My Beloved Countrymen,
Today, the 18th of October, on the occasion of the Naga National Martyr’s Day, I on behalf of the Naga National Council thank and salute all our martyrs who have laid down their lives for our Naga Nation and pay my homage to each and every one of them.
In the life of an individual or in that matter of a nation, when it has no history of its own, there can be no right, power or honor for that individual or that Nation. In some cases, even if, an individual or a Nation knows its own history and its rights, yet does not know how to raise it or is afraid to voice it out or when it speaks out is muffled by the stronger people or nation or is subdued and remained a subjugated people or nation.
Likewise, when the Nagas tried to voice out its history and live as a free nation amongst the nations of the world without any fear of subjugation or dominance from any other foreign nation, Government of India disallowed us to speak out our rights, refused to hear us, tried to subdue us through intimidation and ultimately sent her troops into our land to drive us out from our own land and to fight with us.
In such a situation, the Nagas were compelled to form its own government, the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) on 22nd March, 1956 and started to defend its rights.
In the war to defend its rights from the aggressor, ie, India, several thousand Nagas laid down their lives for the Nation. It was with the intention to honor and to pay homage to all those who have laid down their lives for the Nagas, this 18th October was set aside to be “Naga National Martyrs Day” – A day of remembrance, a day to honor our martyrs and to pay our homage to our martyrs.
So on this auspicious day, let us all ask one pertinent question – if there is no one to protect the rights of the Nagas and to make the supreme sacrifice, where will be the Nagas or where will the Nagas be heading to? If we were to be intimidated to surrender then, we may still be living as “British Naga Hills District” under the Assam Government. Other Naga tribes too may be living in the same condition as they lived then.
However, some patriotic Nagas, Naga Freedom Fighters refusing to bow down to all the various tactics employed by the Government of India to cow them to surrender, made the ultimate sacrifices and that is why, we are having our history today. For these martyrs, we have gained respect of others and that is how our lives have improved than yesterday.
If one is to tell the truth, even the present day “Nagaland State” where we have increased in number, gained knowledge and prospered with all the developments we are trumpeting about are, but for the sacrifices of our Freedom Fighters. However, many people keeps on enjoying the fruits of sacrifice of our martyrs without knowing the actual facts.
As the Naga proverbial saying goes “pig digs, dog jumps on it” so also the same is quite applicable in our context in the present situation. Today, the national workers are struggling for their survival whereas those who betrayed the Nation are enjoying their spoils. God sees all the imbalances that is prevailing in our society and it is my unflinching faith that He will do justice one day.
The saddest part which we have been seeing today is that we are not defeated by our enemies, they will never be able to defeat us, but we are defeated by our own people. Our enemies are using some of our people to defeat us which is a constant agony for me. These people are reveling upon the sweat, tears and blood of others, but surely, judgment will come upon them or their descendents on day, so beware of it.
The present crisis of disintegration of our national struggle into various factions and doing business with it has saddened me the most. All the factions needs to be united again like in the past and form a National Government and elect some national leaders to represent the Nation. Factional leaders cannot represent the Nation. If the factions can re-unite again, than the wrongs committed by each faction can be covered by the very fact of unity, otherwise, keep in mind, each will carry its own wrongdoings to its graves.
Whether people may like it or not, I have to speak the truth. The Naga National Council (NNC) is the root, the trunk and is the solid rock of the Naga National Politics. The Naga National history begins with NNC, it has the people’s mandate and therefore, the final end will also be with NNC as all the other factions branched out from NNC.
Lastly, remember that we are yet to reach our goal our final destination, others are yet to recognize our Sovereignty. Therefore, on this, Martyr’s Day, let us all rededicate ourselves to the Nation and be united to proceed to reach the final destination.
May God bless each and every one of you.
Thank you. Kuknalim.
