‘All Nagas must join hands in amity’

My fellow Nagas,

I give thanks to our Almighty God for this opportunity and the promises He has made to the Nagas. Our future is in His hands and it will be fulfilled in accordance with his plan, for His words are both faithful and trustworthy.

 I pay homage to all freedom lovers who have laid down their lives for the sake of our homeland.  Their names will forever be etched in the annals of Nagas’ struggle against the occupational forces. We salute and honour them today and always will.

 It was on this historic day, the 14th of August, 1947, that our pioneering patriots captured the best moment to make known to the world that British connection with Naga people did not involve with the British Raj in India and Burma (Myanmar). And thus it became a red letter day in the history of our Naga   Nation. The day is observed every year since 1947, though in continued search for peace.

As we commemorate this day to honour and remember the sacrifices of our first nationalist leaders, let  us also remind ourselves of the responsibility to acquaint with the life and work of our forefathers;  their spirit of patriotism, enthusiasm and energy, their buoyant youth, their honesty, talent and workmanship, their self-reliance, their unwavering desire for peace and co-operation with all peace-loving people, and most of all their hospitality and cordiality, all of these qualities are the sincere  expressions of our unique identity which we must try to emulate at all costs.

We must keep renewing the spirit of nationalism and have complete faith that we will achieve our goal as a free Nation in the comity of nations. Nation building lies in our own diligence. Each one of us in our own personal and sovereign rights should work and contribute towards progress and welfare of our nationhood. It is possible for us because we are the descendants of those people who were deeply rooted in self-dependency, self-sufficiency and honesty. The spirit of self-dependency inherent in our people forms the crux of our movement for self-determination and we are committed to carry on the task to our best possible extent; and God willing, till the desired goal is achieved. 

The course of Nagas’ struggle against our mighty neighbour and her occupational forces is a history written with the blood of thousands of martyrs and tears of the bereaved. Endless conflict without victory on either side for decades proved to be a futile exercise. When Megatons can be converted to Megawatts, rationality demands that confrontation should be the least preferred recourse for the Nagas and Indians if we are to co-exist as good neighbours. 

There is no conflict in the world that is beyond redemption if two opposing sides concur to sit across  the table for deliberations.            

Today, with the mandate of the Nagas and as desired by our people, NNC/GDRN (N-A) under the   banner of the WC, NNPGs is a party to the successfully concluded political negotiations with the Govt. of India and awaits the formal signing of the final agreement. We must therefore, not relax this effort, rather, all Nagas must join hands in amity to facilitate the logical conclusion of the Naga Peace Talks.

I am confident that the final outcome of the Agreement will not only ensure the peaceful co-existence   of the two entities, but also usher in a new dawn of enduring peace, progress and security in the   region which our people have persevered and longed for, against all adversities.

At this juncture, I beseech our Naga people across the world for your continuous prayer support, that, permanent peace and tranquility prevail in our homeland; where finally we would be proud to   announce that we have, … beaten our swords into plowshares….. as foretold by the Prophets in the Bible.

Kuknalim.

74th Naga Independence Day Speech by Kiumukam Yimchunger,
President NNC/GDRN (Non-Accord)