Respected moderator, honorable leaders of various civil societies and Churches, distinguished guests, dear fellow workers, ladies and gentlemen gathered here, I would like to say thank you to all of you for joining us on this joyous Independence Day celebration. I also give greetings of this historic day to all the people of Nagalim in the precious name of our Lord Savior Jesus Christ.
At the very outset, I pay homage to those heroes and martyrs of the cause of ‘Nagalim for Christ.’ I give my revolutionary salute to all comrades-in-common cause and also to the revolutionary people of far and near who are also struggling for their future.
We talk of freedom and independence not only because we love it, but also mainly because it is an indispensable part of our individual as well as social life. Freedom is an inherent right of an individual and people to be recognized. NSCN is undoubtedly for the freedom that chooses future of the Nagas; it is for the freedom that chooses peace and progress in the land, not war and the freedom that builds bridges among people and nations, not walls. It has chosen the freedom to worship the living God, not idols, the freedom to live together as one people, and freedom to decide the future of the Nagas by the Naga themselves, not by others. This Independence Day is a landmark in Naga history. It is the stamp of Naga nationhood and the legacy of free Nagas ever to be remembered by all generations. However, this great day needs to be recognized by the aggressor states and the world community as well.
Nagas were once divided in the line of village-states and tribe and so they glorified the concept of village-ism and tribalism. In course of time, they developed into one people and one nation through the spirit of Nagalim for Christ. Nagalim for Christ is the guiding principle and the uniting point for all Nagas. It is the spirit of Naga nationhood. However, we are witnessing some people, who are still being infected with the virus of tribalism and divisionism. They do not see the Nagas as one people of the same country, same culture, same identity, same history and same political concept, but view them from enemies’ perspective. Speaking in the colonial divisive language, they call the Nagas as Burma Nagas, Indian Nagas, Nagaland Nagas, Manipur Nagas, Assam Nagas and Arunachal Nagas. This is a psychological roadblock to the oneness of Naga people. To us, the Nagas are one and there is no adjective to qualify them and that there is no white Nagas or black Nagas. The enemies can divide the Nagas for some time, but they can never divide them forever. The enemies can kill thousands or hundreds of thousands Nagas, but they can never kill the living spirit of Nagalim for Christ. This invincible spirit will outfight the aggressors and outlive the killers.
Many people are misinformed or dis-informed by the false preachers that ‘Nagas are asking for sovereignty from India’ and ‘sovereignty is indivisible.’ Based on the universal principle of democracy, government of India (GoI) has clearly spelled out that sovereignty of the Nagas lies with the Naga people and the sovereignty of India lies with the Indian people.
For the first time in history, the GoI has recognized the sovereignty of the Nagas. One school of thought states that ‘sovereignty is indivisible’ so it justifies absolute monarchy whereas another school of thought speaks of ‘pluralism of sovereignty.’ All the nation-states today are built upon the concept of the latter. Shared-sovereignty is a matter of mutual agreement founded on the objective reality of national necessity of the two people. Now the question is how sovereignty is to be materialized. Like energy that transforms into goods so sovereignty has to be implemented in all fields for converting it into material developments. The plebiscite conducted in 1951 speaks of assertion of the stand of the Nagas on sovereignty whereas the Framework Agreement of 3 August 2015 speaks of the recognition of sovereignty of the Nagas.
Interdependent relationship of everything is the law of creation. Everything is interconnected and that nothing exists in total isolation. The Framework Agreement speaks of co-existence of the two recognized entities. The architects of the Framework Agreement foresee that both of them will be placed in a secured position politically, militarily and commercially when they walk together and act together as partner in all fields than forced union of the two people inimical to each other. The future of both the parties lies in the principle of interdependent relationship of the two entities, as it is so with others. Like it or not India and Nagas are unavoidably interrelated and interdependent.
The Framework Agreement reaffirms the unique history and position of the Nagas as mutually agreed upon. The nation state of a people is the child of their history. As Esau of old had sold out his history to his younger brother Jacob so he bequeathed dead history to his posterities. It was the children of Jacob, who inherited the Promised Land according to their history. The Nagas have never ever sold out their history. We are the proud sons and daughters of the living history inherited from our fathers. Thus, the fate of the Nagas will be decided according to their history. A nation can never be built upon the foundation of a dead history.
Integration of all Naga territories is a natural necessity, not a choice. The Nagas have been languishing in the hands of the dominant communities in different administrative units for decades. We can assuredly say that addressing only the present grievances of the Nagas overlooking the future is no solution because that does not touch the heart of the matter. Integration of all Naga territories under one political umbrella is the legitimate right of the Nagas, which no power can stop.
Government of India said Nagalim was an integral part of India. It has now admitted the fact that land and its resources above and below the land totally belong to the Nagas. It is a paradigm shift. No tax campaign against the British government launched by Haibu Jadonang, submission of Memorandum to the Simon Commission, declaration of Independence Day and the conduct of plebiscite are all self-assertion of the right and political stands of the Nagas. Problem will ever persist until and unless the aggressors recognize our identity, sovereign right, history, and land. Hence, the Framework Agreement is the official agreement signed between GoI and the Nagas represented by NSCN on the basis of mutual respect and recognition of rights.
On the eve of entering the Promised Land, the Lord commanded Joshua to circumcise the uncircumcised young people. Circumcision means renewal of body, mind and spirit. The Nagas are now at the final phase of negotiation ready to enter the last stage of nation building. All Nagas without exception must politically, mentally and spiritually be prepared for the era the good Lord has given to them. In spite of oppositions here and there, I firmly believe that the Nagas can overcome because the era of the Nagas, the time of the Nagas and the century of the Nagas has begun. We are not alone because heaven and earth are with us; the international community is with us; the Church is with us; the land we have been defending for is on our side; the blood of the martyrs shed for the cause is pleading for us and the revolutionary band, the Nazirites of the Nagas are there ready to fight for us. No force on earth can stop us from moving forward because the era of the Naga people has begun.
A nation is born through political movement. India and Burma are the handiworks of their politics. We should not nurture the wishful thinking of building Nagalim by foreign politics. Nagalim should be built and developed by the Naga politics and run by it. The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) is built upon the foundation of Naga national principle, politics, programs and policies. It is people-based and future-oriented. Hence, the future of the Nagas is securely placed and well protected under the leadership of NSCN. We will march on even if reactionaries try to pull back the wheels of the movement. No one should doubt about it that NSCN is the standard-bearer. It will never betray God, the Author of Naga history. It will never betray the people, the center of Naga politics and the cause. Thank you.
