Fond memories of India and Nagaland

Just saw the photo and article on the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, appreciating the Nagaland security detail at the Sri Lankan High Commission in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.  Most Lankans probably don’t know anything about Nagaland.

The article brought back memories of my time in Punjab.  I had the privilege of visiting and staying in the beautifully constructed premises of the Sri Lankan Diplomatic mission.  The HC the year I arrived in India was a highly respected UNP scion from Gampola, TB Panabokke. A top-notch gentleman. I also had the honour of meeting one of Sri Lanka’s finest diplomats, Jayantha Dhanapala, because he was posted as Deputy HC,as the senior most career diplomat in India.

If I am not mistaken it was the first Sri Lankan mission which completely housed the HC, Deputy HC, the office and staff with apartments for staff as well. It is a large compound.

 Because of the excellent relationship between India and then Ceylon, apparently the prime location was offered to Sri Lanka by Nehru. The outer wall was beautiful, and if I remember correctly, it looked like the wall around the Kandy lake in design.  It was located in the prestigious Embassy row, and during Winter the roses bloom along the way to the then famous Chanakya Cinema complex.

The other memory I care to share is about the state of Nagaland.  In the 1980s, foreigners, including students, were not allowed to travel to the North Eastern states in India without special permission.

I wonder if the Indian central government is less oppressive now, and allows free travel for tourists? Or do they still control the locals with overwhelming military presence?

I tried to visit my friends, but was told I needed special permission in the 1980s. As a result, visiting Nagaland, and Meghalaya are still on my bucket list.

Naga students resented the heavy presence of Indian forces. There were prolonged insurgencies in Nagaland, Mizoram and a couple of other states and some of those groups had ties to China, considered to be India’s number 1 security concern. Nagaland also had a reputation of having a few Headhunter tribes.

I had a couple of wonderful roommates from Nagaland.  Both came from privileged backgrounds. One was a son of a Veterinarian in Kohima, and the other was a son of an MLA from Dimapur. Because of Christian missionary education, the Naga students spoke very good English and were all Christian. But I remember they didn’t like to be identified as Indians that much those days. There are many tribes in Nagaland, and their tribal associations are very strong.  They have unique Tribal languages.  Their formal attire is very colourful.

A lot of them had the Tribal identity as part of their names. My two roommates played football for our university.  Another was a superb ping-pong player who beat me all the time.  One of my roommates was tall, witty and was very popular with the girls; he was dating a beautiful Tribal girl named Zorin, from Mizoram. A different state in the North East.

The Mizo boys were jealous and came to our apartment and wanted to crash our New Year’s eve private party.  My first and only time to be in a fistfight was when I blocked the drunk Mizos, going looking for the Mizo girl in my friend Taku Wati Ao’s room. Gosh.  It was Tribal rivalry.

It was a crazy night, but it only brought my roommates and me closer because I was loyal to them. I did end up with a hairline fracture of my nose, thought as a souvenir by blocking one of the Mizo boys. Best part was our landlord and his family, who lived downstairs, came running up to help us because we were outnumbered.  I still remember (with gratitude) my landlord, a tall Sikh (Sardarji) literally picking up one of the Mizos and threatening to throw him over the balcony.  I remember him flailing his arms in fear. I knew we were right to protect our apartment and protect my friends.  To this date, that incident and a couple of other experiences told me – that a Sikh is the most trustworthy loyal friend a person could have.

In Punjab, the North Eastern Indians  were looked upon as outsiders because they obviously looked very different.   The Naga students were housed in the same Hostel as foreign students.

Nagas were easy going people. Mizos weren’t too welcoming and remained very cliques. A Naga student Vizo , even married a Guy from Tonga Island and migrated to the Kingdom of Tonga. A rarity and unheard of in the 1980s.

Hope India no longer oppresses people from the North Eastern state with overwhelming military presence.

MANO RATWATTE
Former student in Punjab