Editorial Board Contents - Bureau of Police Research and ...

The most memorable part of my stint in the IBwas the four year period (1965-68) I spent inNagaland. It was a very exciting period. Every daythere was a new challenge, a new development,a new threat or an otherwise disturbing pieceof information. I had all the time, a feelingof contributing to the country’s fight againstinsurgency in a very sensitive area. This was astrong motivation and brought the best out of me.There were far too many challenging incidents. Iwould reminisce just two of them– one when Iwalked incognito into a Naga Army Camp andspent the night there, and the other when Nagarebels, on learning that I was the brain behindthe raid on their Jotsoma camp, issued an ahza(order) for my annihilation.Visit to LephoriThe Naga underground had a well organisedparallel government – it was called ‘Naga FederalGovernment’ with a President, Prime Minister(Ato-Kilonser) and Ministers (Kilonsers). The armedwing, known as ‘Naga Army’, had a Commanderin-Chiefand it was divided into battalions. Thetenth battalion had its headquarters at Lephoriin the Pochury area, quite close to the Myanmarborder. During one of my tours, I went to Meluri,which was our outpost in the Pochury area. TheAssistant Central Intelligence Officer incharge ofthe outpost was one Chandrika Singh, a daringofficer who was a storehouse of information onthe Nagas. He suggested that we undertake a trekto Lephori, with a view to getting an idea aboutthe strength of the Naga Army camp there, theweapons stored and their defences. ChandrikaSingh was known in the area as he met theunderground leaders quite frequently. My goingas Assistant Director of the Subsidiary IntelligenceBureau (SIB) was a different proposition. It wasbound to be viewed with suspicion. However, Idecided that we should go. For reasons of safety,a story was cooked up to camouflage my identity.I was to be introduced as an Assistant Professorof History from Allahabad (which, in any case, Ihad been), who had come to collect material onthe history of the Nagas.Meluri to Lephori was a ten mile stretch. It wasnot much of a distance. But half the distance was adescent and the remaining half was a steady uphillclimb. It was a difficult trek. We reached Lephorilate in the afternoon. The Naga Army personnelwere playing volleyball at the time. As they sawus approaching, they stopped the game and weresurprised that we should have ventured into theircamp. We were, of course, unarmed. Self-styledLt. Col. Henito Sema, who was Commandant ofthe tenth battalion, accosted us. He in fact gaveus a hostile reception. He shouted at ChandrikaSingh for having come to the camp without anyprior notice or permission. Chandrika Singhused all his tact and persuasive skill to convinceHenito that we had no evil designs and that it waspurely a friendly visit. Arguments and counterargumentswent on for about ten minutes beforeHenito could be pacified. I was a silent spectatorto their exchanges. Henito finally relented andasked his men to usher us into a basha (hut),where we could stay for the night. I must say theNaga Army personnel treated us very well. Wewere offered madhu (rice beer) by a young girl ina chunga (mug). I did not like the taste of it, but ithad to be consumed. Sleeping in the Naga Armycamp was an unforgettable experience.Next morning, to keep up the facade of research,I collected some village elders of Lephori andpretended to elicit information out of them aboutthe origin of the Nagas. They could tell me onlyabout a folk tale on the subject. At the beginningof creation, according to the story, God gave theknowledge of reading and writing both to thehillman as well as the plainsman. The plainsmanwas given paper to write upon while the hillmanwas given skin. As it happened, the hillmandevoured the skin when he found it edible. TheNagas have consequently no record of their past.I told them that the Nagas were none else thanthe Kiratas, frequently mentioned in old Sanskritliterature. The Mahabharata mentioned the Kingof Kamrup fighting on the side of Kauravas alongwith the Kirata warriors. The Ramayana alsomentioned the Kiratas. The village elders listenedto me with interest, but they appeared confused.Thereafter, we bade good-bye to Henito and theNaga boys of the camp and left for Meluri. Wewere both thrilled with the experience. We werealso relieved that everything had gone accordingto plan.A few months later, we came across an intercepteddocument from self-styled Lt. Col. Henito Semato another person which contained a reference toour visit to the Naga Army camp at Lephori. Henito74The Indian Police Journal, October - December, 2012, Special Issue