Our Correspondent
Chedema, August 14 (EMN): Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) ‘kedahge’, Gen. (Retd) Viyalie Metha has categorically stated that the case between India and Nagaland is that of ‘invasion and war’ perpetrated by India.
Speaking on the occasion of the 71st Naga Independence Day at Peace Camp, Chedema after unfurling the Naga national flag, the FGN president asserted that India thinks it has inherited Nagaland from the British, but the fact is, Nagaland was never a British subject. He maintained that Nagaland ‘declared’ her own independence on August 14, 1947 while India was ‘granted’ independence by her British rulers a day later.
“On an occasion like this, a nation should be celebrating its independence with pomp and gaiety, but for Nagaland, ever since the declaration of her independence on August 14, 1947, we have been suffering from the hands of overwhelming Indian occupational armed forces in our land,” Metha stated. He reminded the gathering that India had sent its armed forces into Nagaland and started war with Nagas by 1954, and the Nagas have been fighting a war in defence of their country. The war, he pointed out, was temporarily suspended with an international cease-fire agreement signed between the Government of India and FGN which came into effect on September 6, 1964, an agreement which the latter is upholding till today. “But India on her part unilaterally abrogated the ceasefire in the year 1972 and has continued its war against a tiny nation like Nagaland,” he stated.
In the course of its nationhood for over 70 years, Metha said India had exposed its greed over Nagaland through the power of its armed forces under a total ban on access to Nagaland by foreigners and the media in the past and a partial ban remains even today. He also alleged that India had recently started rampant exploitation of mineral wealth of Nagaland, inducing a ‘nefarious agenda of divide and rule policy with money power’ to create misunderstanding among Naga people.
“As a result, India is conniving with few pseudo Naga nationalists attempting to make another settlement on the lines of 16 point agreement of 1960,” the FGN leader alleged, but he is hopeful that ‘the truth that Nagas are not Indians and Nagaland is not Indian territory will prevail in the end’.
He also reminded that right from the beginning, Naga leaders had made their position clear and the same was also acknowledged by some Indian leaders like Mahatma Gandhi.
“Nagas wanted India to be good neighbours, not enemies. Therefore, it is high time to take the bold step which would be honourable for India and good for Nagaland. But until such a day dawns, all Nagas must together rally under its declared Independence of August 14, 1947 and the National Plebiscite of May 16, 1951,” he added.
NNC president Adinno Phizo who is currently said to be in UK, also conveyed a presidential message to the Nagas on the occasion and the same was read out by NNC vice president L Kaiso during the programme at Chedema.
Presentation of military service medal, military cross and heroic awards was also made to several ‘Naga army personnel’ on the occasion.
