The NNC/FGN rejected the ‘faction’ label and defended taxation as a historical pillar of Naga nation-building.
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DIMAPUR — The Naga National Council/Federal Government of Nagaland (NNC/FGN) has issued a rejoinder to a recent press statement by the Phek Town Public Forum (PTPF), expressing strong objection to the characterisation of Naga political groups as factions and defending what it described as the historical basis of national taxation.
In the rejoinder issued on Monday, the NNC/FGN said it was “appalled” by the PTPF statement published in local dailies on January 12, stating that it overlooked the history of Naga nationalism and the contributions and sacrifices made by the Chakhesang people and Naga leaders in the pursuit of a sovereign Naga homeland.
Recounting milestones of the Naga political movement, the NNC/FGN traced the formation of the NNC in 1946, the signing of the Nine Point Agreement in 1947, the declaration of Naga independence on August 14, 1947, and the Naga voluntary plebiscite of 1951, in which it claimed 99.9 per cent voted in favour of sovereignty. It further recalled the boycott of India’s first general elections in 1952 and the boycott of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s visit to Kohima in 1953.
The NNC/FGN stated that the subsequent deployment of Indian armed forces in Naga areas led to widespread suffering and compelled the formation of the Federal Government of Nagaland in 1956, with a military wing, to defend Naga territories.
Also read: Phek town to suspend factional taxation from 2026
Addressing the issue of taxation, the NNC/FGN said the establishment of the FGN was guided by three popular slogans: “Tax or March,” “Ten for One,” and “Our Land is Ours.” It explained that these principles emphasised participation in national service, collective support for national workers, and protection of Naga land and identity.
It also objected to the PTPF’s “blanket labelling” of all Naga political groups as factions, asserting that the NNC is a political institution of the Naga people and that the Federal Government of Nagaland is a government mandated by the people.
Referring specifically to the Chakhesang Public Organisation (CPO), the NNC/FGN said the CPO has on several occasions reiterated its affirmation to stand by the original principles of the NNC. However, it questioned whether such affirmations were backed by “any concrete contributions”, raising doubts over the sincerity of the support.
“There is no ready-made nation in the world. It has to be made, not made by others but made by self,” the statement said, adding that nation-building demands sacrifice and sustained commitment.
The NNC/FGN stated that thousands of Naga national workers have endured hardship to keep the national spirit alive, and cautioned against what it described as pessimism, derision and detachment from the Naga political cause. It called for a revival of the founding principles of Naga nationalism and said no one could afford to remain “insulated and aloof” if the aspiration for a free Naga nation is to be realised.