As the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) commemorates the 40 years of its struggle against the occupation of Naga lands and the restorations of their human rights, based on the universal belief that; “violation of human rights in any part of the world is a threat to the human race as a whole and that protection and promotion of human rights anywhere is a concern of all”, once again re-iterates our commitments to its 11- Point of Declaration, on this day the 9th of September 2018, as stated that;
Mankind has made history through the struggle for freedom from exploitation and subjugation. Andhistory of the Naga people has taught us that there are forces both inside and outside the society collaborating in strangulating social progress.
Our people have seen economic exploitation, political and military domination social suppression with the imposition of alien cultural and legal systems and the distortion of their history.
In the light of these experiences, the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights takes upon itself the task of initiating organized struggle for achieving the following;
To ensure and safeguard:
- the right to life;
- the right to work;
- the right to live together as a people and the unification of all Naga Lands;
- the right to hold and communicate one’s beliefs;
- the freedom of movement, assembly and association;
- free access to all place of learning;
- maximum participation of the people in the making of decisions affecting their lives;
- freedom from socio-economic exploitation. Political domination and military repression;
- against anti-democratic practices and the dismantling of institutions and social values which legitimize and perpetuate these within our society;
- against the practices of arbitrary arrest, detention, torture and execution, and the use of unconventional weapons;
- against the imposition of undesirable alien legal systems and socio-cultural concepts and ways of life.
And whereas, ever since, British colonizers intruded into our land and dissected and fragmented our land and people for their mere administrative conveniences for several decades, which the Indian occupational forces took over on their departure, through plunder and atrocities, the very basic right to life and to live together as a people were denied. These were followed by systematic anti-democratic practices and the dismantling of our traditional institutions and social values with the imposition of undesirable alien legal systems and socio-cultural concepts and ways of life.
And whereas, rape, torture, public execution, mass killings, concentration camps, desecration of religious places, burning of villages, forced labour, burying and burning of people alive, waging war on school children, arrest without warrant, search without warrant, frisk people anywhere and everywhere, raid houses, etc. etc. with full impunity under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958, failed to demoralize the Naga resistant movement into submission to occupational forces.
And therefore, the Government of India started initiating “Ceasefires” and “Peace Talks” with leaders of the Naga Political Movements, once in the past with the Federal Government of Nagaland in 1964 and which they gradually unilaterally abrogated when it suited them (GoI). Over the course of time, when the Naga Political Movement has gained enough momentum up to the various international levels, the Government of India again sought for Ceasefires and Peace Talks, which was entered into with the NSCN –IM in 1997 and followed by another truce with the NSCN – K in 2001 and others which were formed in due course of time.
Notwithstanding all the agonies of the past nor the hopes of the future, NPMHR takes this moment in time, on the occasion of the 40 Years of human rights movement across the length and breath of the Naga-lands, to say that, Freedom, Justice and Peace are the inherent rights of every peoples, and that Nagas are not by any standard lesser people. We also impress upon the people of India to recognize our rights as much as we respect their rights. And to our fellow Nagas, that to enjoy these rights, the peoples ourselves, must know and have the courage to live independently and exist fearlessly as one people without expecting other people or alien rulers to “gift us our rights”.
Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights
