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My dear fellow Nagas, At the very outset, I offer utmost gratitude, glory and honour to the Omniscient God for granting us the most timely wisdom in setting up the Naga National Council (NNC) on February 02, 1946. I also bring the warmest greetings to all fellow citizens on this most auspicious Day. This stupendous occasion calls for the deepest and hardest of introspections by every Naga as to what the Nagas’ fate and prospects would have been had not NNC been established when it was. One shudders to ponder that there might not have been any substantial Naga future worth the while had NNC not been in her honoured place and time. The living conditions, both in quality and quantity would in all probability be still lagging much far behind. Nagas might very well be still groping in the palpable thick darkness much in oblivion. But all thanks to the God of all opportunities for enabling the Nagas to establish the NNC in the best of times. Of course, it’s been the most undeniable historical fact that a group of Nagas, comprising mostly of Kohima DC staff members; who on January 10, 1929 submitted the iconic Naga Memorandum to the Simon Commission in Kohima thereby setting the ball of Naga Political History rolling indeed.
However, this treatise might just very well have ended up being one amongst the millions of such very well articulated poignant appeals landing in the waste-baskets, had not the NNC Chapter come into her glorious existence, thereby reiterating, strengthening and buttressing the former; rendering the Memorandum into one living instrument in writing; of the profound aspiration of the Nagas for all times to come. In the Naga Political History, NNC is the sole Political Organisational body; the only one and real/true stem as well as the root — all in one. Our Story, its beginning and every achievement thereafter have all been those of the NNC’s. To mention just a few of them in the passing are: 1. August 14, 1947, ahead of India, we declared our Independent status. 2. May 16, 1951, the Naga Plebiscite of thumb printing carried out to strengthen the former. 3. The absolutely total boycotting of the 1952 Indian General Elections by not casting one single Naga vote therein, declaring that we never were nor would we ever be Indians. These, amongst many such others, are irrefutable facts most truthful. Even the Government of India acknowledges them and is morally and duty bound to declare the Naga History of being “Genuine”. History too has its lawful; legal as well as ethical owner. And the Naga History belongs to the NNC. The whole Story began with the NNC and it will have its glorious fulfilling culmination with and in the NNC. The Nagas had never been asking for Independence from India. There simply is no logic for the Nation who had declared her Independence earlier (Nagaland), to be asking the same from the Nation who became a Nation later (India). All that the NNC had been striving for all this while has been for the Government of India to Recognise the Rights of the Nagas. Hope the concerned party understands the gravity of the matter and in the right perspective as well.
The NNC led the Nagas through a decade (1946 -1956) of non-violent, non-cooperation relationship with the Government of India, in the high hopes of finding a peaceful solution of our differences. Most unfortunately though, the Government of India chose not to pursue this non-violent path which had been much advocated and preached by her own conscientious leader Mahatma Gandhi himself. She instead went violent and deployed her despicable military might in order to force and intimidate the Nagas into submission and from 1955 started her naked invasion of Nagaland in blizkrieg ferocity. Thus, out of compulsion, the NNC had to set up her Government—the Federal Republic Government of Nagaland (FGN) on Mach 22, 1956 and started to wage the actual war to repulse the invaders ever since. By all human rationale and calculations; how on earth can the Nagas face the strong and mighty India? — absolute mismatch even to the point of being absurd! But wonder of wonders, through the all-powerful God’s divine sustenance; the Nagas could most tenaciously prevail and withstand the onslaught fairly well. So, only after about 9 years of open hostilities, the Government of India agreed to enter into a ceasefire deal with effect from September 6, 1964 and started the Peace Talks with the Federal Government of Nagaland. Initially, the Talks were held in Nagaland at Chedema and Khensa and later on they got upgraded to the Prime Ministerial status and took them over to New Delhi. But most pathetically the Government of India had never been sincere; never treated the Naga Delegation with due honour but showed utter disdain instead; for all of which the Talks failed miserably. Then in 1975 Government of India tried her desperate hands at another “peace” deal with one nonentity, self-styled group called “Representatives of Underground Organisation” and signed one “Shillong Accord”; accruing more shame and damnation for herself; but as expected, no fruitful implementations ever resulted thereof. Not having learned her bitter lesson; yet again, the Government of India went further off-course even geographically and this time in foreign land, she entered into another ceasefire with the NSCN (IM) in 1997. After pursuing a rather protracted “peace process” for 2 decades, in 2015 the so-called “Framework Agreement” came to be signed — the latest fad. However, the fact has to be noted with utmost clarity and finality that the agreement is absolutely and purely between them and does not involve the whole Naga Family even in the smallest way. It can never nor should it ever be imposed on the Nagas either in part nor as a whole. No matter how impressive and strong a faction is; it has absolutely no mandate to represent another faction much less the whole. Moreover, there is no question of Sovereignty here.
Therefore, the Nagas out rightly reject the Framework Agreement in its totality. In order to overpower the Naga Might, the Government of India had been playing the divisive card game on the Nagas and has apparently succeeded in fragmenting them even up to double figures. This has created quite a bit of confusion, making it not too easy to discern the real from the fake. But as for me, I am least perturbed! Natural law is quite absolutely clear on this matter: there is but one that is genuine and true; all the rest are false and fake. Confusions abide because of the very many imposters, but they can never stand the test nor make the grade. The people are apparently confounded for not realising this law of Nature.
The casual outward appearance of the Naga Case may certainly look not too much promising. But within, the core issue is getting consolidated, growing ever so much more favourable and strong; gaining momentum, if you will.
It is nothing short of the profoundest miracle in itself that such a tiny, insignificant and nonentity Nation of Nagaland could remain in contention for all of these 75 years; prevailing against such a formidable opponent as the mighty India. Is this made possible by Naga craftiness. The most emphatic NO! Instead, it is all because of the goodness and grace of God alone; we most humbly submit. In other words, putting things in the correct perspectives: the Naga National Movement for free and Independent Nagaland is very much in the great Plan of God. So the sovereign God is playing games with both the Nagas, but more so with the Indians. The Indo-Naga national affairs find a perfect match with the Egyptian-Israeli story of the Holy Bible. God did actively harden the hearts of the Egyptians in their refusal to set the Israelites free till the very end; but compelled Egypt to release the Israelites by paying an extraordinarily heavy price. Similarly God has already been directing the Indians with warnings galore, to set the Nagas free on several occasions. But so far India has been turning a deaf ear and refusing to comply. It may so happen that India would ultimately set the Nagas free only upon feeling God’s heavy Hand. May God be glorified in and through the Nagas, His beloved. Thank you all.
Kuknalim
Gen (Retd) Thinoselie M Keyho,
President NNC