NPCC refutes minister’s statement

Dimapur, May 1 (EMN): Elucidating that Nagas have lived alone for many centuries without depending on anyone, Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has refuted Tongpang Ozukum’s statement and termed it as an insult which 'amounted to confession of weakness and expression of inferiority and submission'.

Minister of PWD (Housing and Mechanical), Tongpang Ozukum, was reportedly quoted as saying that Nagas cannot live alone and need to peacefully co-exist and have respectful relationship within the Naga societies and with its neighbours during his speech at the29th general conference of the Naga Students’ Federation at Kohima on April 30.

Responding to Ozukum, NPCC president K Therie stated that Nagas have lived alone for many centuries in which every village was ruled by its village chief.

“We have history of honour and bravery. Fear was not known even at the mouth of death. For the honest confession, the last hanging was in 1931 at Kohima local ground and the last head hunted was in 1957 under an un-administered area, presently in Nagaland,” Therie claimed.

As the British were about to set India free, he stated that the forefathers had moved for a separate entity through the famous Naga Hill Memorandum “because of our inherent properties of religion, culture, customs, social practices and usage of land.”

“We have protected our sovereignty against the invasion of the Manipur Maharaja’s army by a collective village warrior force of Nagas living in Southern Nagaland. That was the reason Khezhanuo was collected as a token of unity and appreciation once in a year,” Therie said.

He went on to claim that there was no history about Naga villages being conquered by any kingdom adding that they have lived alone for generations without depending on anyone.

He, therefore, stated that the utterance made by Tongpang that “Nagas cannot survive alone” was wrong and has insulted the people of Nagaland particularly the ancestors.