Speech of Rh. Raising in the Interactive Meeting at Sungratsu, Mokokchung

Concept of NSCN:

1. Who are the Nagas?
The Nagas are a community of people, who –
• Come from a common history
• Practice a common custom and culture
• Speak language (s) of a common root
• Belong to a common identity and DNA
• Worship the same God
• Live in a common native land
• Profess the same political ideology and philosophy
• History says all Nagas come from the same family tree
• There is no black Naga or white Naga; Nagas are one
• Being a Naga is not the end of the matter
• Nagas for what is the heart of the matter

2. Characteristic of a people
• People and land are inseparable; land is a part of the people
• People and culture are inseparable; culture is the identity of a people
• People and history are inseparable; history is the root of a people
• People and politics are inseparable; politics is the power of the people
• People and identity are inseparable; identity is the hallmark of a people
• People and rights are inseparable; rights are the inherent prerogatives of a people
• People and state are inseparable; state is the machine of a people
• People and government are inseparable; government is the strength of a people
• People and organization are inseparable; organization is the voice of the people
• People and leadership are inseparable; leadership is the compass of the people
• People and God are inseparable; God is the powerhouse of the people

3. The word of god
• We believe in the principle that the word of God is the foundation of heaven and earth; the root of human race and the author of history
• Nations and States too come from it
• Jerusalem, the Centre of Jews history, culture, politics and civilization comes from the word of God
• Do we have that Word?
• We must build our state on that foundation
• And that Nagalim for Christ is the foundation of Naga political concept

4. Ours is a fight for recognition of state
• We are an unrecognized people
• We are a stateless people
• Our national identity, state and government are not recognized entities
• Even an individual needs a recognized identity
• Schools, Colleges, institutions and Villages need legal recognition
• Our national identity, state and government must be politically and legally recognized by the world particularly by the aggressor states
• Our territories need legally demarcated boundary
• Our national water must be recognized
• Our sovereign right must be recognized
• We need to be a nation among recognized nations

5. Politics and development
• Politics makes development and not vice versa
• Politics is the root whereas development is the flower
• Building development at the cost of politics is like felling a tree for plucking its fruits.
• Politics is principle-based whereas development is policy-based.
• When political principle is murdered everything dies a natural death.
• Politics is the commander-in-chief.

6. Political state vs Administrative state:
• Political state deals with sovereign power whereas administrative state deals with autonomous power. • Nagaland of 16-point agreement is an administrative state.
• It embraces only a section of Naga people, not the whole Nagas.
• It is no solution to the Indo-Naga political problem. It is like the saying, ‘Driving away the big fish while trying to catch the prawn.’
• It has mortgaged the principle for tinsel developments.
• It is a political bait never to be swallowed.

7. Where is our future?
• The Nagas have been looking for their future.
• We do not see the future of the Nagas either in Manipur statehood or in that of Nagaland.
• We neither see it in India nor in Burma.
• Our land must be future-oriented
• Our future is in the issue of Nagalim for Christ being spearheaded by NSCN.
• It is in our divine right of self-determination.
• We are for the kind of solution that guarantees our future.

8. Peace process
After fighting for decades the Indian military generals and political leaders who rule the Indian sub-continent realized that military solution would not be possible to the political issue. So the congress government under Prime Minister of India Mr. Nara Simha Rao invited the NSCN leadership for political talks. Accordingly, talk was held at the Prime Ministerial level at Paris, France where the historic declared three terms – talks without condition, talks at the prime ministerial level and talks in third countries were agreed to be the basis of talks. Another landmark in history was the recognition of unique history and situation of the Nagas by the BJP Gol under the dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Congress government led by Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh took another bold step in proposing non-paper, which states shared-sovereignty and PAN NAGA BODY among others. Above all, it is the honorable Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, who has taken strong step to move forward with those points agreed by his predecessors. He is the architect of the historic ‘Framework Agreement’ of 3rd August 2015.

• The ‘Framework Agreement’ is based on the uniqueness of Naga history and the political position of the Nagas.
• It is founded on the universal principle of democracy that sovereignty lies with the people. And that sovereignty of the Nagas lies with the Naga people and the sovereignty of India lies with the Indian people.
• However, it is mutually agreed that the two people will share sovereign power in some areas.
• It is also agreed that the two people will co-exist as two entities/equals.
• The Gol has now recognized our identity and land.
• It says that land and its resources including minerals below and above the land belong to the Nagas and none others. However, there will be joint venture in the matter of exploration and exploitation of oil.

9. Everything is transitional
NSCN believes in the truth that everything on earth including the state is transitional. Human society develops from the lower stage to that of the higher because it is the law. The Naga society is also in the process of transition. Solution may be transitional to final goal, but NSCN will never go for any kind of solution that betrays the future of the Nagas.

10. Interdependent relationship
We believe in the principle of interdependent relationship among people and nations. This principle is applied to us in all fields — political, economic, social and military. We will build our relations with India and our neighbors based on this principle. We are for the interdependent relationship that respects mutual recognition of identities. However, this principle does not apply to the people who have merged their entity with the other.

11. Revolutionary outlook of the world
We Nagas view the world from revolutionary perspective. As the world moves so people and nations move. We must also move because our destiny is not in bondages. We must grow because that is law. We have stayed too long in the wilderness of slavery. We must come out of the cocoon of cad traditionalism, superstitions, communalism and idealism. The present social situation we are in is not what we have been looking for. Revolutionaries are action oriented: They approach the problem with conviction and precision. They do not go to the south when compass says north; they do not go to the west when the world goes east. We are also revolutionary people we must go along with time and tide.

12. The Nagas are the prime factor
Whether it is victory or defeat, whether it is solution or problem, Nagas are the prime factor. We will be the authors of our own victory or defeat. Gol is now prepared to solve the problem. It is the Naga factor, not the Indian factor. Honorable Ato Kilonser Th. Muivah used to say about the ‘danger of self-defeat.’ If we cannot succeed today we will not blame heaven or earth we will blame ourselves. But we are fully convinced that we can overcome.

13. Role of the Aos
The Aos were the first people among the Nagas chosen by the Lord to rescue the perishing souls. It was you who took the word of God to the people in the dark; it was you who made the blind people see the light; it was you who made whole the deaf in many places. You were in the forefront of battles to lead people in the movement. History says how Mangmetong was burnt consecutively for 18 times. But revolution did not stop there. The wildfire of the movement continues burning everywhere in Naga country. You must nurture and harvest what you have sown. You are one of strong allies of the movement in all weathers. NSCN are the soldiers of the people. We know how you faced persecutions and sufferings for the cause. We can never stay away from you. But we hope you would continue to be the strong tower of movement.
The movement went on because enemies were not prepared to understand with the Nagas. It refused to stop because the previous agreements did not solve the problem. It continues because our future is in the movement. It will continue if and when our people are in danger of subjugation and colonization.

14. The call for reconciliation
His Excellency, the Yaruiwo, late Isak Chishi Swu had appealed to all workers of different groups to forgive our past mistakes. We have also forgiven their past mistakes. He further appealed them to come forward and get onboard the bus of framework agreement that was reached between Government of India and NSCN as two entities. We shall uphold and abide by the statement he had made.

KUKNALIM!