On this historic 61st Cease-Fire day, I am conveying this message with a very heavy and painful heart instead of joy and merriment because of the moral pains to think of and relive the past horrible and traumatic experiences that our people came across in the course of our Naga national freedom movement.
Today, let (us) have a look together at and think of how the 6th Sept 1964 Bi-lateral Cease-fire between the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) and the Government of India (GOI) was signed and materialised. The FGN was formed and the Republic was declared on the 22nd March 1956 and the Naga Safe Guard later changed to Naga Home Guard in 1957 was raised to defend our land and our people.
The Nagas totally rejected the general election of India in 1952 and 1957 which entailed the wrath of India. To contain the Nagas, India started to deploy her Army to Nagaland from 1955 onwards to torment our people to submission and occupy our land through naked invasion. It continues to this very day unabated. India promulgated the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) of Assam in 1958. Side by side with this terrorist law, India hatched and coined the Naga People’s Convention (NPC) with a few handpicked literate Nagas at Kohima through which the puppet state of Nagaland materialised. The NNC, which is the main stake holder, was sidelined and ignored by India and therefore the NNC had nothing to do with the Schemes of India. India pursues this policy up to date.
From 1956 onwards, all Naga rural villages and granaries were burnt down and the people were herded into grouping centres which in reality was concentration camps like those Nazi Concentration camps of Hitler during the 2nd World War. Many Nagas perished in the murders of India, starvation, malnutrition and sickness.
Survivors had to start afresh to rebuild their villages and cultivate from scratch for livelihood. Indian Army was stationed in almost all the rural villages. Nagas lived in constant terror and uncertainty under that reign of terror by India with no available alternative. The outside world was never aware of those horrible circumstances in Nagaland because Nagaland was completely sealed by India from exposure outside.
On 1st Dec 1963, the puppet Nagaland state was declared and a puppet state government was installed but the situation was deteriorating due to the turmoil and the conflict was escalating.
Under those circumstances, in 1964, a cease-fire proposal was initiated by the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), requesting the FGN to hold cease-fire talks with India to bring respite from the undeclared war on the Nagas by India. To hold a National Assembly was required for the purpose. Scarcity of livelihood engulfed our land and to find a hosting village was difficult. Luckily, even at that time, Kütsapo village known as the bowl village in Chakhesang Region, was well of in provisions and able to spare. When requested by the FGN, Kütsapo village agreed to host the National Assembly.
The 9th Naga National Assembly was accordingly summoned and held at Kütsapo village in 1964. The Tatar of the FGN, the Central Executive Council members (CEC) of the NNC, Top Naga Army officers, authorities of the FGN and NNC scattered all over Nagaland attended that national Hoho.
By March 1964, delegation started arriving and around 700 Naga authorities were camped at “Happy Camp” of Kütsapo village from March to May 1964. After lengthy deliberations, the historic resolution was passed in the 9th Tatar Hoho of FGN to hold talks with India for a cease-fire agreement.
On the 24th May 1964, that resolution document was handed over to the Nagaland Peace Mission Comprising the Rev. Michael Scott, B.P. Chaliha and Jaya Prakash Narayan at Sakraba village by Rev. Dr. VK Nuh who was a trustworthy Naga National Worker at that time. Today, a Peace Memorial Hall stands at Sakraba Township to mark that historic event. After correspondence and round of talks the historic Bi-Lateral Cease-fire Agreement was signed by the FGN and the GOI and declared on the 6th Sep. 1964.
The 6 round Peace Talks followed but sadly, it was dead locked and unilaterally abrogated by India in 1968, leaving behind the Indo-Naga political issue to remain unsolved to this day with no honourable and acceptable solution in sight. That was how the cease-fire was made and ended due to the insincerity of India to democratically solve the issue. Regrettably, that cease-fire period of short respite fooled many Nagas and split in the Naga movement was engineered by India to suit her schemes. Naga freedom movement stands as one of the longest ongoing freedom movements in the world today.
Looking back at the events in our history at that period, I was surprised to learn that Kütsapo villagers donated 44 caskets of paddy, unspecified numbers of mithuns, pigs and piglets, dogs and chicken for the 9th National Assembly. Indeed, it was such a note worthy gesture of the innocent people who were shy of accolades or personal benefits but happily donated what was in need to our leaders purely out of the love of Naga nation. Let us just imagine those matchless and unparallel deeds of Kütsapo villagers.
In 1951, late Dr. A.Z. Phizo, the then president of the NNC was camped at Happy Camp site and the fountain that feeds the Camp inmate was named as ‘Phizo fountain’. The site was donated by the land owners to be our national property. Maj. Gen. Vesatso Khesoh established the Hq of the 2nd Div. of Naga Army in 1956 at this site. Eno Khriesaneisa Seyetsü, the first kedahge of FGN, established his Hq at adjoining Khaluzhi in 1956. In 1962, Col. Vephutso Rhakho established the Hq of the 8th Battalion, Naga Army. In 1991, the first convention of Naga Shisha Hoho was held here, beginning a new chapter of the revelations of God for the Nagas. From 2000 onwards, the Chakhesang Region Leacy Hoho established its Hq here and Happy camp site shall ever remain our national heritage.
India recognised the NNC/FGN through the Bi-Lateral Cease-fire agreement of the 6th Sep. 1964 and she can never derecognise it now or ever. Today, many of our people are confused over the ongoing talks for a solution within the Indian constitution and ruling out Naga sovereignty by the GOI and the NSCN-IM and the so called Naga National Political Groups (NNPG). Our people must clearly understand that the cease-fire with those groups was different. It is the unilateral cease-fire offered by India over which she has full control and the others are to accept her terms whether they like it or not. The bi-lateral cease-fire of 1964 is universal where both the parties of the agreement enjoy equal status as distinct nations.
Today, I sympathise with all the survivors of that period of our history who are sadly reliving the horrible consequences that they had faced physically and mentally. For the generation of today, all those events are going to be a simple piece of history and over which they are not concerned. It will be frightening and the coming generations are heading for an alarming situation where they have to search for their identity. Our people ought to firstly know our own history and pursue other callings in life.
The NNC/FGN will not enter into any fresh Cease-fire Agreement with India. If India sincerely comes forward openly, we are ever ready to talk and solve the Indo-Naga political issue permanently by reviving the Bi-Lateral Cease-fire Agreement of 1964. With non-violence principle of the NNC, we shall ever uphold the 14th Aug 1947 declaration of Naga Independence and the 16th May 1951 Plebiscite in pursuing the Naga goal of sovereignty of our nation and freedom of our people.
-Kuknalim -
Eno. K Vadeo