GUWAHATI: “Ami laga bhai aru boyni khan. Aami Nagaland-te matiye karone besi khusi paise dei” (my dear brothers and sisters, I am very happy to be in your midst on the soil of Nagaland).
That was how Atal Bihari Vajpayee had started his speech at a public reception in Nagaland capital Kohima on October 28, 2003 when he was serving as Prime Minister.
After he landed in the state’s commercial hub Dimapur, he was supposed to fly to Kohima in a chopper but inclement weather stood on the way. The only option left was a journey by road but its condition was deplorable. Despite being briefed about the road condition, Vajpayee chose to go by road. After two-hour long bumpy and dusty ride, his cavalcade reached Kohima, located 75 km away. The Nagas, to this day, remember that historic ride.
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“When he visited Nagaland in 2003, he decided to go to Kohima from Dimapur by road knowing well that the condition of the road was bad. He wanted to see the reality. He wanted to see how people suffered. He had passed instructions for the road to be converted to four-lane. The construction work is going on now. The Nagas will never forget his contributions towards Nagaland,” said Chuba Ozukum, chief of Naga Hoho, which is Nagaland’s apex social organisation.
During that visit, Vajpayee had also won many hearts with his strong political statements vis-à-vis Naga political problem. He was the first Prime Minister to recognize the “unique history of the Nagas”. The Nagas and major insurgent group “National Socialist Council of Nagalim”, widely known as NSCN-IM, have not forgotten this phrase.
“Let us leave behind all the unfortunate things that happened in the past. For too long this fair land has been scarred and seared by violence. It has been bled by the orgy of the killings of human beings by human beings. Each death pains me. Each death diminishes us. My government has been doing everything possible to stop this bloodshed, so that we can together inaugurate a new era of peace, development and prosperity in Nagaland…
“As far as the Central Government is concerned, let there be no doubt in anyone’s minds that we are as keen as you are to achieve permanent peace with honour and dignity for the people of Nagaland. We fully respect your unique identity. It will be protected. We are proud of your culture. It too will be protected,” Vajpayee had said in his Kohima speech.
Ozukum said Vajpayee was very friendly and had an open mind towards the Naga political problem. He was the first Prime Minister of India to recognize the unique history of the Naga people, the Naga Hoho chief said.
The NSCN-IM has mourned Vajpayee’s demise.
“We are deeply saddened to hear the demise of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was a great leader who could understand the Nagas and committed to finding an honourable settlement of Naga problem. It was during his leadership, the unique history and situation of the Nagas was officially recognized by the Government of India…He will be ever remembered for his valuable contribution towards resolving the political problem of the Nagas”.
Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi, Morarji Desai, HD Deve Gowda and Narendra Modi also visited Nagaland but none of them is remembered with the kind of fondness that Nagas have for Vajpayee.