It is an undeniable fact that Indian and Naga leaders have been engaging in political dialogue as two entities for nearly the last three decades.
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The apparent lack of political will and insincerity on the part of the Indian leaders and their constant attempt to reduce the Indo-Naga political issue to a mere domestic problem of India has been posing a serious threat in our earnest quest for an honourable and acceptable solution based on the mutually agreed Framework Agreement.
It is an undeniable fact that Indian and Naga leaders have been engaging in political dialogue as two entities for nearly the last three decades. Against this backdrop, labeling such misnomers as insurgents, rebels, terrorists, secessionists, etc., does not bring us any closer to the core issue. It only goes to indicate the immaturity and double standard nature of Indian leaders.
It has been necessitated to reiterate that ours is a case of invasion and forced occupation of Nagalim by India and Myanmar, and as such the question of secession from them does not arise when there was no consensual union.
We have been fighting a war imposed on us by India. It is a battle between the aggressor India and the aggrieved Nagas; it is an armed confrontation against the Indian expansionist forces; it is a fight between the just and the unjust. It is a resistance movement against Indian imperialism and the struggle of Naga people for liberation.
History tells us that the mighty British imperialist forces came to Naga country and occupied a part of our territory, but the rest part remains as free as ever. After the departure of the British, the Government of Indian sent its expansionist forces to Nagalim to annex our land through brute force, but the Naga people put up tough resistance against the colossal forces of India in defence of our land, our sovereignty, our history, our identity, our politics, our culture and our faith till date. The Indian armies killed all sections of Naga indiscriminately, but they could never extinguish the spirit of Naga nationalism. They engineered and financed defectors and traitors, created and nurtured factions, incited dissent, and discord among us. They tried to win over the hearts of the Naga people with blood-tainted money and false-promises of development plans, but are still failing. They say Nagas are Indians and Nagalim is an integral part of India, but history says otherwise. The Naga people have survived thus far because they are deeply rooted on the strong foundation of their inherent right.
An Indian leader once told us, “Corrupt people are very easy to be dealt with; it is a matter of quantum of money. But revolutionary people are a hard nut to crack.”
History says emperors conquered many countries and nations, but they could not conquer the minds and hearts of the people they conquered. They subdued many people and annexed their lands, but they could not subdue the national spirit of the people. They murdered people, but they could not murder the inherent rights of the people. They plundered and destroyed towns and cities of other people, but they could not murder their history and identities. They crushed people with the might of sword, but they could not crush their faith. It may be recalled, the United States of America destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki with Atom bombs, but they could not destroy the spirit of Japanese nationalism.
Nagalim has been made a killing field by India for decades. The Government of India still has the killing instinct to finish the Nagas, but the hard reality is that Nagalim for Christ is a living force. It is not the nuclear weapons, nor the military might, but the truth force/the faith force that matters. Can the revolutionary Naga people be herded into the fold of Indian Union like animals? Don’t they know that the so-called Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act is a scarecrow? Is the border fencing in Naga country another Berlin wall? Berlin wall was torn apart by the spirit of German nationalism. The Nagas are a covenant people of God. Could the mighty Pharaoh of Egypt stop the exodus of the Lord’s people Israel? Could the Red sea block them? Could the Wall of Jericho stop them? Could the coalition forces of the Canaanites stop them? No.
The Nagas have rejected the past bogus accords and false peace imposed on them.
The Government of India should know that repeating the past mistakes will be too costly. Indian leaders have understood that Naga people are earnestly looking for an honourable and lasting solution. In the negotiating table, we have stated that Nagas are by nature sincere, honest, straightforward and true to their word, but they are lionhearted when insulted, provoked, betrayed or attacked. In fact, Nagalim has produced many brave and strong military generals and revolutionary fighters, who can fight like lions. It has also produced shrewd politicians and revolutionary leaders who can negotiate and win over the hearts and minds of both friends and foes. We fight back the enemies when we are attacked; we are prepared to talk with them when opportunity for talk comes. We know that both confrontation and negotiation are two dimensions of war. But we prefer negotiation because solutions of all global problems are arrived at through political negotiations.
Our Chief Negotiator Eno. Th. Muivah had said, “We believe in political solution. We are for a negotiated settlement.”
After a long-drawn armed confrontations between the two forces punctuated with truce and dialogue, the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim(NSCN) have finally signed the historic Framework Agreement on 3rd August 2015 in the eye of the whole world. The Framework Agreement recognises the unique history of Naga independence. Based on the universal principle of democracy, it was agreed that sovereignty lies with the people. And that the sovereignty of the Nagas is with the Naga people. The Government of India has recognized the sovereignty of the Nagas. There is no doubt about it. However, both the parties agreed coexistence of the two entities (peoples/nations) sharing sovereign powers. It is also agreed that ‘Nagas are the owner of their land and anything on the surface and beneath of it belong to the Nagas. The government of India has clearly stated that integration of all Naga areas is the legitimate right of the Nagas. The Framework Agreement is the corner stone of relationship between the Nagas and the Indians. The Framework Agreement is the end result of the commitments and assurances of the former seven Indian Prime Ministers and the present incumbent Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi.
Let this be known to the whole world.
National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN)