Here is speech by Zhopra Vero, Kedahge of NNC/FGN (Naga National Council), on the occasion of Naga Independence Day.
My Dear Countrymen and women,
I on behalf of the Federal Government of Nagaland extend my warmest greetings to all Nagas, all over the world on this historic Naga Independence Day, today the 14th of August 2026. It is a great privilege and a moment of providential arrangement to address you all today. It was on this day in 1947 that our pioneers and visionary leaders took the momentous decision and chose to declare Naga Independence, thereby proclaiming to the world, the political aspirations of our people.
The Naga political struggle is a historical miracle. It was Divine providence that awakened the sense of nationhood by uniting fiercely independent, isolated villages to collectively assert our sovereign and political rights. Led by conviction and undeterred faith, the pioneers of the Naga National Council (NNC) kindled the spirit of nationalism across the remotest corners of our homeland, uniting our people and winning over the prayers and mandate of our people. The Naga political struggle was, and remains a political struggle founded upon the inherent sovereign rights of the Naga nation and the inalienable right of our people to determine our own destiny. The same conviction and nationalistic that unified us yesterday can reunite us and restore our strength today.
The Naga political issue predates India’s independence; the historical and political status of the Naga nation was acknowledged even during the British administration. This position was unequivocally expressed in the historic Memorandum submitted by our Naga leaders to the Simon Commission in 1929, wherein they declared that "If the British Government however,… we should not be thrust to the mercy of the people who could never subjugate us, but to leave us alone to determine for ourselves as in the ancient times." These words did not constitute a rhetorical flourish or a fleeting political sentiment but a principled assertion of our historical and political existence.
The subsequent constitutional arrangements under the Government of India Act of 1935 further reflected this distinct status by classifying the Naga Hills as "Excluded Areas," thereby placing them outside the administration of British India. Likewise, on August 1, 1946, Jawaharlal Nehru's correspondence with the General Secretary of the Naga National Council, T. Sakhrie, inviting the Nagas to join the proposed Indian Union, explicitly acknowledged that the Nagas were not a constituent part of India, but a people whose political consent had to be sought.
History also records the pivotal meeting between the Naga delegation led by A.Z. Phizo and Mahatma Gandhi at Bhangi Colony, Delhi, on July 19, 1947. The Naga representatives unequivocally conveyed their determination to remain independent, and Gandhi famously affirmed that the Nagas had every right to decide their own destiny, stating that they should never be coerced into joining the Indian Union against their will. These historical milestones continue to stand as enduring pillars of the Naga political identity.
Owing to the declaration of Naga independence on August 14, 1947, which was formally communicated to the leaders of India, Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) and the United Nations, the historical position and political rights asserted by the Nagas was recognized by India’s most venerated leaders of the time. However, it is unfortunate that the subsequent Indian political leadership failed to honour this recognition. Instead, through superior military power, New Delhi forcefully extended its authority into the Naga homeland, resulting in decades of militarization and armed confrontation.
Yet, despite decades of political conflict and changing circumstances, Nagas across political affiliations and countless citizens, young and old alike, continue to observe and celebrate 14th of August as the Naga Independence Day. This enduring observance should not degenerate into a mere commemorative occasion; but ought to be the resonance of a powerful and continuous expression of the collective political will, historical consciousness, and national aspiration of the Naga people. Let us take time to reflect deeply on the foundational purpose that has sustained this annual observance for eight decades. Today, we honour the enduring legacy of a people whose history is defined by unyielding resilience, fierce conviction, and an inviolable bond with our ancestral homeland. This solemn occasion demands that we reflect not only upon our past milestones, but upon the permanent significance of our sovereign rights, our collective aspirations, and the sacred responsibility we owe to both our ancestors and to the generations yet unborn.
Today, we should reject any proposal that seeks to redefine the Naga political issue as one of administrative adjustment or economic accommodation because this fundamentally departs from the political mandate entrusted to successive generations by our forefathers. We must remain vigilant and refrain from bartering the aspirations and rights of the Nagas for immediate political gratification, or compromising them for developmental packages, economic aid, incentives, and promises of employment. The experiences of Nagaland as a state under the Indian Union should serve as a sobering lesson. Political accommodation within the Indian constitutional framework was once presented as the pathway to peace, prosperity, and progress by the Naga People’s Convention (NPC) and certain Indian leaders. Yet decades later, the reality is harshly different. Inadequate infrastructure, chronic unemployment, recurring fiscal deficits, institutional corruption, and an overwhelming dependence on financial assistance from New Delhi continue to define the state's condition. Every year, thirty to forty thousand educated youths are forced to compete for only a few hundred posts, while successive state governments repeatedly beg New Delhi for financial survival. Such systemic dependence ought to be a matter of concern for every conscientious Naga, for it reflects not political success, but the stark consequences of a settlement that failed to secure genuine self-reliance and long-term Naga interests.
The Fourteen-Point Memorandum submitted by the Naga delegation—led by Hon'ble Ato Kilonser Kughato Sukhai during the Fourth Round of Political Talks on October 27, 1966, and later unambiguously reaffirmed during the final round of talks—must remain a cornerstone of the Naga national movement. This document clearly articulates the historical and political rights, aspirations, and principles of the Naga nation. Consequently, it should serve as the foundational framework for all future engagements between the Government of India and the Nagas.
On this solemn occasion, we extend our profound and enduring gratitude to the pioneers, visionaries, and patriots of our past who laid the bricks of our nationhood through blood, sweat, and tears. We equally honour and salute our present leaders and steadfast citizens who refuse to bow to the pressures of political expediency and continue to resolutely uphold our national principles amidst testing times. Your unwavering commitment ensures that the flame of our historical truth is never extinguished.
As the custodian of the people's mandate, we are indebted to the Naga National Council (NNC) for staying true to its historical foundations; absolute commitment to upholding the sacred pillars of our national movement -- the Simon Commission Memorandum of 1929, the Declaration of Naga Independence on August 14, 1947, and the historic Naga Plebiscite of 1951. As we gather today, we are reminded that our responsibilities extend beyond remembering the past. A society that understands its past with clarity and truth is well equipped to build a future founded on justice, mutual respect, and genuine peace.
We owe it to future generations to continue our legacy of preserving and defending our inalienable historical and political rights. I join the nation in paying my homage to all those martyrs and patriots who have sacrificed for our nation. I congratulate all the recipients of the awards and special commendations for their dedication and commitment.
May this celebration renew our commitment and inspire us to march into future with unity, dignity and pride.
May God bless us all. Kuknalim
Zhopra Vero
Kedahge, NNC/FGN