Naga Plebiscite Day Message
On behalf of the Naga National Council, I convey my greetings and best wishes to the Naga people on this historic ‘Naga Plebiscite
Day’.
- My dear fellow Nagas,
- On behalf of the Naga National Council, I convey my
greetings and best wishes to the Naga people on this historic ‘Naga Plebiscite
Day’.
- I also give all glory and honour to our almighty God who is
our defender and protector.
- On this day of May 16, the Naga National Council (NNC)
organised the historic event, the Voluntary Plebiscite of 1951, which was
conducted by the NNC under the leadership of Dr. A.Z Phizo, the then President
of NNC, where an overwhelming 99% of the Nagas voted in favour of sovereignty.
It was a time when Naga people exercised their right to self-determination,
boldly exerting their identity and aspiration for sovereignty.
- Therefore, NNC urges all the Nagas to come in to one accord,
respecting and honouring what our predecessors achieved on this day the 16th
May by showing to the world that Nagas are an independent nation and that Nagas
do not want to live under any other nations be it now or even in the future. We
also salute them for opening the doors wider for the greater good of the coming
generation. We are grateful to our pioneer leaders for their fore-seeing
thinking and courage.
- Nagas were sovereign and independent even before the British
settlement. Thereby, Naga Plebiscite of 1951 was conducted, an event that
sought the people’s desire to live as a free nation as before and not to join
the Indian Union. The NNC will never accept to live under the Indian
constitution nor acknowledge any agreement to accept the Indian Constitution.
- The then President NNC Dr. A. Z Phizo, who is regarded as
the father of the Naga Nation, played a crucial role in shaping the Naga
Independence Movement. A. Z Phizo’s ideology was grounded in the belief that
Naga people have an inherent right to self-determination based on their unique
cultural and historical identity. He argued that the Nagas are never part of
India and that their forced inclusion in the Indian Union is a violation to
their fundamental rights. He advocate for a peaceful but firm stance on Naga
Sovereignty.
- Therefore, our commitment to the principle of NNC and to
Democracy, Justice, Equality and our stand on the Naga Plebiscite of 16th May
1951 has been the guiding light, steering us towards liberty.
