T. Aliba Imti

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Intro

Temjenliba Imti or T. Aliba Imti was a pioneering Naga leader who was instrumental in the development of the post independence Naga Identity and freedom movement during the time of India's Independence.

He later served in the Indian Frontier Administrative Service and also as a Member of Parliament till his death in 1988.

Early life and family

T. Aliba Imti (Temjenliba/Temjen) was born on 27th September 1919 at Impur Mission Centre, he hails from Longjang (Ao) Village under Mokokchung District. He was the 2nd son of Mr. Imtilepden and Mrs. Amakjungla.

Mr. Imtilepden was one of the first two Nagas to graduate grade 6, he served as a teacher at Impur Mission School and also served as a pastor. He was also called 'Pundit'.

Aliba's primary and middle schooling was at the Impur mission school, which in those days was managed by American missionaries. He graduated school from Shillong Govt. School with 1st division in 1940. He graduated with B.A. History Honors from St. Edmund's College in 1946, (which at that time was under Calcutta University). He was the first Naga to enroll at St. Edmund's College. He was the 6th Naga graduate and also the first from his village.

File:T. Aliba's Wedding Day.jpg

He married Asangla Imlong, the eldest child of OBE Imlong Chang (Civil Division - Merchant 1939 British Empire Medal) who was a Naga Pioneer and Founding father of the modern Nagas under the British rule. He was also one of the founders of Mokokchung town and Fazal Ali College

File:Imtilepden and Aliba with some grandchildren.jpg

After university he returned to Nagaland to work for the self determination of the Nagas. He initiated the Naga political movement with 29 persons as its founding members.

He later joined the Indian Frontier Administrative Service in 1950 and took Voluntary retirement in 1971.

He later joined State politics and served as a Member of Parliament in the Upper House or Rajya Sabha.

Student leader and foundation of NSU - Naga Students Union and NSF - Naga Students Federation

In 1939 as a student in Shillong, he founded the Naga Students Union, and was its first Secretary.

It was here that he came in contact with several personalities like Subhash Chandra Bose, and Jawaharlal Nehru. He interacted with them and also attended their public meetings; unfortunately these activities were reported to the British S.D.O at Mokokchung.

This in turn led to his father, Mr. Imtilepden, (who was a government school teacher) being summoned to the headquarters of the S.D.O. Where he was warned to inform his son to avoid contact with such personalities, or else lose his job.

Naga Student Federation

Aliba was President of the 'Ao Students Conference' from 1944 to 1946. During his tenure the resolution to create a combined Naga Students body was passed. He was entrusted by the Ao Students Conference to contact leaders of various student bodies for the same. Thus, he contributed towards the formation of the Naga Students Federation which came into being at Kohima on the 29th of October, 1947 with Z. Ahu as President.

File:T. Aliba Imti enjoying a smoke.jpg

Contribution to Early Naga Identity

Foundation of NNC

After his graduation, in September 1946, T. Aliba Imti was elected as the First joint Secretary of the Naga National Council (NNC) where by the 7th of November, 1946 he opened the NNC office in Kohima.

At the Kohima meeting in August 1947 he was elected the First President of the NNC. His first order as President, was a call to the Nagas to boycott the 15th August Independence Day of India (Nagas declared Independence on 14th August)

T. Aliba Imti was a pacifist and fought for the Nagas on the principle of Non-violence and non-cooperation with India.

Some of his political activities and interactions with Mildred Archer are accounted in her book 'Journey to Nagaland', which is an account of her time in the Naga Hills in 1947.

Rejection of the Coupland Plan - British Crown Colony proposal

Under the leadership of T. Aliba Imti, the Nagas on 19th Dec' 1946 made a strong appeal to the three member British Cabinet Mission; Who had had come to India to make further plans for the post independence of India. Aliba appealed to the Cabinet Mission that the British Parliament must not make any arbitrary decision nor make any future plan for Nagas without proper consultation with the NNC.

The British had a plan to make the Naga Hills a "British Crown Colony" under a name called Coupland Man. However owing to strong resistance by NNC leaders that plan could not be materialized.,

Mr. T. Aliba Imti and his colleague did not compromise on the proposal. During the course of that discussion Jawaharlal Nehru was fully aware of the aspiration of Nagas that Nagas and Indian are two separate neighboring nations thus he himself declined the 'Coupland plan" in support of Nagas saying. "The tribal areas (Nagas) are defined as being that long frontier of India, which are neither part of India nor Burma nor of any foreign power". Thus T. Aliba Imti played a most significant and diplomatic role in regards to Nagas right to independence and freedom from being subjected to any outside nation.,

The Ten Year Guardianship Plan

From 9th Dec' 1946, the Indian constituency assembly begun to make their own constitution to be applied after their independence in the same way the Nagas also begun to prepare their own constitution apart from customary law. However owing to lack of peer knowledge in making of written constitution, the NNC leader led by T. Aliba Imti had resolved to set up an interim Government and live with India for a period of 10 years, during that period the Indian Government would act as a guardian power over the interim government of Nagaland.

As per the resolution of NNC T. Aliba Imti signed and submitted a memorandum to the Government of British India on 20th Feb' 1947, in regards to live with Government of India for the period of 10 years.

After that during May 1947 the Indian constituent assembly delegation had appealed the NNC Leader to join with Indian union. However T Aliba Imti and his colleague stood firm on the 20th Feb' memorandum. Therefore the Indian delegates went back without any concrete decision.

Hydari Agreement - Nine Point Agreement

After that, Sir. Akbar Hydari the Governor of Assam held a meeting with T. Aliba Imti and his fellow NNC Leaders from 27th - 29th June 1947. However despite repeated request to the NNC leaders to join with the Indian union the NNC did not agree to the appeal of the Indian leaders, therefore an agreement called 9 point agreement was made on mutual term where as T. Aliba Imti signed on behalf of the Interim Government of Nagaland and Sir. Akbar Hydari signed on behalf of Government of India. This agreement was made with the wider scope. So as to unite the entire displaced Naga inhabited area under the common National umbrella of NNC (Nagaland).

It was the dream of T. Aliba Imti that every Naga inhabited area including illegally displaced Nagas living in Myanmar be brought under the common national jurisdiction of Nagaland and to integrate the entire Nagas inhabited areas as one nation and one people.

When the Nagas declared independence on 14th August 1947 this declaration was also specially conveyed to U.N.O. who acknowledged and felicitated the proclamation put the name of Naga country in the member list of nation under U.N.O. on the same date.

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Honorary member of the North East India Sub-Committee of Indian constituent Assembly

After the formation of the NNC T. Aliba Imti was selected as the honorary member of the North East India Sub-Committee of Indian constituent Assembly. During his tenure, he toured various parts of the present day North-east and parts of present day Bangladesh (Sylhet and surrounding areas) to get the views and opinions of the people. During this time, he also edited and published a newspaper for the NNC under the banner "The Naga Nation".

The members of the said committee held several rounds of talks and meetings in regard to the constitution of India. The majority of the members of the North East Sub-Committee met at Shillong and agreed to join the Indian union when India got its independence from British Empire, however Mr. Aliba refused to sign up.

He wrote - "However as being the committed patriot and responsible president of the NNC over swelteringly appointed on the mandate of Nagas who had the veto power to decide the future of Nagas political status, strongly defended the rights of the freedom of Nagas bravely stood firm on the legitimate rights of the freedom of Nagas and said "that' we the Nagas cannot sign our names to be under India. We do not agree with it and we resign. I cannot return to my people as a Traitor."

Service in Indian Frontier Administrative Service and North East Frontier Agency (NEFA)

T. Aliba Imti entered Indian civil services under the Indian Frontier Administrative Service (IFAS) as Assistant Political Officer in 1950. He served in North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) present day Arunachal for 11 years.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mrs._Imti_headed_to_Bomdila,_1950s.jpg

File:Mrs. Imti in NEFA 1950s.jpg

Bombila, the present headquarters of Kameng district was literally carved out of virgin forest by Mr. Imti with the help of 30 local porters. While at Tawang, he also had to meet clandestinely with the representatives of the Tibetan Government, before the Dalai Lama fed from his country to India.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/T._Aliba_Imti_1950s.jpg

Postings under IFAS - Indian Frontier Administrative Service

He was posted in the following from 1950 till he retired as District Collector in 1971: 1. Charduar 2. Tawang 3. Bomdila 4. Tuensang 5. Shillong 6. Ziro 7. Kohima 8. Zunheboto 9. Mon 10. Tuensang 11. Kohima 12. Mokokchung

Later Political Service

T. Aliba Imti was also appointed as Member of Parliament for the Upper House or the Rajya Sabha from 1980 till 1986. >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rajya_Sabha_members_from_Nagaland</ref>

File:T. Aliba and wife with Mrs. Indira Gandhi.jpg

Mr. T. Aliba and wife with former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during his tenure as MP

Death and legacy

He passed away after a short illness in 1988 at his home in Mokokchung Town. He had 3 children and numerous grandchildren at the time of his death.

File:T. Aliba with sons and Father in law.jpg

File:Aliba Imti and family 1960s.jpg

Mentions in publications, letters, journals, documents, reports, references, quotations and others including autobiography

Mr. Aliba wrote one book titled - 'Reminiscence: Impur to Naga National Council' which was published in 1988,

The following are letters, journals by Mr. T. Aliba and documents that refer or mention or account Mr. T. Aliba Imti.

Mention of Aliba in Mildred Archer's book Journey to Nagaland. https://wwwe.lib.cam.ac.uk/nagas/search/all/record/person_tag/aliba/detail/index.html

Letter from T. Aliba Imti to Archer on his arrival in Naga Hills

Newspaper Article - Story of Naga Club and Simon Commision Petition by EMN, 23rd June 2017, Eastern Mirror Newspaper, Reprinted Friday 21st 2023 Published

Book - Naga Insurgency, April 2018 Authors: Arockia Selva Sundari .M. Location: V.O.Chidambaram College, Tuticorin https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338140389_Naga_Insurgency

Book - India and North-East India: Mind, Politics and the Process of Integration ... By Sajal Nag https://books.google.co.in/books?id=cnFayJrxjBwC&pg=PA113&lpg=PA113&dq=t.+aliba+imti&source=bl&ots=Ee9IoXH8Lt&sig=ACfU3U3PyMJQ0R93FVYi254B6k1fOcX6kg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJ8qLx5JyAAxXSbPUHHcM6AVM4FBDoAXoECBcQAw#v=onepage&q=t.%20aliba%20imti&f=false

Journal article Sectional President's Address: ETHNICITY AND NATION-BUILDING IN INDIA: THE NAGA EXPERIENCE By Suranjan Das Proceedings of the Indian History Congress Vol. 64 (2003), pp. 677-740 (64 pages) Published By: Indian History Congress https://www.jstor.org/stable/44145502

Book - THE POSSIBLE NATIONS: ALTERNATIVE HISTORY OF IDEAS AND IMAGES IN NORTH-EAST INDIA (1940-1950) By Sajal Nag http://14.139.58.199:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/4582/1/3.pdf

Report - Third Report, Committee of the welfare of the schedule castes and schedule tribes (1980-81) Seventh Lok Sabha Parliamentary Digital Library https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/757750/1/scst_07_03_1980.pdf

Students and Development Process in Nagalnd.pdf Sikkim University http://dspace.cus.ac.in › jspui › bitstream PDF by AC Sinha · 2002 http://dspace.cus.ac.in/jspui/bitstream/1/3252/1/Students%20and%20Development%20Process%20in%20Nagalnd.pdf

Book - Naga Identities - Changing Local Cultures in the Northeast of India By Michael Oppitz, Thomas Kaiser, Alban von Stockhausen, Marion Wett stein First Edition: 2008, Snoeck Publishers, Gent http://www.marionwettstein.ch/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/WettsteinEtAl2008TheNagasAnIntroduction.pdf

Guerres sans fin : le cas du Nagaland By Marcus Franke Dans Diogène 2005/4 (n° 212), pages 85 à 106 https://www.cairn.info/revue-diogene-2005-4-page-85.htm

1971 Census in Nagaland By DANIEL KENT Indian Frontier Administrative Service, DIRECTOR OF CENSUS OPERATIONS, NAGALAND

The Digitization of Naga Collections in the West and the ›Return of Culture by Alan Macfarlane and Mark Turin https://www.alanmacfarlane.com/FILES/Digitization_Naga_Collections.pdf

103 - Mizoram University Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (A Bi-Annual Refereed Journal) Vol IV Issue 2, December 2018 ISSN: 2395-7352 eISSN:2581-6780 Comparative analysis on Peace Accords in North East: Special reference to the Naga and the Mizo http://mzuhssjournal.in/images/resources/v4n2/lalfakzuala.pdf

CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA DEBATES (PROCEEDINGS)- VOLUME VII Thursday, the 4th November 1948 https://loksabha.nic.in/writereaddata/cadebatefiles/C04111948.pdf

Resolution Proclamation by MP T Aliba Imti (Rajya Sabha) under Article 356, 10 June 1980, Page 210 - 215 https://rsdebate.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/409657/2/ID_114_10061980_2_p190_p246_14.pdf

No. 10, July 2007 Insurgencies in India - Northeast: Conflict, Co-option & Change Subir Bhaumik Working Papers, East-West Center, Washington https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/45471990-933f-4ea7-99fe-02c9e7e4b9ff/content

Mentions in Economic and Political Weekly https://www.epw.in/journal/2011/25/special-articles/naga-peace-parleys-sociological-reflections-and-plea-pragmatism

University of Cambridge archives https://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/naga/search/all/record/person_tag/aliba-imti/detail/index.html

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