(From the original text by AZ Phizo, London England, UK May 10, 1986)
Capt (Retd) Vire Lungleng
Rali Wall Kilonser, Federal Government of Nagaland
In 1947 a Naga delegation went to India and met Mahatma Gandhi on July 19, 1947 at his Bhangi Colony in Delhi. We submitted the agenda in writing why we wanted to meet him as it was requested by his Secretary Mr. Pyarelal Nayar. We stated that:
The Nagas are not Indians and Nagaland is not Indian territory. And the Nagas will defend their country and fight to the last man if attacked which the Nagas always do when attacked.
We asked Mahatma Gandhi "Is might right?" Mahatma Gandhi said, "No, might is not right." In the discussion, which was very frank and straightforward, Mahatma Gandhi said to us,
"We do not want the British. And they are going."
"If you say that you are not Indians and your country does not belong to India then the matter ends there. Nobody will force you to join the Indian Union."
And when we told him that we are going to declare independence on August 15, he said to us "Why wait August 15? Why not declare it today." We also told Mahatma Gandhi that India is going to attack the Nagas when she became independent. Mahatma Gandhi felt sad and asked "don't you trust me! She has no right to do so. If force were to be used then I will sacrifice my life for you and I will ask them to kill me first before a Naga was shot." THIS WAS HOW HISTORY BEGAN BETWEEN INDIA AND NAGALAND.
