Seeking Solution that does not Compromise Truth

It is understandable that Nagas, in the recent time, have grown increasingly impatient with the unresolved political issue. After decades of conflict and uncertainty, it is only natural to desire for a political settlement. Every bygone generation has hoped to see this become a reality. The recent rally organised by a group of Naga youths under the tag “Fed-up Nagas” can therefore be understood as the latest manifestation of this accumulated frustration. It is not merely a protest; it is a collective reminder that patience is not inexhaustible. Their call for an early political settlement deserves serious consideration. Yet, while empathising such a desire, we must guard against the temptation to embrace any settlement simply because it promises immediacy. A hurried solution devoid of historical rights and political vision is no solution at all. The question before us is this – how do we find a solution that is immediate, pragmatic, honourable and acceptable? 

The Naga people’s movement, right from the start with the formation of Naga National Council, is a political struggle founded upon the inherent sovereign rights of the Naga nation and the inalienable right of its people to determine their own destiny. This is the unquestionable and inalienable truth that lies at the heart of our movement. This is not a mere wishful thinking in the minds of the Naga people but a commitment and oath that have driven and shaped our modern history up until now. Our collective historical decisions and actions, like the 14th August Independence Declaration of 1947, Plebiscite of 1951, the Naga boycott of 1952 Indian General Election, etc., make sense only in relation to this truth. As such, any deviation from it, as part of the solution, amounts to compromising this truth. All Indo-Naga agreements such as Shillong Accord, Framework Agreement, Agreed Position, 16-Point Agreement etc., including cease-fires, presuppose this truth and accordingly, the success or failure of any of this will be interpreted and measured by it. Many Indian leaders and Prime Ministers, led by Mahatma Gandhi, recognized and respected this hard truth though for various reasons, no decisive political action was taken to match it and bring about the final solution.

Our Naga national pioneers rejected positions, privileges, and political compromise because they believed that the future of the Naga nation was more valuable than temporary personal gain. Their sacrifices and uncompromising stand remains the moral compass of the Naga political movement. We owe it to them and to generations yet unborn to preserve that legacy with integrity. Therefore, the present generation bears a solemn responsibility. It will be tragic betrayal if we use our freedom of thought and expression to dilute, reinterpret, or barter away the political inheritance entrusted to us by those who sacrificed comfort, privilege, and even life itself for the cause of Naga sovereignty. Their struggle was not for temporary political arrangements but for the recognition of the Naga nation as they understood it, proclaimed it and fought for it. To depart from that course in pursuit of expedient compromises would not merely alter our political direction; it would diminish the legacy of our pioneers and the sacrifices they willingly made. Therefore, as we envision the future and hope for early solution, let us remember that our historical rights and the truth of our history are not inconvenience to be negotiated away but the very foundation of our national existence.