I bring you greetings on the occasion of the 79th Foundation
Day of the Federal Government of Nagaland. On 22nd March, 1956 at Parashen
(Phenshünyu-Sendenyu) in Rengma region, the following Naga leaders had read out
a Bible passage each and the Naga National Flag was hoisted with joyful tears:
A.Z. Phizo, President of the Naga National Council; Khriesanisa Seyie, the
first Kedahge; Wheha Rengma, the first Ato Kilonser; Thongti Chang, the first
Chief of Naga Home Guard; and Kruzhalie Peseyie, the first Ahng of Angami
region, and many others.
When we talk about the Naga National Movement for free and
Sovereign Nation for our people, it’s a long story because the movement covers
more than seven decades now. Today, I want to share with you in brief some of
the important events during this long period of time which the Naga people,
particularly the younger generation, should know and live to it.
Firstly, the nomenclature, ‘Nagaland’ was christened as a
political institution for the Naga People as a whole by the Naga National
Council. Earlier, there was no organisation or name that bound the Nagas
together, although the feeling of Nagas as a people was already developed
during the participation of Labour Corps in the First World War. The
nomenclature Nagaland covers all the Nagas wherever they are. This nomenclature
was copied by a group of Naga people who called themselves as ‘liberals’ and
signed the 16-Point Memorandum with the Government of India in 1960. But Naga
people should not be confused with the name “Nagaland” and “Nagaland State”.
These are two separate entities. Nagaland covers the Nagas in erstwhile Naga
Hills, Nagas in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Burma; whereas Nagaland
State means a State consisting of only 14 tribes out of 64 Naga tribes.
After signing the 16-Point Memorandum with the Government of
India, a puppet Government was installed in Nagaland in the year 1964. And the
political party of that puppet Government was called NNO, presumably to confuse
the name NNC. But Naga people had taken it as a cheap amusement. (Nagaland –
Nagaland State: NNC-NNO)
Naga people are, indeed, grateful to the founders of Naga
Nationalism by bringing together all the Nagas under the umbrella of this
nomenclature “Nagaland”.
Historical record has shown that the first outsiders who
made in road into Nagaland were 700 British soldiers under Captains Jenkins and
Purberton. This was in 1832. The first written record of the Naga National
Movement was the Memorandum submitted to the Simon Commission in 1929 at Kohima
by the Naga Club in which they have mentioned in clear term that Nagas are not
Indians and Naga area is not part of India. From this root, the Naga nationalism
had grown from strength to strength and finally Naga National Council (NNC) was
finally launched in 1942.
Nagas declared their independence on 14th August, 1947; one
day ahead of India. They have also cabled it to UNO about this declaration and
UNO acknowledged it. Accordingly, we are independent Nation and India is the
aggressor. Therefore, the question of demanding Independence from India does
not arise.
In order to confirm this stand, the NNC called for a
voluntary Plebiscite which was conducted on 16th May, 1951. Indian
representatives were present to see this Plebiscite. The Indian representative
was offered a seat just in front of the podium and he was provided with a copy
to the Plebiscite Speech of the NNC President, A.Z. Phizo. The result was 99.9%
in favour of Naga Sovereignty.
Fully knowing of the facts, the Indian Government imposed
their first General Election of 1952 in Nagaland. This election was totally
rejected by the Nagas.
Non-violence is the hallmark of NNC because Nagas are traditionally
democratic. NNC, therefore, even appreciated the non-violence policy of the
father of the Indian Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. India is called the largest
democracy in the world but to the Nagas, this is a blatant lie when we look at
the atrocities committed by her police and army in Nagaland.
By 1954, the Indian army started their operation in full
swing in burning of our villages, destroying our crops, raping our women,
torturing and killing our people. All these inhuman activities of the Indian
army compelled the NNC to set up its own Federal Government of Nagaland on this
day 79 years ago. The Naga people have also formed Naga Home Guard for self
defence. War of resistance continued for almost ten years. But in 1964, the
Nagaland Baptist Church Council brokered a ‘Cease Fire’ between the Government
of Nagaland and Indian Government on 6th September, 1964. Since then, uneasy
peace prevailed in Nagaland till August, 1972 when the Indian Government
abrogated this cease-fire and imposed ‘Unlawful Activities Prevention Act,
1972”. Thus the situation was brought back to the square one again.Empowered by the provision of this Act, the
Indian Government was determined to crush the Nagas by imposing indefinite
curfew and grouping of villages. Simple villagers had become the worst victims.
All the village gates were closed. During this time, cattle roamed freely and
systematically destroyed all crops. Since these kind of treatment can never
solve the problem, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council leaders took up the
issue again, risking their lives while searching to meet underground leaders in
the jungle, and talked to them and finally took some of them to Shillong and
signed the infamous ‘Shillong Accord’ on 11th November, 1975. Shillong Accord
was, perhaps, signed to save the situation of the day. We have already stepped
into the fiftieth year of signing this infamous accord. As the Bible says,
there is a time for everything. It is for the people of Nagaland to judge and
form decision on the matter.
In the mean time, many leaders had gone away from NNC/FGN
for reason known to themselves only. We will not put up argument for their
going away from NNC/FGN but it goes without saying that they can no longer use
the name of NNC/FGN when they themselves had gone away from NNC at their
own.
Today, I want to remind the people of Nagaland that the
important events mentioned here like Memorandum submitted to the Simon
Commission, declaration of Naga Independence in 1947, Conduct of Naga
Plebiscite of 1951; all these important events in the Naga political history
were taken up in the name and under the initiative of Naga National Council. As
such, defectors from NNC have no right to dwell upon any of these points while
pursuing their selfish ends. Let us be very clear and straight forward that History
cannot be hijacked like terrorists hijacking planes.
Therefore, the stand of NNC is summarised in brief as
follows:
1.NNC
upholds Non-Violence as a National policy.
2.NNC
upholds the declaration made in the Memorandum submitted to the Simon Commission
that Nagas are not Indians and our land is not part of India.
3.NNC
upholds the declaration of the Naga Independence Day on 14th August, 1947, one
day ahead of Indian Independence Day.
4.NNC
stands by the 1951 Plebiscite and upholds the 99.9% result for Naga
sovereignty.
5.NNC
stands for one political institution for the Nagas as a whole; one National
Government and One National Government Tax.
In
conclusion, I appeal to each and every Naga to rise to the occasion and uphold
our traditional democratic values and political rights till we achieve our
goal, which may not be very far from now. Wishing you all the best of
luck.
