What Diphu has, Dimapur & Kohima don't : Why did Himanta say this ?

Nirendra Dev *

This is a 'Dangoria joke' -- or a sarcastic hit. Some Naga leaders even would not know - what really hit them. Only the other day, neo-turncoat NDPP MLA Imkong L Imchen said, Assamese are "elder brothers" to Nagas. And now comes this.

There are many ways to ventilate your anguish or disapproval in politics. Satire or sarcastic remarks are one way of doing so. Others do it rather innocuously -- but the message goes deeper. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Chief Minister, is a political creature of experience. His remarks on Rahul Gandhi and 'pet dogs' made waves in 2016.

Lately he took a dig at the pace of developments in Nagaland. Did he really have to ? Addressing an election rally at Hangjanglangso Sports Stadium at Bokajan - not far away from Dimapur - Sarma said on June 5, "What Diphu has, you do not have in Dimapur or Kohima".

Well the Assamese version -- and so the real version the way Himanta put it - makes things clearer. "Bokajanor pora Dimapur asorot....Dimapurot aji Medical College nai, Kohimat o nai....amar Diphut asey".

The video has gone viral.

However, he hastened to add -- "Maybe Dimapur and Kohima will soon have those". Was this comparison so innocuous....and just a way of putting things in the right perspective? Diphu is one of the underdeveloped areas of Assam and mind you - Dimapur and Kohima are two showcases of Nagaland !

Maybe one is absolutely wrong in drawing too much meaning into what Sarma said. But it is also a fact that there were a few developments recently which showed glaring contradictions between the Assam Chief Minister Sarma, who is also NEDA chairman, and the version of Core Committee on peace talks of Nagaland.

All these are actually linked to the media's traditional jaundiced view and also the June 2 meeting between Sarma (in presence of Water Resources Minister of Assam Pizush Hazarika) and the Core Committee headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.

On Saturday, June 4 2022, Himanta Biswa Sarma had tweeted thanking his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio for hospitality when he visited Dimapur on June 2. "Honoured by a warm reception extended by him (Rio) during a meeting in Dimapur earlier this week. Look forward to further strengthen the cooperation between our states on matters of mutual interest," he posted on the micro blogging site.

However, Sarma's tweet rather raised a few questions as he simply avoided any reference to peace parleys. Did he snub the Nagaland Core Committee; - at least eyebrows could be raised.

Earlier, on June 1, Sarma had said he cannot 'mediate' Naga talks because it too big and complex. His brief remarks in hardly one and half sentences came after a row triggered when some quarters in Nagaland wondered whether Himanta had any magic wand to solve the Naga problem.

There could be possible reasons for Himanta to feel let down or annoyed. On the deliberations of June 2, NDPP legislator Imkong L Imchen (a key member of G-21 club) had triggered a row when he said (quoting Himanta) that the Naga Flag and Constitution as demanded by the NSCN-IM could be accommodated.

Confronted by 'Nagaland Page', Imchen made a dramatic climb down after two days and said while Himanta's word was only 'positive' - the word accommodate/accommodation was his (Imchen's).

Imchen, a former Nagaland Minister and a leader from youth days as he headed the influential Ao Students' Conference, also advised media - "The word accommodation or accommodate I have used should not be seen as a market language, it has to be seen as a political and diplomatic language".

There were other classic contradictions. One report from Kohima claimed - "The Core Committee has sought the support of Sarma as the convener of NEDA to help achieve a solution to the issue by speaking with the Centre".

So for 25 years - quarter of a century - gave the key missive that there is still someone needed to speak to the centre. Could Himanta be taken for a ride ? If Himanta can become emotionally surcharged whenever he reaches Nagaland border - say Bokajan - actually not many reasonable people would be surprised.

Some months back, Himanta reportedly told a gathering of netas and a few scribes (either in Delhi or Guwahati) - "At times I am embarrassed. Mr Rio is so much senior to me in age and he became Chief Minister when I was an ordinary minister under Tarun Gogoi."

The context was never explained. Did he mean - the 'repeated' requests vis-a-vis Naga peace parleys he gets from Nagaland ?