‘In a joint Naga National Council (NNC) and the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) Executives meeting on 29 June 2009 at Kohima, the current state of affairs in the country occupied the main business and unanimously decided on the imperative to educate our younger generation the actual stand of Naga nation so as to counter blatant fraudulent claims by the enemy and its proxy militia gangs.
The Naga society is clearly caught up in a spiral of the blind leading the blind to sectarian violence. Dubious cry for solutions could be heard time and again from all sorts of supposedly concerned educated people. In this state of affairs, it would appear everyone has to be self-styled leader of a notional apex body. We asked ourselves is there a right time to intervene and say, the biggest challenge our society face all the time is KNOWLEDGE.
Until recently, Naga people live in harmony irrespective of political differences. Our democratic tradition adhered to clear principles on matters of choosing a spokesperson or leader to represent the people in national service. Regardless of occasional heated debates in public meetings and sometimes strong personal rivalries, unlike today, self-seeking for position was definitely viewed unseemly. Thus elected representatives to both NNC and FGN are chosen by their respective community and Region. Moreover, before taking Office, each representative swore allegiance to the Yehzabo (Constitution) of Nagaland and Lakhuti Resolution (1955).
Modern Nagaland took the first step forward from hitherto historically independent Naga people towards a nation state with the formation of the Naga National Council in 1946. At the beginning, hardly few people expected the diverse Naga communities heretofore little understood to one another could ever integrate one day. Against that extraordinary start the sagacious Naga representatives led by A Z Phizo formally declared to the world on 14 August 1947 that Nagaland will stay independent, coincidentally, a day ahead of the Union of India independence granted by Great Britain.
Truly a nation of free will by virtue of the historic 16 May 1951 voluntary plebiscite, and further, on hitherto Free Nagas opted to merge with NNC under one flag, duly enshrined in the Yehzabo of Nagaland that thereafter established the Federal Government of Nagaland on 22 March 1956 vested with full legal authority, including raising tax to maintain the national government. NNC and FGN rightly earned the accolade of the people of Nagaland hence immutably entrusted with the sole mandate of Naga nation. In the war front, the massive brutal Indian army badly underestimated the tenacity of our Naga patriots that led to the reversal of the Government of India (GoI) untenable stand against Nagaland and began bilateral talk with the FGN resulting in the historic Cease-fire Agreement between the two nations in 1964. Taking advantage of its successful war against the hapless Pakistani army in the then East Pakistan (Bangladesh), the GoI unilaterally reneged on the 1964 Agreement in August 1972.
There were the usual detractors to the national stand from the outset but shockingly, in late 1979, led by the duo ringleaders, a renegade gang heinously massacred NNC and FGN much respected National Workers and patriots stationed in Eastern Nagaland. There is no doubt about the real motive of the renegades as the gang constantly rant NNC and FGN no longer exist. While our nation stoically endure and passively resist the tyranny of Indian occupation army, concurrently, in the past thirty years, our people have been further subjected to Indian state sponsored terrorism at the hands of renegade proxy militia gang. Our people are understandably appalled and disgusted with the renegades bringing the name of National Workers into disrepute and undermine everything wholesome our Naga nation stand for. Any Naga taking part in mindless killing of our people, abduction, extortion, plunder private property, cannot escape justice one day.
The Naga people like any normal people naturally yearn for peace and normalcy. War was never a choice but without provocation India invaded Nagaland in 1954. In response, volunteer Naga patriots in best ancestors tradition of upholding one’s honour, came forward to support NNC stand, prior to the formation of FGN, in refusing to yield to Indian aggressor’s bully. Naga nation will always hold in the highest esteem the founding Fathers of the nation and patriots for their selfless sacrifices for the coming generation.
A sound knowledge of being a Naga and the Nagaland we love is paramount to finding internal equanimity and restoring our focus on the core issue of the unremitting conflict with India. Whereas, ignorance of our national purpose will always hinder progress to a just solution. We are passing through a peculiarly rough weather in the home front due to the reasons well-known to our people and there is a cry for peace, unity, reconciliation and so on. Nagas must and can reconcile only on the National stand and historical facts of:
(a) The formal declaration of the Naga independence on 14th August, 1947,
(b) The Naga Plebiscite of 1951, pledging for independence and
(c) The formation of republic of Federal Government of Nagaland on 22nd March, 1956.
The war has not gone away and under the circumstances, our national government need all the support our long suffering people are willing to share. To date the hypocritical policy of the Government of India (GoI) towards Nagaland clearly hinder any prospect for peace. However, India cannot indefinitely trample on the freedom of Naga people and Nagaland will be free.
God bless Nagaland.
Urra Uvie
I. Temjenba Lkr,
Tatar
Federal Government of Nagaland.
L. Kaiso,
Secretary Incharge,
NNC
