Unity and aspiration for a free nation: Nagas gather to mark 75 years since Plebiscite

Dignitaries during the NNC 75th Naga Plebiscite Day at Khuochiezie on Friday. (EM Images)

• KOHIMA — Seventy-five years after the historic Naga Plebiscite, people from diverse backgrounds gathered at the iconic Khuochiezie (Kohima Local Ground) on Friday to commemorate the event and reaffirm the Naga people’s unity and aspiration for a ‘free nation.’
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• The Naga National Council (NNC), led by then-president Angami Zapu Phizo, had conducted the original plebiscite on May 16, 1951, at the same venue, with citizens expressing their will through thumb impressions. The NNC later claimed that 99.9% voted for Naga sovereignty.

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• Marking the 75th anniversary, current NNC president and daughter of AZ Phizo, Adino Phizo, was in attendance. The event also honoured two surviving participants of the 1951 Plebiscite—Putha Tunyi from the Chakhesang region and Siesa Yano from the Angami region.
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• The central part of the programme included a reaffirmation of the Naga Declaration and a shared reading of AZ Phizo’s original 1951 Plebiscite speech. The reading was carried out by a diverse group of participants, including Tsolie Chase, Neibano V Swüro, Imrongkumla, Khruhucho Rhakho, Chuti Semy, Thorhii, Khapi, Kevino Savino, Düjuvi Nyuwi, Kivipu H Jimomi, Tevino Kere, and Lumrito Khipur.
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  Adino Phizo, NNC President and daughter of Zapu Phizo, attending the 75th Naga Plebiscite Day. (EM Images)

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• An elegy on the death of Zapu Phizo was performed by Jütakhrie.
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• Addressing the gathering, Dr. Villo Naleo, convenor of the Planning and Coordination Committee, the organiser of the occasion, said the Naga Plebiscite Day is significant because it reiterates the stand that Nagas made to the Simon Commission in 1929 and the declaration of Naga independence on August 14, 1947.
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• He said that Nagas must recognise the enormous challenges the pioneers have faced in the past and give due recognition to the leaders for taking a firm stand in chaotic times.
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• Over the years there have been “unhealthy contentions and self-righteous attitudes” that have splintered the common interest, but that doesn’t mean Nagas are defeated, he added.
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• Naleo pointed out that Naga nationalism is a collective journey and the onus now is on how Nagas carry on this great responsibility. It is time for the Nagas to ask what has gone wrong with nationalism and the foundations that leaders have laid down, he said.
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• “We need to ask ourselves whether the entrenched nature of our inactivity, incompetence and intellectual and moral turpitude leave any scope at all for reflection and reparation. For so long, we have amplified our aspirations in various forms, but our voices have been silenced by bullets and bayonets, by ballots and bills, by bottles and bucks.
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• “Nevertheless, our faith, our dignity and our spirits cannot be silenced by any force in this world. We are all first Nagas, and we are brothers and sisters by blood. Blood is thicker than water; nothing can dilute our brotherhood, if not for our indifferences,” he added.
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  Putha Tunyi and Siesa Yano, surviving participants of the 1951 Plebiscite. (EM Images)

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• Naleo also spoke about the internal divisions within the Naga political aspirations. He noted the fragmentation between groups that support the Framework Agreement, those aligned with the Agreed Position, and the NNC factions that remain outside the peace process with the government of India.
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• “These are issues we must confront,” he said. “We need to gear up, garner our patriotism, and move forward with the right perspective.”
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  Khiamniungan Cultural Group performing during the event. (EM Images)

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• Meanwhile, the Naga Plebiscite Commission issued a statement explaining that it was formed with the blessings of NNC elders and leaders. The commission stated that it was established to collectively mark the historic event and renew the spirit of unity and democratic principles upon which the 1951 plebiscite was built.
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• “The commission stands on the founding NNC principles of the 1940s and ’50s, when all Nagas stood united under one institution with one vision,” the statement read.
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  Khiamniungan Cultural Group entering holding AZ Phizo’s portrait. (EM Images)

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• It informed that the commemoration will be a year-long event with various activities planned leading to the 75th anniversary in 2026.
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• “We repose full faith in the leadership of the Naga public organisations and trust every Naga, the old and the young, to join the celebration in the spirit of the occasion.
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• “We entrust young people to step up and nurture our story handed down to us with all our hearts, minds, strengths, and resources at our disposal to ensure that the baton of our birthright, heritage and indelible living history is passed on to our children for our tomorrow,” the statement read.
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• The Union Baptist Church Kohima performed the Naga National Anthem, while Khiamniungan Cultural Group and Chakhesang Cultural Organisation presented cultural performances.
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  A section of the crowd at the event. (EM Images)