May 25, 2007

The Untold Story of the Naga


UNPO has played proud host to the launch of two new books on the Naga by photo-journalist Frans Welman. Journalists and participants gathered to hear a remarkable first-hand account of the largely unreported conflict in Nagalim, as well as to enjoy photography of the unique culture it threatens.

The Hague, 25 May 2007 – UNPO has played proud host to the launch of two new books on Naga history and culture, written by Dutch author Mr. Frans Welman. The UNPO headquarters in The Hague, decorated by Mr. Welman’s extensive photography of the Naga people and their unique culture, gathered journalists for an introduction and discussion of his two latest books; Out of Isolation and Beyond Twilight.

Out of Isolation is a rare attempt to document the volatile history, heritage, and conflict of the Naga people, based largely on Mr. Welman’s remarkable work in gathering testimonies and accounts from the Naga people themselves. 

Beyond Twilight is an effort to present the Naga struggle from a different angle, written in the form of an intense political thriller, leading from Nagalim, to the streets of Manila, and finally to the UNPO offices in The Hague.

UNPO General Secretary Mr. Marino Busdachin welcomed Mr. Welman with great pleasure, noting his remarkable record of promoting the rights of the Naga people, one of the 69 members of UNPO, amid often difficult circumstances.

Mr. Busdachin emphasised that the Naga conflict, ongoing for over 50 years, has seen over 200,000 people killed, making it one of the most distressing, though under-reported, humanitarian situations in the region.

UNPO has welcomed therefore the fact that during the last eight years Indian and Naga authorities have finally started a process of negotiation, though a final solution capable of bringing peace and stability to Nagalim appears still to be a way off.

Mr. Welman’s presence offered participants and journalists a rare first-hand account of this struggle, though he noted also with irony the fact that he is now forbidden from entering India, often described as the largest democracy in the world. “I’m not even allowed to go to India to present my book,” noted Mr. Welman, who recounted also some of the numerous difficulties he has encountered during his past travels in the region.

The Naga themselves face similar difficulties. As most do not hold passports, they find it difficult to travel beyond their own territory. Mr. Welman has in the past described Nagalim as a “Forbidden Land”, a reference to the fact that Indians are themselves denied access to the area.

Despite however the harsh conditions within which the Naga live, Mr. Welman underlined that they are extremely “hospitable and respectful”. Perhaps surprisingly, Mr. Welman emphasised also that the Nagas state emphatically that they have nothing against the Indian population, despite their difficult relationship with the Indian state.

Questioned about the nature of Beyond Twilight, Mr. Welman noted that although the characters are fictitious, they stand for something and can therefore be read as a comment on the ongoing challenges facing the people of Nagalim. “I’d like the public to read the novel”, he states, “because although it is entertainment, I believe that if people are inspired, we all can contribute to solution of this conflict.”

The UNPO General Secretary also applauded Mr. Welman’s innovative approach to reaching readers who might not normally hear about the Naga, thanking him especially for including UNPO in the novel’s dramatic plot.

[More information about the Event]