My beloved Country Men and Women,
It is with great pleasure and honour that I take the privilege to address you all on this historic occasion of the 62nd Republic Day of our Nation. I thank our Almighty God for His continued Guidance, Protection and for Sustenance. I also honour with profound gratitude our pioneers who laid a firm and solid political foundation because of which we are able to stand up today with pride, dignity and honour.
On this momentous occasion, I pay my respect and homage to our martyrs who have made the supreme sacrifice for the Naga Cause and to many of our freedom fighters for their vision and selfless services. May their unyielding spirit and selflessness continue to inspire, guide and strengthen us.
The momentous Declaration of Independence of August 14th, 1947 and the irrevocable pledge of the historic Plebiscite of 16th May, 1951 have created the foundation which has given birth and shaped the political course of our people. Nagaland became a Republic on 22nd March, 1956 when the First Tatar Hoho Session was convened by the NNC and the Federal Government of Nagaland was established. We are unique as a people and as a Nation. We chose to determine, forge and shape our own destiny with dignity, integrity and freedom and we have withstood the tides that sought to weaken and destroy our spirit. Right from the beginning till date, powerful forces opposed to our Cause have sought to weaken us by following the policy of Divide and Rule. The Naga country was not only divided up between India and Myanmar but also the Naga population in India had been scattered in the four different states of Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. The demarcation of the Indo-Myanmar boundary on the Naga territory was done arbitrarily and without the consent of the Naga people. This is evident, to cite an instance, the boundary line not only divide Longwa, a Naga Konyak village but cuts through the very house of the village chief. Longwa village has one common local government body (village council) and one common church even today. There recent move of the Government of India and Myanmar to divide Nagas by erecting the international boundary wall near Pansha without any consultation and in total disregard to the rights of the traditional land owners is a threat.
In today’s modern world, our traditional culture and values, our faith and beliefs are being eroded and being supplanted by alien cultures and practices. Social evils like corruption, lust for easy money, moral degradation are attaining alarming proportion replacing our traditional values of honesty, hard work, hospitability, etc., for which Nagas were once well known for. The Indian system of politics where money and wealth is considered as a pre-requisite for political leadership is fast eroding our age old custom of selecting/electing leaders based on character, integrity, merit and capability of the person. We are plagued by modernism ideology that says “the world is changing and we too must change.” But let us remember that in the process of nation building there is no room for politics of convenience. Knowledge and adaptation are important but we must take care not to import knowledge that may destroy the very fabric of our national identity. Our nationalism at the threshold of losing its identity and the threat of evolving into one of convenience is posing as a great challenge before us. Let us keep in mind that a small nation like ours cannot have a future unless we put our faith and trust in God.
The Federal Government of Nagaland is aware of the fact that we must travel back to the past to reclaim our rights that was declared in unity and trust and forge ahead together with pride and dignity. We are committed and steadfast in our resolve to uphold the pledge of our people to be a Sovereign Nation, free from the interference of any foreign power to decide, determine and shape our own destiny. Our rights can never be crushed by might, our history is our inheritance and we will never betray it. The Government of India fully aware that the mandate of the people lies with the NNC has continuously tried her level best to weaken and end the influence of the NNC by signing various agreements like the 16th Point Agreement, the Shillong Accord, Framework Agreement, etc. with various organizations and groups. However the NNC has withstood the test of time and stood like a solid rock, never wavering or deviating but steadily marching on always keeping our cherished goal in sight. The division of the Naga National workers into many different groups is also a direct result of India’s sinister designs and strategy to weaken our cause and the Naga National workers have to be extremely cautious and do not become the tools and weapon of our enemy. We have to continue to show the world that we have the moral strength to overcome all hurdles and obstacles.
As we commemorate the 62nd year as a republic, we take time to celebrate the courage and lives of those who have guided us with their vision and rededicate ourselves to follow the same path. In order to achieve our goal, the choices before us is to talk about our past and reminisce with regret and avoid following the charted path or to place ourselves within the historical framework of the past by placing ourselves in it and follow the path till our long cherished dream becomes a reality expressed in full zest and complete freedom.
