In the diffused light of the candle-lit room, the tears in the eyes of 17-year-old Inavi Yeptho glisten like dewdrops in sunshine. The young but battle-hardened NSCN (K) activist weeps in solitude whenever he remembers his younger sister. She was a toddler when he left home two years ago and he has not seen her since.
The likes of Inavi, who have made the jungle their home and war their mission, have had to pay a big price for the sake of the cause they profess to uphold ? long periods of separation from their near and dear ones. Some like Pangmei, barely out of his twenties, have tragic tales to tell. The young NSCN (K) activist?s parents passed away a couple of years ago, but he did not get the news until recently. In the council headquarters of the NSCN-K, deep in the jungles of Tenup Tephak Joku Valley of Myanmar, those like Inavi and Pangmei go about their everyday tasks with clockwork precision, hiding beneath their tough veneer emotions that the world never sees.
Inavi vividly remembers the chilly winter morning he left behind the comforts of home ? he hails from a nondescript Sema village in Kiphire subdivision of Nagaland ? to join the ?struggle?. But his story is less tragic than that of his friend Pangmei, who has been away from home for eight years now. Recently, news filtered in through a distant cousin that he would not see his parents again ? both passed away a few years ago.
However, Toshi Longkumer, a kilonser (minister) in the NSCN (K) hierarchy, said no member of his outfit could afford to be overcome by emotion. ?We are fighting for a cause. There is little room for emotions. They make a man waver from his avowed goal.?
In spite of the hardened exterior, frustration and melancholy manifest themselves in one form or the other. Pangmei, relaxing with his friends around a fireplace after a hard day?s work, picks up his guitar and strums his favourite tune. ?Amak na bisaribi Ma. Aponar lora aji deshor lora hol (don?t look for me, mother. Your son has become the son of the motherland,? he sings in Nagamese.
Moments later, the shrill sound of a whistle pierces the silence of the night. It is 8 pm according to Myanmar time (an hour ahead of IST), which means all lights should be out. Lamps and candles in the barracks are put out as the ?soldiers? snuggle into their beds, retiring for the night. The day begins with a similar whistle at 3 am, much before the first rays of the sun filter in from behind the Patkai hill ranges. For Pangmei, there is no time to grieve for his long-gone parents as he gets down to his assigned task.
Though not on ?command duty? ? an NSCN-K term for cadre deployed to spot ?enemies? ? at the post atop the Patkai hill ranges, Pangmei has his hands full. From collecting firewood and water to cooking, tending to gardens and grinding maize, Pangmei and his comrades remain busy all day.
For relaxation, NSCN (K) activists play volleyball or badminton, and indoor games like carom. Martial arts are popular, too. As the sun slips behind the mountains and darkness envelopes the valley, Pangmei hurries to the kitchen to prepare food for his comrades. It is the beginning of another long night at the home away from home. ?Memories come flooding back when we sit down and relax. It is the worst part of life,? one of the activists said.