricate realities of the North-East sensitively and seemed to follow the colonial policy of isolation and alienation. This step-motherly treatment caused dissatisfaction and distrust among the tribal folks of this region and gave birth to various insurgent movements in this majestic land of hills. Due to the ignorance of the cultural multiplicity of these ethnic groups, the Delhi government chose the path of forceful assimilation by implementing the AFSPA, 1958. The brutal oppressive measures taken by the government created repugnance among the people and provided the groundwork for armed confrontation. In the post-independent era, India’s northeast witnessed a holocaust due to the conflicts between the insurgents and the military forces. Among all these suppressed terror tales the most unheard was the voice of women who in the words of Sanjoy Hazarika “are the most vulnerable and marginalized from either side”. As literature can revive the lost history, this article through extensive reading of the works of Temsula Ao and Easterine Kire tries to explore Independence and insurgence from the eyes of the Naga women.