Scrolls of Strife - a book review

Scrolls of Strife - The endless history of the Nagas

Homen and Pradipta Borgohain

Hardcover

Publisher: Rupa

Cost: Rs 395

ISBN: 978-81-291-1866-0

Pages: 218

The closest approximation to the Spartans of yore are the Nagas of the North East India. Like the Spartans, the Nagas are fiercely independent, passionate about military valour and grossly misunderstood by their neighbours.

In their book, The Scrolls of Strife – the endless history of the Nagas, Homen and Pradipta Borgohain paint a poignant picture of discrimination and persecution that these valiant “farmer-warriors” have to face in their interaction with the rest of India. Though most of the Northeast find it difficult to fit in with the Indian mainland, the Nagas deserve special comment when it comes to being persecuted.

It has been established by many studies before that the Nagas are unwelcoming to outside interference. The book however talks of a highly clannish people who are as different from each other as they are from the rest of the country. For a Naga, an outsider is a person from the mainland India. It could be anyone from the neighbouring Assamese and Manipuris to even other Nagas. The authors point out, the Lothas, a clan among the Nagas still refer to another clan, the Ao as the “uri” or outsider.

However, unlike many other works on Nagas, the Borgohains don't use this fact to discard the nationalistic claims of the Nagas. They delve, instead into the complex and paradoxical concept that is nationalism for the Naga. They quote a leading Naga as saying “Because I belong to my village, I belong to my clan; because I belong to my clan I belong to my tribe; because I belong to my tribe, I belong to the Naga race.”

Probably because they themselves are Assamese, the book spends quite a bit of time on the complex relation between the neighbouring hill people. While on the one hand they mention the acrimony that the Nagas still feel against the Assamese. They say cars with Assamese number plates still face persecution in Nagaland. But they also speak of kings of Assam who were well loved by the Nagas. They also talk of a hybrid language, the Nagamese, which is a mix of Naga and Assamese which is the lingua franca of the people.

The Borgohains also examine the Nagas relationship with others, like the British and the Indian government. Interestingly, the book claims despite initial enmity, grew to respect and even like them. For a race as bellicose at the Nagas, they seem to have taken rather well to the conversions by the American Baptists.

The authors provide interesting details on the relationship that the Nagas have shared with the Indian government. Mahatma Gandhi, Jai Prakash Narayan and Rajaji understood the Nagas and were very sympathetic towards the Naga cause. On the other hand, Jawaharlal Nehru was not, especially after the Nagas staged a walk-out in 1953 at a meeting in Kohima where the Burmese Prime Minister U Nu was also present. Indira Gandhi is supposed to have given the Nagas a patient hearing and they liked her.

Just as interesting is the description of various Naga leaders like Zapu Phizo, T. Sakhrie, Thuengaling Muivah, J. B. Jasokie etc., so is their struggles and ideologies. The story of how T. Sakhrie took the path of peace and was beaten to death by Phizo’s men is as heartrending as the various tales of army brutality and discrimination faced by the Nagas in other parts of India.

Though an interesting read, the book does leave certain loop holes. For example, numerous references have been made to the Battle of Khonoma where the Angami Nagas apparently put up a terrific fight against the British. However, the actual battle is not described. Furthermore, for the part where they talk of the conversions to Christianity, they refer only to books and journals of the missionaries. This might give a biased picture of the story. Furthermore, more often than not, a nationality as fragmented as that of the Nagas is not unified unless there is some external agent. While there are hints and allusions, the Borgohains never properly examin this outside influence directly.

Its failings not withstanding, the book is a rather interesting view into the Naga race and the complex relationship they share with the rest of the world.