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Dear Fellow Nagas,
Today, March 22, 2020is the 64th anniversary of the establishment of the Federal Republic Government of Nagaland (FGN).
I therefore, most warmly greet all the Nagas on this auspicious day and offer my profoundest gratitude to Almighty God.
This historic occasion calls most befittingly for at least a brief review of our glorious antecedents.
The Naga saga, on close perusal; is replete with the love of God in superabundance. He, being the same Being who permitted the Israelites to undergo persecutions of the severest kind in order to train and temper them under Egyptian tyranny; must also be allowing the Nagas to suffer what come their way from India’s extremely heavy hand.
The Sovereign will of God Jehovah that hardened the heart of the Egyptian Pharaoh of old, is being most conspicuously evident to be operating in the absolutely absurd unreasonable stances of the leadership of the Government of India; which however had been affording the Nagas with profound advantages all this while. To mention just a few of them in a nutshell are:
Before we declare our independent status; there had been the musing of the idea of the 9 Points or 10-Years’ Agreement with the Indian leaders. This had been projected by her just in order to gain some time only. But, had the Indian leadership choose to readily implement the proposal (God forbid!) then the profound plan of declaring our Independence would have been most miserably foiled and failed. But since the Indian leaders didn’t agree to implement the same; it became the proverbial “blessing in disguise” and we were able to declare our Independent status on August 14, 1947 as planned; one day before India, creating a historic divine.
However, the Nagas’ Government wasn’t established on the self same day! Why was that so? Many question the underlying logic, and most rightly so. The grand reason had been that – the Naga leadership would not provide any chance and excuse for the Indian Government to crush and finish the nascent Nation of Nagaland. Utmost gratitude is being ascribed to God then, now and forever more for granting such foresight to our leaders of yore who then most dutifully submitted themselves to His absolute sway. How marvellously awesome is His Omniscience, indeed.
Thus the Nagas most patiently carried on the crucial 10 years’ period from 1946 to 1956 in her dealings with the Government of India with a policy of “Non-violence, non-cooperation and such other peaceful means”. On the pertinent question of rights and justice; Nagas have undisputed rights in the absolute on any and every conceivable angle of considerations, whereas India doesn’t even have the palest shadow of a single one. So, she in her “hardness of heart”(!) resorted to naked aggressive violence in order to bully the Nagas into submission.
Thus, starting from the later part of 1955 India sent her Armed Forces into Nagaland much against all forms of decency; right into our hearth and home.
How do we then respond? Though we are absolutely in the right; India was wilfully defying them and chose to come warring against us. Do we choose to listen to logical as well as logistical reasons and surrender docilely since we are no match, militarily? Or do we, most manly resist the rapacious force against all odds – the one and only dignified option left at our disposal. The Naga leadership chose the honourable option of defending our unalienable rights to the last man. This had been the right choice then, now and forever. We have come to where we are today just because of this virtuous decision.
In this way the Nagas came about forming her Government only on March 22, 1956; ten years after declaration of her Independent status and the Federal Republic Government of Nagaland came into being; only then full scale war with the Government of India happened to be waged. Since then God had been sustaining us in this protracted confrontation of “No war, no peace; no victor, no defeat” quagmire. Praises be to God and all the partakers of this tenacious war.
As the colonial British Government was leaving (as all invaders must do: sooner than later!) India, she made a vain attempt at righting her wrongs by ‘authorising’ the Princely States to secede, it was said. Accordingly some of them tried to break free; but the Government of India set her Armed Forces on them and most effectively crushed them most soundly.
“When well armed, well organised Princely States could be most decisively dealt with: how on earth the raw, crude and primitive Nagas would even dare to dream of standing against mighty India?”must surely be on the mind of the schemers of Hindustan.
The barbaric invasion of Nagaland by India had been taken as a catastrophic, wretched “greatest misfortune” at first glance. But on closer perusal this in fact turned out to be “the greatest fortune in disguise”- ultimately.
All this while the Nagas had been slumbering away in her innocence and naivety; and the invasion of India most effectively prodded and galvanised her to wake up and stand firmly together as a mighty Nation most resolute. This is nothing short of God’s doing indeed. India’s evil intent had been turned into becoming instrumental in forging the Nagas into a Nation most formidable.
Not being blind altogether, the Indians on observing the bravery and resoluteness of the Nagas, made some attempts at setting things right. But here again, God altered the reasoning sense of the Indians. Natural justice demands that Government of India must surely deal with her actual adversary/opponent, warring against her both physically and ideologically; here Naga National Council and her Government, the Federal Government of Nagaland - people’s mandated power. But she once again whimsically chose to ignore and by-pass the same and instead did business with her own scion: (created and bred from pliable Nagas) calling themselves as the Naga People’s Convention (NPC), entered into the 16 Points agreement and ushered in the State of Nagaland most by default.
The Government of India’s doing of creating the State of Nagaland tantamount to the“Greatest Blunder” in most sobering reality. Why so? So far, the Naga Affairs had been absolutely detached from the Constitution of India; but with this misdemeanour she got herself entangled most unwisely by taking Nagas in. She now finds herself unable to break free! How on earth can a dispute be settled between the parent and her off-spring without involving the actual owner/opposing party? Any such attempts would invariably fail since it would be just a one-sided action, one-sided decision or one-sided solution at best. Any such resolution so arrived at could never be imposed on nor made legally binding onto the Naga National Council (NNC)/ Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN). NNC/FGN had most categorically condemned and rejected all such moves much in advance; in strong terms too!
Government of India had inaugurated Nagaland State on December 1, 1963. Then on September 6, 1964 she entered into the Ceasefire with the FGN and started Peace Talks. Had the Government of India been honestly sincere in her quest; results would have been obtained then. Because, the Nagas at that point of time were still united, most solidly. But perhaps she could sense some technical/tactical flaws in her (recorded!) policy; so she unceremoniously, most abruptly abrogated the ceasefire in 1972 and resumed to unleash the reign of terror yet again.
The sorry tale then led to, in 1975,the Government of India entering into the so called “Shillong Accord” with one non-existent entity,“Representatives of the Underground Organisation”; but as to be expected – nothing materialised thereunto.
Then in 1997, India in her desperation entered into another of those ceasefires with a breakaway group from the Parent Body calling themselves as the NSCN(IM) by coining lofty terminologies of “between two identities” (whatever that was supposed to mean?). The so called Peace Process had since been being pursued for about 20 odd years with most laden feet and in 2014 the fabled Frame Work Agreement was signed. But it had been made most amply clear that no headway would be made even with this attempt; so now the latest edition/version – the NNPGs are brought into the fray to counter the NSCN(IM).
What a sick mockery of political manoeuvring is this?
Most recently, the Government of India, in order to fool the World, gave out statements that the insurgency problem in the NE has come down drastically. Yes, it’s true for a sobering fact that all the Nagaland fighting forces are actively engaged in political talks with India at present.
Why then, does the Government of India still continue to impose the demoniac Indian Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) on “Indian Made Nagaland State”? Why does India feel threatened about her Security and Integrity on account of Nagaland? We do not possess nuclear bombs, missiles or any other WMDs. What little we can boast off are a few miserable firearms of the AK-47 series.
Or could it be, India on the pretext of curbing and containing insurgency problem is preparing Nagaland as her Army Base for to launch an Arms Conflict with her neighbour China in times to come ?! We would not allow our Nagaland to be used as a Battle field!!
This is my message to India: Desist forthwith from the policy of “Divide and Rule”. Stop the unethical game of fighting one Naga group with another Naga group. Be informed for good that the final settlement can never be reached until and unless Nagas are united!
The Naga Issue challenges Indian Leadership’s wisdom and statesmanship of the highest order.
The World is watching you!
On this auspicious Day, I also appeal to my beloved kinsmen in the Nagaland State Government set up and her sympathisers. Are you not aware that Nagaland State had been created due to the sacrifices of the Naga Freedom Fighters? Their blood, their tears and their sweat had bought this State. The Government of India has stolen the Naga Freedom Fighters’ hard labour and are rearing the Naga people and keeping them in good humour by using you as their (GOI’s) stepping stones and as scape–goats. Would you not realise that you are the actual anti-Nationals, betrayers of National interests and traitors? Don’t you know that in the Indo-Naga Deal, you are posing the greatest obstacle? You are responsible for this long delay in years, untold human sufferings and unwarranted deaths. Would you be ready to pay the massive price?
How much longer would you allow yourselves to be used as puppets in their game plan? If you do not wake up now and start paving the way for Nation building; God may require from you and your progeny the blood price: would you then be ready? Even if you do not care about and fear man, at least fear the Just God. Let the Biblical principle of “Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil;”.... (Isaiah 5:20a) guide as well warn us all.
To the group of people who are most restlessly and relentlessly trying to reach a political settlement with the Government of India; my profound word of caution, “Look before you leap”, I most solemnly declare.
In conclusion I would appeal to the youth and student bodies to come forward and safeguard our National interests. The time of physical warfare is past. The era of “Might is right” has also gone by. Now is the time for non-violent, non-cooperation and peaceful milieu where we can and must speak out our eternal rights. I therefore charge you to shoulder the responsibility most squarely; because it is the most undeniable fact that the FUTURE belongs to you.
Nagas would be a Sovereign Nation most surely, sooner than later. The strongest reason being that this is the infallible will of God Almighty.
May the ever victorious God of peace most abundantly bless you all.
Kuknalim. Thank you.
Gen (Retd) Thinoselie M Keyho
President, Naga National Council
Nagaland :Kohima