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For ages, Nagas lived scattered but freely without bondage. Each village was a republic by itself, self contained and completely independent of any other foreign countries. There were intermittent skirmishes and warfare against alien intruders. Human head was highly prized as trophies on the premises of defending their women, children and common men. The Naga people had no connection with India; they were not Indians and their territories were not a part of the Indian Union. As such, any political negotiation to surrender our territories to India is a crime.
The exploration of British Govt. into the Naga heartland encountered some of the fiercest battles for 48 years wef 1932. Then British expedition sought peace from the Nagas, to end wars, and a no more fight agreement was made in our tradition in our favor in 1880. Their amiable nature warmed up to the people to find acceptance as a friendly nation in our land. To ensure a peaceful atmosphere, a rule of law was established in our land. Such a rule was never established by way of military conquest or by a treaty terms of surrender. The Naga Sovereignty
was never compromised.
Sir Alexander Mackenzie, in his "History of the Relations of the Govt. with Hill Tribes of North Eastern Frontier Bengal", in his own language wrote as; "In 1851, no fewer than 22 Naga raids were reported, in which 55 persons were killed, 10 wounded and 113 taken captives. From 1854-1865, there had been 19 Angami raids in which 232 British subjects had been killed, wounded and carried off. .. and these loss have occurred when a chain of outposts was in existence from Barapathar to Assaloo". The Nagas had taken repeated punitive expeditions for punitive actions due to non-payment of regular yearly tribute to them as usual practice since time immemorial.
During the First World War, the British Govt. recruited strong Labor troops from Indian sub-continent, 2,000 Nagas of Naga Hills were recruited, sent to France in 1917. Their exposure to the outside world made them realise that Nagas were one people, one nation and those who returned home joined the "Naga Club" in 1918, which has further propelled the ongoing Naga national movement with a quest for nationhood with a common voice.
When the Simon Commission, a Statutory Body, visited Kohima on 10. 01. 1929 to find
out whether Nagas would like to join the NEW REFORMED SCHEME OF INDIA, The Naga Club submitted a Memorandum to the Commission in which they had made their legitimate stand very clear that Nagas were never subjugated by any foreign power, therefore, when the British left India, Nagas should be left alone. They told the Commission the fact that Nagas were not Indians and Nagaland was not a part of lndia and they shall not become part of the New India. Taking note, the Commission placed the Naga inhabited areas outside the 'reformed scheme of India' under the title the "Naga Excluded Area". The spirit of Naga nationalism had grown amongst all the tribes including the much larger free Naga areas and finally, the Naga Club consolidated the Naga people as a whole into a political organisation called "Naga National Council" (NNC) on 20. 06. 1946.
When the British Govt. had set the time to withdraw from India, the NNC declared the Naga Independence on 14th Aug, 1947 and cabled it to the Secy. Gen. of United Nations (UN). This was acknowledged by the UN and recorded in the files of both the UN and NNC. It was the British Govt. who left the Indian sub-continent in panic hurry helplessly without any clear decision, direction and plan, which left the Nagas into the hands of another illegitimate foreign power, who took the advantage of the unjustified situation which became the genesis of all the Indo-Naga war for the last 76 years in twists and turns. The new GoI came in illegally and occupied the Naga areas, it was greatly resented and opposed. There was much unrest. As such, the NNC held a voluntary 'Plebiscite' on 16th May, 1951 in Nagaland in which 99% of the Naga people voted in favor of 'Naga Sovereignty' and made known to the world.
In 1952, the first General Election to the Indian Parliament was held and the Nagas completely rejected this encroachment. In 1953, Jawaharlal Nehru, the then first PM of India came to Kohima, Nagaland with his friend U Nuh, the first PM of Burma. Before they arrived, the then DC Kohima, Borkataki, announced that Nagas could listen to the PM but they would not be allowed to speak or submit memorandum. Naga leaders then shouted, "If Nehru would not listen to us, what is the use of waiting for him, let us all leave", and the whole crowd consisting of thousands began to move away. The administrators then shouted over microphone requesting the people to come back promising that Nehru would listen to them, but not a single soul turned back. Nehru, without going into the reason why they left, took it as an insult. As soon as he returned to Delhi, he sent the Indian Army into Nagaland who unleashed terrible violent crimes on the people including mass arrest, theft, rampant beating, rapes, tortures and killings etc. Nagas have lost thousands of precious lives; all the houses including granaries were burnt down several times, beginning from 1953 and went on unabated for years.
Situation became intolerable, and young people took up abandoned II World War weapons and defending the unprotected children, women and people. During this time, NNC formed its Govt. called the Federal Govt. of Nagaland (FGN), inaugurated on 22nd Mar.1956. The Naga Army was formed by NNC/ FGN and began to fight with the superior Indian military forces vigorously and spontaneously in self defense, with a policy of nonviolence. The Indo-Naga war unknown to the world went on for many years. Words fail to describe in entirety of all the horrors of the crime and the atrocities committed. It was madness all around and the Nagas faced the worst kind of barbaric cruelty on defenseless women and children, in the hands of the despicable Indian army. Mr B.M.Mulik, Chief of Indian Intelligence, in his book "My Years With Nehru" on page 308 writes, "Troops moved into Tuensang by Oct.1955 and the war with the Nagas started from thence." In their barbaric war they had massacred innocent people in so many villages.
In 1957, the second General Election in India was held again but the Nagas rejected. The nightmare of violent aggression by the Indian army continued, as such, few Naga voluntary leaders, seeing the untold sufferings of the children, women and common people, came together to diffuse the situation and held a meeting in 1957 and named their group as NPC. When peace was in the offing, the GoI promulgated the "Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, of 1958". This Act was passed to perpetuate army rule in Nagaland and the Act exists in force till date. In Oct 1959, NPC selected a Negotiating Body (NB) and entrusted them to contact the GoI and the NNC so as to find out a way to bring about a political settlement.
After a gap of 8 months, NPC President convened a meeting of NPC at Dimapur on 24th July, 1960 and to the utter shock of the members the President told them that the NB was no more required and said that they were on their way to Delhi to sign an agreement. Many members of the NPC stood up and said that NPC was playing the role of negotiator only and that they have no mandate to sign any agreement. Then the NPC President said that a Dakota airplane was waiting for them and took some of his members in a hurry and left for Delhi. The so called "16-Point Memorandum" was signed in panic, itching for soft Ministerial chair, setting aside NNC/ FGN, for whom the settlement was proposed. The "16-Point Agreement" failed to stop bloodshed and Nagas lost so many lives again after this fake agreement which sabotaged the possibility of any political settlement.
After the surrender of the Revolutionary Govt. of Nagaland (RGN), in 1974 a regional non-congress party with the zeal of Naga nationalism came to power in Nagaland but the Congress party in Delhi resented it for fear that the Naga nationalistic patriotism could sprout further. Subsequently, President's Rule was imposed in Nagaland without assigning any reason on 20th May, 1975. Again on June 20, 1975, National Emergency was declared in India by PM Mrs Indira Gandhi. Immediately the Army worked out a "Joint Operation Program' in collaboration with the State Govt. and started absolute ruthless army operation. NNC/FGN in many districts surrendered en masse, and the barbaric operation finally came to Angami and Chakhesang areas. Having observed that it was out of question for the people of these areas to surrender, the Gol then imposed indefinite curfew with 3rd degree torture depriving villagers of food, drink, sleep and toiled facilities and any suspect were either shot dead or meted out with barbaric physical violence.
Under the circumstances stated above, the Church leaders came in and took some of the representatives of the Undergrounds (UGs) to Shillong and signed the infamous 'Shillong, Accord' under duress to give a relief to the immense distress faced by the people. With this surrender Accord, Indian army operation was stopped, curfew was relaxed and many political prisoners were released. The first and second clauses of the Accord were acceptance of Indian Constitution by the UGs and deposit of arms; the third clause was to let the UGs to formulate other issues for final settlement. For that purpose transit camps were established to enable the UGs to stay to formulate other issues for final settlement.
Shillong Accord was signed by the UGs without official sanction. Although NNC/FGN's name was not implicated in the Accord, yet the Kohima transit camp was occupied by some few of the NNC/FGN leaders. Even after 46 years, these NNC/FGN leaders did not take up any step to formulate other issues. While the Shillong Accord was already rejected by the people, their continued stay at the camp till date has kept the Accord alive and brought many misunderstandings.
In 1980, a group of NNC/FGN led by Th. Muivah and Issak Swu broke away from NNC/FGN and created the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN). They killed so many
NNC/FGN leaders, blaming NNC/FGN to be part of the Shillong Accord accepting the Indian Constitution. Again in 1988, the NSCN split into Isak-Muivah NSCN (IM) and Khaplang NSCN (K). These two groups started fighting among themselves that cost so many lives. In the process, split after split, factions occurred and so many groups were formed, this has created confusions in the mind of our people.
The NNC/FGN that does not subscribe to the Shillong Accord, had abstained from the Transit Camp or shall never succumb to any settlement similar to Shillong Accord, is the legitimate torch bearer of the Naga struggle and the voice of the Naga's rightful cause to continue to be independent. The NNC/FGN shall forever relentlessly commit to our original position of Sovereignty, which is never an act of secession that unlawfully or treasonously violated some solemn agreement or understanding made by them to be a part of the new India. Nor was it an anti- India reaction as they were acting on the basis of their legitimate right to choose their own future as a neighbor of India, having made their legally valid position abundantly clear before the British left India in 1929.
Therefore, under these premises, it is clear that Nagas demanding anything that is not theirs from India does not arise. We are not asking India to give sovereignty or anything to us. We do not need anything from India, Nagaland is a land of untold opportunity and potentiality, blessed abundantly, exceedingly beyond and above with natural mineral resources of all kinds, also a great temptation to our neighbor India. We only expect 'India to recognise the true facts of our political history and leave us alone to determine our future by ourselves in our unique tradition. In doing so India will not be losing anything that was part of the new India created by the British.
We earnestly urge India not to unwisely use ugly brute military force to treat us as people who "have no option but either to keep fighting or surrender to the Indian Constitution". The new India must mark our words today that we definitely have an option not to fight militarily but shall never-never surrender, accepting the Indian Constitution as threatened by India. Do not treat us as a part of the new India in any way which is terribly wrong.
We had to resist the mighty India just in self-defense because we were compelled to protect our sovereignty, history, land, culture, dignity and identity not because we thought we could match India's vastly superior force. Nagas cannot throw away what is most important for their proper growth in all dimensions of life just because it is too difficult for India to discuss our sovereignty. We can understand India's problem who fail to understand the facts of our political history. But that does not mean we are to treat our history as if it is not true or not important for our proper development in our own culture "the purest form of democracy" without any caste system or discrimination, as a people and a nation.
Gen. (Rtd) Thinoselie M. Keyho
President NNC
Nsa Mayam Riyam
(Justice Supreme Court FGN) (Retd)
Vekronu Dozo,
Kedahge (President) FGN