I give all Honour and Glory to our Almighty God for this wonderful day and I thank Him for His continued guidance and protection. It is indeed a great privilege for me to address you all on this historic occasion of the Naga Republic Day.
I give all Honour and Glory to our Almighty God for this
wonderful day and I thank Him for His continued guidance and protection. It is
indeed a great privilege for me to address you all on this historic occasion of
the Naga Republic Day. The nation is profoundly grateful to the pioneers for
their vision and insight in laying a firm political foundation for our people
because of which we are able to stand up today with dignity and pride.
The Nation pays tribute and homage to the many martyrs who
have made the supreme sacrifice for the noble cause. I salute all Naga patriots
for their selfless sacrifice in the pursuit of the long cherished Naga dream
and aspirations. May their unyielding spirit and selflessness continue to
inspire, guide and strengthen us.
Nagaland became a Republic on 22nd March 1956 when the
Federal Government of Nagaland was established at Phenshunyu village as the
First Tatar Hoho was convened by the Naga National Council by bringing together
the free Nagas, represented by the Hongki Government and the erstwhile Naga
Hills District, represented by the Naga National Council. With the National
Mandate of 1951 immutably entrusted to them and acknowledging that the Almighty
God is the Supreme Sovereign over this world and the authority of the people on
the territory as a sacred trust from God, our leaders established our National
institution based on the modern principles and ideals of Democracy, Justice,
Liberty and Fraternity and instituted the Republic on the concept of the
Federal System of Governance. The historic Memorandum to the Simon Commission
on 10th January 1929, the Declaration of Naga Independence on 14th August 1947
and the Plebiscite of 16th May 1951 were the foundations which shaped the
political course of our people.
As we commemorate this historic day, we celebrate with pride
not only the exemplary lives and courage of the pioneers but also the numerous
leaders and countless patriots who have continued and passed on the legacy till
date with fortitude. Though over the years the Naga Political Movement has been
greatly weakened owing to divisive forces working overtime at the machinations
of the enemy, yet the time has now come for Nagas to unite and march forward
together to reclaim our historical and political rights. Our legacy lies in our
history and we have to trek the charted path resolutely till our rights find
full expression. I believe a bright future is awaiting the Naga people if we
have the moral strength, commitment and determination to continue the journey.
Nagas have an ardent desire to live in peaceful harmony and
have always sought to live in peaceful co-existence with our neighbours. As
such for the sake of peace, the Federal Government of Nagaland actively
participated and concluded the political dialogue with Government of India as
an entity of the NNPGs Working Committee for a peaceful resolution of the
Indo-Naga political issue to arrive at a political settlement which is
honourable and mutually acceptable. However even after a lapse of more than
five years, there is no sign of the possibility of a settlement in the
immediate future. From the 9th Point Agreement till date, no agreement with GoI
has been successful because GoI has always failed to honour them.
Our ancestors were honourable people and their words used to
be their law. The British recognised this custom and treated the Nagas as
honourable people; despite several conflicts and agreements between the two, no
written document was necessitated. But when the Indian leaders made the first
agreement with the Nagas, they neither honoured our customs nor their promises.
The conflict between the Nagas and India could have been resolved long ago if
the Government of India had the political will and sincerity in the attempt to
resolve it. The GoI has instead of seeking permanent solution, basically
succeeded in prolonging the problem by manipulating the situation.
The recent statement of the Home Minister of India on 20th
February 2025 at the ‘Unity Utsav- One Voice, One Nation’ organised by the
Assam Rifles at New Delhi may be another example. Without first solving the
Indo-Naga Political issue by honouring the Framework Agreement of 3rd August
2015 with the NSCN (IM) and the Agreed Position of 17th November 2017 with the
NNPGs, the Home Minister has appealed to the insurgents in the North East to
surrender, lay down their arms and join the mainstream. The NNC/FGN hopes that
the insurgents of the North East mentioned in his speech do not include the
Naga Political Groups because we are nationalists and we have no intention of
surrendering our historical and political rights.
India is regarded as the largest Democracy in the world and
despite the bitter experiences of the past, we can only hope that India will
live up to her world image by becoming an honourable country. We, as a Nation
of trustworthy and honourable, people have the moral strength to stand by our
historical and political rights, still firmly believe that what is rightfully
ours cannot be crushed by power or might.
The Federal Government of Nagaland put on record our
appreciation to Naga Shisha Hoho (NSH) and the Forum for Naga Reconciliation
(FNR). They have been tirelessly and continuously working to unite the NPGs and
reconciled the NPGs on the basis of the historical and political rights of the Nagas
and to further strengthen the process, convened a meeting of the Naga Political
Groups (NPGs) on January 14, 2025 where the authorised representatives of the
NPGs met to honestly reason together and explore constructive ways out of the
impasse and signed a Treatise. The Treatise recognises the shortcomings of the
NPGs before God and the people and committed to become more self-vigilant,
responsible and accountable. It says, “In our Strive to strengthen the 2009
Covenant of Reconciliation, we remain committed to honouring the Naga
Historical and Political Rights as expressed through the Naga Memorandum to
Simon Commission of 1929, Declaration of Naga Independence in 1947 and Naga
Voluntary Plebiscite of 1951… We recognise that the Naga ancestral territories
and Peoplehood cuts across all artificial boundaries, and we will continue to
safeguard and protect these inalienable rights together as a people… We have
agreed to implement the Council of Naga Cooperation and Relationship, a working
mechanism, to move forward in unity. We sincerely implead and invite all Naga
Political Groups and Naga Public to be part of this process.”
On February 18, 2025, representatives of various Naga tribes
came together in solidarity to express in one accord the urgent necessity for
all NPGs to come together in unity and cooperation while recognising the
constructive steps of the January 14, 2025 Treatise and that the Treatise must
be implemented with immediate effect to actualize Naga Unity and
reconciliation; and to consciously harness and consolidate Naga solidarity by
fostering kindred spirit without borders towards the fulfilment of Naga
aspirations
The NNC/FGN, ever since the change of leadership on October
21, 2024 has established a stable government, has been functioning smoothly and
we have been cooperating with other Naga Political Groups. I firmly believe
that the Naga goals and objectives will be achieved if we put our faith and
trust in the Almighty God, rely on Him and let Him continue to Guide us. Today
as we celebrate this historic Day, May God’s grace be upon us all and His
Wisdom continue to guide us as the Nagas strive to march forward.
