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letters between Pawsey and Archer about independence and the Konyaks |
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(copy of letter from WGA) |
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I was relieved to get the wire saying that the Committees visit was off. An American jeep got through a week ago but it took 2 days. The Committee could not possibly have made it. As Adams also did not send a jeep I will not now come down to Nakachari or go to Dimapur as I suggested. |
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The change of plans is not altogether welcome to Mokokchung, and the fact that all is being left to 'the big five' in Kohima is also no relished. |
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Mokokchung would like to ratify the Kohima draft before it goes up. I told them however that it was now entirely a matter of time and if they wished to vet it their only alternative was to go to Kohima. They said they would not do this. And it is there that matters stand. |
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With regard to the tribal areas, it has not proved possible to make contact with either Konyaks, Phom or Kalyo Kengyus. Yimchungr and Sangtams have as I said drafted very reasonable memoranda. Imlong, on the other hand, will be a most dangerous spokesman for the Changs. I had a long talk with him this morning. He began by claiming to represent all the Phoms and Kalyo Kengyus as well as the Changs. He said the Changs would accept any constitution accepted by the Aos and further that if Assam offered them money for roads and schools they would gladly accept Assam rule. As regards the Wakching Konyaks, Chingai told me at Wakching that he could not come to Mokokchung. I got him as far as Nakachari and hoped to jeep it down there in order to meet him. When the jeep did not come, I wired to him to come to Mokokchung. But as I half expected, a wire came today saying he had since got malaria and was going back to Borjan! There is no one else who can speak for the Konyaks so their case also cannot be presented. |
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In these circumstances I think it will be best if the tribal areas go unheard. It can be explained that owing to rain and the difficult country it was impossible to contact them on a sufficiently representative basis and that they were also unable to go as far as Kohima. |
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If necessary, you could give the Committee the Sangtam and Yimchungr memoranda - which I will forward in a day or two. With Chingai out of action, there is no point in letting Imlong run amok and if Phoms, Konyaks and Kalyo Kenyus aren't there, I don't see any point in sending Hopongki. |
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As regards Ao, Sema and Lhota representation - that I take it is being laid on from Kohima? |
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I wish Kohima weren't quite so far away! |
