Sincere greetings to all my fellow countrymen!
On this auspicious day, I am proud to express my honest feelings that the journey of the Nagas for self determination —although challenging and testing like the freedom history of any other nation in the world— thus far has been progressively making headway towards its goal. We are the living witness of the fact that the legitimate right and the legacy of our forefathers can never be vanquished and outdone by any designs, scheme or power. I am also relieved and overwhelmed to express my sincere feelings that just as it was on the 14th day of August 1947 when the freedom flag of the Nagas was hoisted, the new Naga generation today is keeping alive the same patriotic vigor while also resolute and more determined in their aspiration for self determination. I am grateful that the young Nagas are aware and even more sentient that the toiling sacrifices and the price of the bloodshed by our forefathers for the cause of free Nagaland can never be compensated by any other means than freedom.
Like the patriotic expressions of a poet whose words motivated his countrymen to fight for freedom of their nation, I say awake and unite! Let freedom bell ring! Let us live in a land where the mind is without fear and the head held high. This is our democratic right;this is our birthright and our rightful wish. The question of Naga sovereignty can never be a closed chapter; instead we shall march on in unity with the freedom flag which our forefathers have hoisted for us! I also take this privilege to call upon every Naga intellectuals to come together, join us for a brain-storming session to decide the best solution and future of the Nagas.
Let us also be watchful and more reactive that any individual or organization falling short of this common aspiration of our self determination with hidden agendas and propagandas will unquestionably face the wrath and curse of the Nagas.
On this day, be it known once again to all that since time immemorial, until the advent of the Britishers, we the Nagas— although India’s sly policy to politically and geographically segregate and scatter us and disunite us was seemingly successful, we were in point of fact, a sovereign nation. We were one and free! Nagaland was a free nation, it was never been subjugated by any foreign country and was therefore never a part of any country. We had our democratic birthright, a right to exist on this earth free from any outside interference or control. This is proved by our past and present political accounts and our unique political history. However our shortfall and underperformance has led us to be subdued by the largest democratic country India. And in the quest to regain our birthright, the passage over the eventful span of more than 60 years had been hazardous and also momentous. But we have never faltered and wavered in our faith to regain our birthright. We have been resilient and have learnt to grow even stronger to fight with might and pen!
I, at my utmost humble approach, on this momentous day, on behalf of myself and the NNC (N.A), reiterate our pledge that our fight for right to self determination will persist with more wisdom and effort because we were a sovereign nation and we have every right to remain so, running the internal and external affairs of our own country. We will never be subjugated by any country. Therefore with sincere burden, I advise my fellow Naga freedom fighters to be more vigilant and heedful so as to avoid an act of disgrace, shame, betrayal and compromise.
The NNC (N.A) will welcome and not sabotage any talk or settlement. However it will not compromise on the issue of self determination. Any settlement can be raised with the government of India, but the door of self determination should not be sealed by any solution. We will democratically fight with the principle of non-violence. M.K Gandhi’s principle in his struggle for India’s freedom had been non-violence and non-cooperation but our guiding principle is non-violence and cooperation. We will collaborate and support any talk or settlement with the GoI however without compromising the right to self determination of the Nagas.
On this day, as we commemorate our independence day, we reaffirm our commitment to uphold the 1951 May 16 Naga Plebiscite and shall go all-out and strive for a sovereign republic of Nagaland until it is achieved.
KUKNALIM!
