I pay homage and give my revolutionary salute to our dearly beloved martyrs!
We are awfully pained when we remember our departed comrades who were faithful to the cause they fought for and loyal to the nation they belonged. They obeyed the command of the leadership without question and faithful to the Lord they worshipped. The were Nazirites of the Nagas.
The Nagas without exception participated the national movement with full revolutionary zeal. Every one of them felt the tremendous joy of walking together with his brothers and sisters in the journey for freedom, peace and prosperity. But in course of time, they realized that revolution is not smooth sailing. Enemies divided the Nagas into two camps through the 16-point agreement. Again they were further divided through the Shillong Accord. However, the Naga people know that the 16-point agreement and the Shillong Accord are roadblocks, not solutions. Which is why the people have condemned both as a sellout. They are, as a matter of fact, the dividing points of the Nagas where killing among the Nagas began.
After the condemnation of the Shillong Accord by the national assembly on 16th August 1976 under the leadership of Isak Chishi Swu and Th. Muivah, the enemies penetrated into the camp of the revolutionary patriots. A few Naga Army led by Lt. Col. Visacho ran away from GHQ with hundreds of arms and hundreds of thousands of ammunitions. He went even to the extent of saying, “Whoever wants to join AZ. Phizo he can come and join us, but whoever wants to join Isak and Muivah let him join them, but arms should be submitted to us because all arms belong to Phizo.” Despite this, our leaders sent Maj. lhoshe for mutual understanding through dialogue, but Maj. lhoshe and party were sent back to Isak and Muivah disarmed. Again, Capt. Kumzuk was sent, however quite contrary to the expectation, he joined forces with Lt. Col Visacho and party. They hatched a plot for military coup d’état. The day Capt. Kumzuk return to the Battalion Headquarters at Shikba, military coup was staged by Lt. Col. Su bong where Mr. Isak, the then vice president, NNC, the General Secretary Th. Muivah, the Chaplee Kilonser Lorho, the Education Kilonser Khasui Longvah, Brig. Vedai Commander of Naga Army and Maj. Pruning were arrested and put in military custody to be executed. They were arrested on account of condemning the Shillong Accord, the charge sheet said among others.
Heavy confrontations broke out between the forces of Shillong Accord-NNC and revolutionary patriots. But revolutionary patriots could subdue the traitors and take control of the situation resulting to emancipation of the two incarcerated leaders from the custody of the military junta.
Soon after their release the two leaders convened a national workers meeting at Nokba in January 1980. Information was served to all concerned in all units and Regions.
On 26th February 1980, the pro-Shillong Accord party laid an ambush against the Naga Army command party under Maj. lhoshe at Chukia village, where there was a fierce encounter between the two parties.
Many of our dear comrades, who were sent to Khiamnungan area with the information for a meeting were all executed summarily by Lt. Col. Singya and party. It was later learnt that they had already joined forces with the Shillong Accord camp.
In order to take control of the explosive situation, a team of center authority along with Naga army under Brig. Thungbo, C-in-C, was again sent to the Khiamnungan Region. But they were also given negative response. Our leaders tried their best to settle misunderstanding, misinformation and disinformation created by the enemies, but to no avail. Nagas are always the victims of enemies’ divide and rule policy.
Finally, the traitorous NNC in coalition with the Indian and Burmese armies attacked on Naga army makeshift camp at Langnok, where about a hundred of Naga national workers including Chaplee Kilonser Mr. Khasui Longvah, Commander-in-Chief Brig. Thungbo, Col. Newin GSO, Maj. Shongshen, Capt. Shangam and many other national workers from the army and civil set-up were killed in action at the battle of Langnok on 27th September 1980.
Mr. Wuime Tatar and 2/Lt. Johnny along with their family members were mercilessly butchered on ground of their opposition to the treason of Shillong Accord. Many innocent public young and old, man and woman who supported Isak and Muivah were also not spared. Heaven and earth were the silent witnesses of the most tragic events that had taken place in the history of Naga national movement for independence. Thus, the 27th September 1980 was declared as the Agony Day by the Tatar Hoho that was held at Tonu.
Those heroes who have fallen in the hands of the enemies within and without are martyred, not killed. Martyrs are the seeds of freedom. All nation-states today were built with the blood of martyrs and the tears and sweat of revolutionaries also called Nazi rites. Nazi rites are those people, who are born or chosen for the Lord and his people. Building a state without Nazirites is a wishful thinking. The Naga people must have Nazirites; their organizations must have Nazirites; their Churches must have Nazirites; their institutions must have Nazirites. They must be able to produce Nazirites at all time, in all fields and in all generations so that the Nagas grow and shine among nations materially, spiritually, mentally and socially.
