As I stand before you on this auspicious occasion of 78th Independence Day, the memories of our ancestors and the hopes of generations to come overwhelm me. Together we are the authors of our future. Today is a day to remember with respect and gratitude the Supreme sacrifice made by the founding fathers of our nation. It is a moment to salute the martyrs of our people who gave their lives yesterday so that their children could breathe the air of freedom tomorrow. The value of our struggle must be respected and it is important for the youth of today to remember the vision of a generation of Nagas, which held freedom as their inalienable right. Our founders had given the clarion call “Ura Uvie”.
The ideals, which formed the basis of a free Nagaland, are enshrined in our Yezhabo, which has empowered our people with fundamental rights of freedom, equality, dignity and religion. It has acknowledged the uniqueness of each villages & tribes and democracy as an absolute principle of the Federal Republic of Nagaland and Nagaland itself as a Union of states. It is a matter for regret that this land we proclaim as Nagaland for Christ, there should be extortion, intimidations, violence and violation of one’s boundaries. It is inevitable that in a country of various clans and tribes, there will be differences among various sections of people. These differences should be settled across the table. It is the duty of every citizen to assist is this process. We should help create conditions in which violence does not thrive, we should not allow bloodshed to take place among the Nagas.
A vast majority of our people are peace loving. Why is it that a handful of people with foreign socialist ideology are able to disturb peace & unity among the Nagas? The socialist have invented numerous unjustifiable taxes and reduced our people to extreme poverty. Some of these NSCN factions of our brothers today ally themselves with the Tatmadaw of the Myanmarese junta and a certain ethnic group of the Red Shans who want to dissect and occupy our land and are forcibly recruiting our youth. These unholy alliances have plunged us into interfering with a problem which does not concern us. Hence, it has created confusion and chaos.
Our people have been subjected to the double whammy of the Tatmadaw & the socialists. Their sufferings and miseries have increased. For more than 40 years, the occupational Tatmadaw regime, abusing the standard of humanity have violated our land and oppressed our fellow-Nagas. They have acted contrary to the ideals of humanity and justice. They have robbed us of our rice-fields, our mines, our forests and our raw materials. Politically, they have deprived our people of every democratic liberty. They have stifled public opinion and practiced obscurantism.
The current strategy of the Tatmadaw and certain socialist Nagas is causing many young Nagas to flee from their homes to avoid military service to a country which we do not owe any allegiance and does not belong to us. Today, while I stand here and speak you may wonder why another group or faction called Eastern Naga National Organisation (ENNO)? Let me be clear, the ENNO is not another faction or group it is simply a part and parcel of the mandated Federal Government of Nagaland and the Naga National Council. The ENNO is in existence as a measure of convenience due to the extraordinary situation in the eastern frontier of the Federal Republic of Nagaland. While we celebrate our Independence Day, our land is occupied by foreign forces and our own socialist brothers while in a ceasefire with India in the west is creating havoc in the east by allying themselves with the Tatmadaw. Thus we are now faced with both foreign and domestic enemies of the Federal Republic of Nagaland. This is the extraordinary situation which is faced by all Nagas east or west but in the east it has become more pronounced and overt.
Moreover, anti-social elements in connivance with certain factions are involved in illicit drug trafficking that is killing our youth, the very future and soul of our nation. Hence, for peace to be achieved in a true independent Nagaland both foreign and domestic enemies of the state must be eradicated. This can be achieved by working autonomously as a region. The ENNO is therefore in existence for this very reason; as a regional arrangement of the FGN based on the principles of Naga federalism. Therefore, on this historic day of the declaration of Naga Independence, I urge our eastern brothers in particular and Nagas in general to uphold our national principles of brotherhood, equality and liberty as we move forward to cleanse our nation of any hindrances, be it foreign or domestic. We will then enjoy the fruits of life, liberty and property and we can say that we have lived our lives for God, Country and Family.
Let us recommit ourselves to the values of Naga democracy, unity & integrity of our nation.
KUKNALIM!
God Bless Nagaland!