Dimapur, March 9 (EMN): Reaffirming its stand on the Naga political issue, the Naga National Council (NNC) issued a statement on Saturday saying that Nagas had made their “position absolutely clear in 1929 to the British Simon Commission” that they would retain their right to decide their future after the British give up their empire in South Asia.
“The validity and legitimacy of the claim of sovereignty of the Naga nation stems from the historical fact that they fought against the British invasion of their land for over half a century to defend their sovereignty, land and dignity till they were impliedly defeated and a no more fight agreement was made in our Naga tradition with our own terms and conditions in the last quarter of the 19th Century,” read the statement.
Declaring that the Nagas had reaffirmed their stand on August 14, 1947, it said the “position on sovereignty taken by the Nagas is not because Nagas are against or anti-India” and that they “regard themselves as one of the honourable neighbours of India by virtue of facts of their political history.” It added that there can’t be solution if the plebiscite of 1951 is ignored.
The NNC went on to say that it had reaffirmed its stand not to compromise Naga sovereignty at its regional presidential meeting held in Kohima earlier this week.
