My dear fellow Nagas,
Wishing you all Happy Anniversary and warm New Year greetings on this most auspicious day for Nagas everywhere. Today is the 75th Anniversary for the Naga National Council Formation Day established by our visionary leaders at Wokha in Lotha region on 2”d February 1946. We thank our Almighty God for His faithfulness and unfailing love and grace. We owe Him our survival as a nation up to this day. It is a great honour for me to greet you today and thank you and celebrate with you on this 75th Anniversary of NNC foundation day. Thank you for your prayers, love and support, your loyalty and passion for our country has renewed our strength and hope in the building of our nation. All the Nagas are NNC members and every new born Naga child becomes NNC member from birth. Let us be thankful and proud that the Naga nation is growing stronger with the passage of time in spite of many set- backs caused by India all these years.
I want to dedicate a very special moment to pay tribute to our patriots who sacrificed everything they had in defense of our country. Against all odds and confusion at the time of the withdrawal of the British imperial rule, the Naga National Council formally declared our Naga Independence on 14th August 1947 while certain territory of our land were still under the then British administration. India was granted her independence on 15th August 1947, one day after NNC’s declaration of Naga Independence. Our declaration of Independence was again ratified by our Naga National Council Plebiscite of May 16, 1951 conducted by NNC led by A.Z.Phizo with the result of 99.9%. The Government of India was informed ahead to openly witness the Plebiscite, and so there were Indian observers too. But India again brought ballot boxes to the then Naga Hills for voting in 1952, in the first Indian general election after her independence. But true to our National Plebiscite of 1951 the Nagas maintained a firm national stand of total non-participation and not a single vote was cast. It is in the record.
Even while some of us were under the British rule, our people sensed that the British would be going one day from this part of the world. So, with this concern for the future, 20 Nagas representing all the Nagas, submitted a memorandum to the Simon Commission in 1929 that the Nagas should be left as they were before the British came. Therefore, the whole Naga Hills were left as Excluded Area by the House of Commons bythe Government of India Act of 1935. The Indo-Naga problem started when Government of India sent her Army to Tuensang area in 1954 by ignoring the above cited historical facts of Nagaland not being part of India. Justice demands a peaceful and an honourable withdrawal of India’s occupation from our country, Nagaland. This will usher in a new era of international relations in South East Asia as Nagaland is the nation between China and India, the two biggest nations in Asia, and in the world.
Today, as we celebrate the 75th Anniversary, let us remember those who had sacrificed their whole life and honour them with our pledge not to let their sacrifices go in vain. In the last 75 years as a nation, our people faced different challenges by experiencing pain, untold suffering and sadness in the hands of our enemy. Today, there are a group thriving on lies and deceit, depriving our Naga society of our culture of independence. Let us not allow ourselves to be discouraged by the dissension in our national affairs under India’s occupation of our country. Let us keep our old culture of honesty by earning our bread with the pure sweat of our brows. This will earn us the respect of others and also God’s favour which can become the basis of our future.
Finally, I would like to call upon the young generation to never forget the sacrifices made by your forebears. Know your history and embrace your heritage. Wherever you go, be an ambassador for your nation, whatever you do, do it with utmost sincerity. Respect your culture and never forget your mother tongue. Fear God and always seek His counsel. Stay away from gifts that you have not earned and always be aware of divisive plans to our country.
I believe the dawn of great challenges and opportunities is fast approaching. Though it will not be roses all the way. It will bring countless opportunities and hardships as well. It will depend on our people how to face the great challenges with the right response and fortitude. I have strong faith in you that you will rise up to the occasion to face the sea of inevitable changes ahead of us. Our future as a nation depends on how we respond to this. With God given ability and your industrious zeal, you will overcome all the hurdles in your way and you will be able to usher our people to a bright and fruitful future.
May God’s grace be always upon our people. Long live Naga National Council and Nagaland.
Urra Uvie