No vested interests of tribe, group, or leadership should overshadow the collective future of the Naga people.
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Dear beloved Countrymen and Women,
I give all honour and glory to our Almighty God for this momentous day and pray for His continued guidance and protection. It is indeed a great privilege to address you on this historic occasion of the Naga Republic Day. Today the nation remembers with deep gratitude the pioneers of our Nation whose visions and foresight laid the political foundation for our people. It is because of their courage and convictions that we are able to stand today with pride and dignity as a nation with a clear history and purpose. We pay tribute to the many martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice for the noble cause of our nation, their courage and devotion to the Naga cause continue to inspire us all. I salute every Naga patriot whose sacrifice and perseverance have sustained our long-cherished aspiration.
Nagaland became a Republic on March 22, 1956 when the Federal Government of Nagaland was established during the convening of the First Tatar Hoho by the Naga National Council at Phenshunyu Village which brought together the Free Nagas represented by the Hongki Government and the people of the erstwhile Naga Hills District represented by the NNC. Entrusted with the National Mandate of 1951 and recognising Almighty God as the supreme sovereign, our leaders established national institutions grounded on the modern ideals of Democracy, Justice, Liberty, and Fraternity, under a federal system of governance. The political course of the Naga people was shaped by several defining milestones: The Naga Memorandum to the Simon Commission in 1929, the Declaration of Naga Independence on 14th August 1947, and the Plebiscite on May 16, 1951. These historic events collectively affirmed the political will and aspirations of the Naga people.
The unity of the Naga people has become an urgent necessity of our time. We stand at a critical crossroads where clarity, courage, and collective resolve are required. Recognising this responsibility, the Tatar Hoho has resolved on January 28, 2026 to declare 2026 as the “Year of Unity.” The foundational aspiration that once brought our people together must once again become the cornerstone of our people’s unity: to live as one people and one nation, in faithful service to one God. No vested interests of tribe, group, or leadership should overshadow the collective future of the Naga people. True unity demands humility, mutual respect, and a commitment to the greater good of the Naga cause. When we place our shared identity and destiny above personal ambitions; we strengthen the bonds that hold us together as a nation.
In this spirit, the NNC/FGN calls upon all Naga political groups, social organisations, tribal bodies, and church leaders to rise above individual agendas. Dialogue must replace rivalry and cooperation must replace competition, where differences exist, they must be addressed with maturity and mutual respect to strengthen our national purpose.
Since time immemorial Nagas lived as a free people and throughout history, we did not submit to any foreign ruler on our own volition; our political stand formally recorded in the Naga Memorandum to the Simon Commission in 1929, where our leaders asserted “to leave us alone to determine our own future.” This stand was reaffirmed through the Declaration of Naga Independence 1947, The Voluntary Naga Plebiscite 1951 and the boycott of Indian general elections in 1952 and 1957. These were not mere symbolic gestures but clear political expressions of a people's will.
Throughout the annals of human history, freedom has never been handed down as a gift. Every sovereign nation paid the price for liberty through sacrifice and endurance. Our own history bears the same mark. The cost of our freedom has been measured in blood, tears, and the lives of brave Naga sons and daughters who chose dignity over submission. Their sacrifices should not become just mere words that we utter. They must remain as guiding principles that we uphold. To honour our past is to act responsibly in the present. We must safeguard our identity, strengthen our political will, and carry forward the responsibility entrusted to this generation. History teaches us that no occupation can erase a people’s identity and no force can permanently silence a nation’s aspirations. Sovereignty is not defined only by borders or flags; it lives in the consciousness, culture, and collective will of a people.
Time and again, the Government of India has shown that its commitments cannot be relied upon. The non-implementation of the Nine-Point Agreement and unilateral abrogation of the 1964 Indo-Naga ceasefire remain testimonies of India’s greatest failure to honour her commitments in the past. Even then, for decades the Naga people have exercised patience, trusting that justice would emerge through dialogue and negotiated agreements. Accords were entered into in good faith with the hope that they would pave the way for peace and political recognition. However, when agreements are delayed, diluted, or reinterpreted, trust begins to erode—and when trust erodes, peace itself becomes fragile.
India speaks to the world about democracy and justice, yet the true measure of these values lies in how India treats her commitments. We remind the Government of India today that peace cannot be sustained through partial fulfilment. Agreements must be implemented with sincerity and integrity if it is to be lasting.
The NNC/FGN stands committed to the Treatise signed on January 14, 2025, which reaffirmed our historical and political foundations: the Naga Memorandum to the Simon Commission (1929), the Declaration of Naga Independence (1947) and the Naga Voluntary Plebiscite (1951). These principles continue to guide our political stand and national commitment.
Today as we gather here as a people and as a nation, we are fully conscious of our identity, our history, and what we rightfully belong to us. For us, Republic Day is not merely a celebration; it is a declaration of hope. A republic begins first in the mind - in the belief that a people can govern themselves, in the conviction that dignity cannot be negotiated and in the faith that justice, though delayed, cannot be denied forever.
Let our struggle be guided by wisdom, let our voice remain firm and principled. Let our actions show the world that we seek not conflict, but rightful recognition; not division, but dignity; not chaos, but a future where our people can determine their own destiny. And to the world we say: a people’s aspiration for self-rule is not a threat to peace—it is often the foundation of lasting peace. On this day let us renew our pledge ‘To preserve our identity, to strengthen our unity, to pursue justice with patience and courage, to never surrender the dream of governing ourselves’.
A subdued nation can rise again. A silenced people can speak again. A denied sovereignty can be restored when a people stand together with clarity, resilience, and hope. The story of our nation is not finished and the final chapter will be written by our people.
God Bless us all. Kuknalim.
Zhopra Vero
Kedahge, Federal Government of Nagaland