A welcome address (November 7)
Rev. Dr. V. K. Nuh
Chairman,
NARC
The book of Ecclesiastes says, “I know that everything God has done will last forever, you cannot add anything to it or take away anything from it” (3:14).
I am deeply moved to see the Naga quarters represented here this morning to celebrate the sacrifices of countless souls for Naga nationhood and to honor their memory. On behalf of NARC, I welcome you and embrace you from the depth of my soul. Thank you! The pursuit of freedom has cost us sweat, tears, and blood; however, this endeavor has produced a legacy of hope for the future. The Archives, therefore, sustains optimism, but diametrically provokes mournful reminiscence through pages of its collections. In the same vein, the act of inauguration rightfully occasions us to lament and mourn those souls, who, from the extreme ends of our country, waged many battles, side by side on perilous ridges only to fall together in arms. The shed blood of the brave sons of the soil, and the spot where they stood and fell in defense of their motherland is dear to us. Would not it be appropriate to remember them today? Let this day be a national day of mourning! In 1960, the Nagas who went overseas under “Alee Commission” explicitly announced their conviction why ultimate sacrifice was deemed necessary, “The Naga people want peace, but they cannot afford to let their land be occupied by sheer military force of aggression, and as long as the invading forces remain, the Naga are bound to fight.” The struggle continued and many brave souls sacrificed their precious lives with uncompromising conviction. Some died in foreign lands and their bones are not brought to their homeland yet. We dare not forget them! Reflecting on the Naga past, we are reminded of Ronald Reagan, the former President of United States, who, in his presidential address said, “It is going to be pouring blood into my head with patriots’ blood who die from the battle.”I have seen creative and soul-searching monuments and memories for fallen braves. The one at Kohima War Cemetery reads, “We gave our life today for your tomorrow.” The entrance of the monument of Great Britain reads: “the Unknown Soldiers who died for the nation”; whereas the Japanese carved out from a huge rock in the forest in Osaka a national monument for World War II. Likewise, we honor our own with this Archives, as modest as it may seem.
I want to make a point by citing an episode in history. The Glosnot State Policy of Mikhail Gorbachev’s Russia opened up the top secret KGB files that were kept dormant for half a century. It came to light that Stalin Secret Police murdered 20,000 officers of the Polish Army. On receiving the news, Polish President Lech Walesa broke down on national television and the Polish nation wept with him. Likewise, if we are to call roll of our honored fallen patriots, what will the Naga nation response be? I wonder!
To this day, in my assessment, the Nagas have not shown enough tribute and gratefulness to those lives that had gone into the making of the very foundation on which we stand. If our generation and the one behind forget this indisputable reality our future will remain shallow. In all honesty, ungrateful nation cannot prosper. In the words of Daniel Webster, “God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it.” May this age continue to uphold liberty and embrace the responsibilities that come with it in the spirit of love for the nation. We deeply trust this historic occasion will help Naga people to realize that much of their future depend on how they make of the past. A mature understanding of the precedent is so important for Naga unity and timely political settlement, among others.
This morning, list of our gratefulness runs deep. To mention few, we are very thankful for Tokheho Yepthomi, our honorable Minister for PHED, who at the eleventh hour had to represent T.R. Zeliang, the Chief Minister of Nagaland. We want to let you know that your gracious participation and support has elevated our cause to a new degree, and we deeply appreciate you. To Dr. Parag Thakur, the Vice President and his colleagues at Asom Sahitya Sabha, the apex socio-cultural and literary organization of Assam who also had to represent its President Professor Dr. D. J. Borah; and Dr. Lokendra Arambam, Professor of History, and his colleagues from Manipur University, your presence as respected scholars, thinker and active searcher for the long-term common good of our region, will add immense significance to the fledgling attempt we are making to preserve some collected documents of our history, and more importantly to live as loving neighbors. What you will say today will encourage and enlighten us for the next steps. We thank you for your readiness to sacrifice your precious time and energy to be with us.
To the Naga civil component, you are our backbone, and we cannot stress enough the importance of your participation. We thank you very much! To our Naga Political Groups, we are indebted to you for creating a meaningful history and setting the foundation for Naga nationhood and persisting with it, the reason for our gathering today. We salute you and we honor you!
We have no reason to doubt that this Archives & Research Centre will serve generation to come and enlighten them to walk in the footsteps of their fathers. Through this endeavor, we deeply believe that the world will come to know the determination and courage of our people. May NARC truly be the “Legacy of Hope.”
May the good Lord bless us all.
