May 22, 2007

The Forgotten Struggle of the Naga


Having hosted peace talks in Amsterdam, and with new negotiations on the verge of bearing fruit, the Netherlands have been once again the centre of attention for the people of Nagalim. On 24 May 2007 Dutch writer Frans Welman introduced his two latest books in the offices of UNPO in The Hague, shining a spotlight once again on the victims of one of India’s longest and most intransigent conflicts.

Having hosted peace talks in Amsterdam, and with new negotiations on the verge of bearing fruit, the Netherlands have been once again the centre of attention for the people of Nagalim. On 24 May 2007 Dutch writer Frans Welman introduced his two latest books in The Hague, shining a spotlight once again on the victims of one of India’s longest and most intransigent conflicts.

Situated between India, China and Burma, Nagalim has been plagued by conflict for more than fifty years. During this time some 3 million Nagas have struggled first with British, then with Indian administrators, in a quest to preserve their autonomy, culture, and way of life.

Globe-trotting photojournalist Frans Welman is one of the few Europeans to have entered the land of Nagalim - a land forbidden to Indians themselves by federal authorities. His two new books attempt to capture what he has learnt during his many visits, giving visibility to the forgotten victims of this largely unreported war. Through his photography, to be exhibited during the event, Mr. Welman does justice also to the complexities and beauty of the entrenched Naga culture.

The Event featured Mr. Welman presenting previews of his forthcoming book; Out of Isolation - a rare attempt to document the volatile history of the Naga people. Based on Mr. Welman’s own years of remarkable work collecting the testimonies and stories from the people themselves, it represents a unique view of how the ordinary people of Nagalim view the conflict, the way in which it affects their lives, and their outlook on the possibility of a conflict-free future.

Featured also was the official launch of Beyond Twilight; a breath-taking political thriller which brings this remarkable history to life. Intrigue and a mysterious murder leads us from Nagalim, to the streets of Manila, to the headquarters of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) in The Hague.

UNPO has a long history of promoting the rights of the Naga people and its offices were therefore an ideal site for the presentation of these two exciting new books.

The event featured a discussion with the author, readings from both works as well as an exhibition of Mr. Welman’s photography.

 

For more information please see:

Fact Sheet on Nagalim

A Short Presentation of Mr. Frans Welman

A presentation of the book launch