Pained at the unceasing arguments and bitter misunderstandings among different groups of Naga patriots with regard to the signing of the ‘Shillong Accord’, and feeling that it is far past time for us to take control of our emotions and to reconsider our views and opinions on the subject objectively, I have compelled myself to go back in time to that painful memory in our history to review the woeful events that culminated in the signing of the accord. The year was 1975, which, to my memory, was the darkest year in the history of the Naga Freedom struggle. Those who were witness to the events of the time will agree that it was the year in which the heaviest ever operation was carried out by the Indian army. The army poured into every nook and corner of the state putting into dire jeopardy the very life of the entire population. The operation was so expansive, intense and relentless that no Naga village was left uncovered. Total curfew was imposed everywhere and even the slightest violation of the curfew led to many deaths. Indiscriminate arrest and torture on a daily basis became the rule. Villagers were prevented from going to work in their fields and commands were issued to the rulers of the village to apprehend and hand over the national workers of the village on pain of torture and starvation. Faced with the dire prospects, the rulers were compelled to order the clansmen and immediate kin of the national workers to force them to surrender before the army, and hundreds of national workers were compelled to surrender in this manner.
Slowly and surely, the supply line of the national workers was squeezed out. Simultaneously, in the jungles, combing operations were relentlessly carried out and the camps of the Naga Army were attacked and destroyed one by one. Countless were slain and many captured and shipped to jails all over India. The casualties included civilians too. Many top ranking officers of the Naga Army lost their life and many were captured, and the remaining was in danger of being killed or captured any day; they were surrounded and there was no route of escape. To continue the struggle meant complete annihilation, but to surrender would be the end of everything the Nagas stood by. Both were not the options. A more honourable third option had to be found, and quickly.
It was at this critically fragile juncture of our history that Uncle Keviyalley, Ramyo Zimik and Biseto Keyho, who were leaders endowed with vision and uncanny wisdom, requested me to meet them. That was in the month of June, 1975. Knowing well the perilous nature of the journey I was undertaking, I hesitatingly went to Kohima to meet them. As instructed by them, immediately on reaching Kohima, I went to meet Mrs.Rano Shazia at her residence and with her and a guide, we proceeded towards the Chedima Peace Camp where in a hut nearby the camp, I met the three leaders. Though our hearts were heavy with the burden of the situation, the meeting was a happy one.
Without further ado, uncle Yalley brought out the reason for wanting to meet me. His rueful words were that they expected much from the UDF (United Democratic Front) Government in the state, but their expectations had been belied. He went on to say that the UDF has given assurance that if they were elected to power, the party would pave the way for resumption of political negotiations with the Government of India and usher in immediate solution to the Naga political issue. However, with the formation of the UDF Government, the situation, instead of improving, had gone from bad to worse. With the Naga army on the verge of decimation and without a hope of rescue from any quarter, a solution had to be worked out to salvage whatever remained and for that end a meeting of top officials of the army needed to be held without any delay, but because of the prevailing situation and with all communications severed, having the meeting had become an impossibility. Hence, they had called me with the purpose of requesting me to meet, on their behalf, the top officials of the Naga Army in the Ao area with a message about the urgency of finding a face saving solution to the problem confronting them and to bring back their response.
With the message, I hurried back to Mokokchung and on the next day managed to meet General Saniba in the paddy field. The General also wrote a letter in response to the message and I personally delivered the letter to the leaders in Kohima.
At the meeting with General Saniba, in the course of our discussion, the general formed a decision to call a meeting of the leaders of the Ao region urgently, but because of the density of Army operation, the proposed meeting was delayed. Finally, a meeting was arranged at a jungle camp nearby Khensa Village, but on the appointed day, the leaders, while en route to the meeting place, was intercepted by the Indian Army and General Saniba, Mepuyongdang, Captain Noklenba and others were captured and taken to the NAP Camp, Alichen. Within a short time of their capture, General Saniba sent me information about his arrest and requested me to meet him urgently in the jail at Alichen, so I hurried there and upon our meeting, he requested me to inform the leaders in Kohima about their current position. Accordingly, I went to Kohima and personally conveyed the information to the leaders. Subsequently, after a lapse of more than a month, I was able to get the General and his colleagues released on bail.
Meanwhile, time was running out and unless something was done immediately, there was impending danger of losing everything. Therefore, compelled by the pressing circumstances, the leaders met Shri.PK Nehru, the then Governor, in Shillong, who, knowing that the Naga leaders were in helpless position, forced upon them the now infamous ‘Shillong Accord’. In his earnestness to get the document signed, however, the Governor did not bother as to in what capacity the leaders should sign on the accord, and being wise enough, the leaders, realizing that providence has thrown the solution they sought for on their lap, seized the opportunity and quietly put their signatures in their personal capacities as leaders of the underground and not in the name of the Federal Government or the NNC. Thus, on the one hand, they did not compromise the position of the Naga National Government in putting their signatures to the Accord; while on the other, their signatures put an end to the Indian Army operation which was threatening the very existence of the Naga nation.
Later, all the Naga political prisoners in the different jails of India were granted the option of release after signing the accord, and all but two patriotic souls, namely, Mhiasiu of Khonoma Village, and Rongsensuwa of Changtongya village, refused to sign on the accord and opted to remain as prisoners. Thus, around 600 political prisoners were released upon signing the accord and were also rehabilitated by the Government of India.
Here, I wish to stress upon the point that there is a sea of difference between signing in personal capacity and signing in the name of a Government or organization, though the signatory may be the same person. In the former, the signature binds the person alone who is signing, but in the latter, it binds not the person who sign but the Government or the organization in which name the signature is put. The leaders who signed the Shillong Accord understood perfectly this implication and, therefore, grabbed the opportunity offered and signed on the accord in their personal capacity as leaders of the underground. If we view the circumstances in which our leaders were placed, we begin to understand that they were not willing parties to the accord, even while signing in personal capacity, for by doing so, they were putting themselves into bondage, but as leaders, they were aware that their duty towards their people was higher than their duty toward themselves. They, therefore, willingly sacrificed their pride and personal freedom in order to protect the life and freedom of their people, by putting their signatures on the accord. Their act was not one to save their own skin but one to ensure the survival of the rights of their embattled people, so that the fight for freedom may continue until it is won. Their understanding and foresight had not been in vain, for like the Phoenix, our people did rise from the ashes of that shameful episode, and today, the Government of India has begun to give us respect we deserve by acknowledging our situation as ‘unique’ and talks are on at the highest level to solve our political issue amicably and to the satisfaction of all concerned. All these developments amply show that the Government of India has understood the worthlessness of the Shillong Accord, and we must also follow suit.
I believe my Naga brothers shall understand through reason the sacrifice made by our leaders who signed the Shillong Accord and instead of harping on their failures, view them as true patriots who gave up their freedom that we may survive as a nation. It would only be just that the surviving signatories be welcomed into the fold and fittingly more so at this stage when reconciliation among all factions is taking shape, thanks to the patient initiative of the FNR. We must also understand that there can be no reconciliation in the true sense if any group is left out. Reconciliation, if fully achieved, as I believe it will be, will be the greatest victory for the Nagas.
Slowly and surely, the supply line of the national workers was squeezed out. Simultaneously, in the jungles, combing operations were relentlessly carried out and the camps of the Naga Army were attacked and destroyed one by one. Countless were slain and many captured and shipped to jails all over India. The casualties included civilians too. Many top ranking officers of the Naga Army lost their life and many were captured, and the remaining was in danger of being killed or captured any day; they were surrounded and there was no route of escape. To continue the struggle meant complete annihilation, but to surrender would be the end of everything the Nagas stood by. Both were not the options. A more honourable third option had to be found, and quickly.
It was at this critically fragile juncture of our history that Uncle Keviyalley, Ramyo Zimik and Biseto Keyho, who were leaders endowed with vision and uncanny wisdom, requested me to meet them. That was in the month of June, 1975. Knowing well the perilous nature of the journey I was undertaking, I hesitatingly went to Kohima to meet them. As instructed by them, immediately on reaching Kohima, I went to meet Mrs.Rano Shazia at her residence and with her and a guide, we proceeded towards the Chedima Peace Camp where in a hut nearby the camp, I met the three leaders. Though our hearts were heavy with the burden of the situation, the meeting was a happy one.
Without further ado, uncle Yalley brought out the reason for wanting to meet me. His rueful words were that they expected much from the UDF (United Democratic Front) Government in the state, but their expectations had been belied. He went on to say that the UDF has given assurance that if they were elected to power, the party would pave the way for resumption of political negotiations with the Government of India and usher in immediate solution to the Naga political issue. However, with the formation of the UDF Government, the situation, instead of improving, had gone from bad to worse. With the Naga army on the verge of decimation and without a hope of rescue from any quarter, a solution had to be worked out to salvage whatever remained and for that end a meeting of top officials of the army needed to be held without any delay, but because of the prevailing situation and with all communications severed, having the meeting had become an impossibility. Hence, they had called me with the purpose of requesting me to meet, on their behalf, the top officials of the Naga Army in the Ao area with a message about the urgency of finding a face saving solution to the problem confronting them and to bring back their response.
With the message, I hurried back to Mokokchung and on the next day managed to meet General Saniba in the paddy field. The General also wrote a letter in response to the message and I personally delivered the letter to the leaders in Kohima.
At the meeting with General Saniba, in the course of our discussion, the general formed a decision to call a meeting of the leaders of the Ao region urgently, but because of the density of Army operation, the proposed meeting was delayed. Finally, a meeting was arranged at a jungle camp nearby Khensa Village, but on the appointed day, the leaders, while en route to the meeting place, was intercepted by the Indian Army and General Saniba, Mepuyongdang, Captain Noklenba and others were captured and taken to the NAP Camp, Alichen. Within a short time of their capture, General Saniba sent me information about his arrest and requested me to meet him urgently in the jail at Alichen, so I hurried there and upon our meeting, he requested me to inform the leaders in Kohima about their current position. Accordingly, I went to Kohima and personally conveyed the information to the leaders. Subsequently, after a lapse of more than a month, I was able to get the General and his colleagues released on bail.
Meanwhile, time was running out and unless something was done immediately, there was impending danger of losing everything. Therefore, compelled by the pressing circumstances, the leaders met Shri.PK Nehru, the then Governor, in Shillong, who, knowing that the Naga leaders were in helpless position, forced upon them the now infamous ‘Shillong Accord’. In his earnestness to get the document signed, however, the Governor did not bother as to in what capacity the leaders should sign on the accord, and being wise enough, the leaders, realizing that providence has thrown the solution they sought for on their lap, seized the opportunity and quietly put their signatures in their personal capacities as leaders of the underground and not in the name of the Federal Government or the NNC. Thus, on the one hand, they did not compromise the position of the Naga National Government in putting their signatures to the Accord; while on the other, their signatures put an end to the Indian Army operation which was threatening the very existence of the Naga nation.
Later, all the Naga political prisoners in the different jails of India were granted the option of release after signing the accord, and all but two patriotic souls, namely, Mhiasiu of Khonoma Village, and Rongsensuwa of Changtongya village, refused to sign on the accord and opted to remain as prisoners. Thus, around 600 political prisoners were released upon signing the accord and were also rehabilitated by the Government of India.
Here, I wish to stress upon the point that there is a sea of difference between signing in personal capacity and signing in the name of a Government or organization, though the signatory may be the same person. In the former, the signature binds the person alone who is signing, but in the latter, it binds not the person who sign but the Government or the organization in which name the signature is put. The leaders who signed the Shillong Accord understood perfectly this implication and, therefore, grabbed the opportunity offered and signed on the accord in their personal capacity as leaders of the underground. If we view the circumstances in which our leaders were placed, we begin to understand that they were not willing parties to the accord, even while signing in personal capacity, for by doing so, they were putting themselves into bondage, but as leaders, they were aware that their duty towards their people was higher than their duty toward themselves. They, therefore, willingly sacrificed their pride and personal freedom in order to protect the life and freedom of their people, by putting their signatures on the accord. Their act was not one to save their own skin but one to ensure the survival of the rights of their embattled people, so that the fight for freedom may continue until it is won. Their understanding and foresight had not been in vain, for like the Phoenix, our people did rise from the ashes of that shameful episode, and today, the Government of India has begun to give us respect we deserve by acknowledging our situation as ‘unique’ and talks are on at the highest level to solve our political issue amicably and to the satisfaction of all concerned. All these developments amply show that the Government of India has understood the worthlessness of the Shillong Accord, and we must also follow suit.
I believe my Naga brothers shall understand through reason the sacrifice made by our leaders who signed the Shillong Accord and instead of harping on their failures, view them as true patriots who gave up their freedom that we may survive as a nation. It would only be just that the surviving signatories be welcomed into the fold and fittingly more so at this stage when reconciliation among all factions is taking shape, thanks to the patient initiative of the FNR. We must also understand that there can be no reconciliation in the true sense if any group is left out. Reconciliation, if fully achieved, as I believe it will be, will be the greatest victory for the Nagas.
Concerned Naga Senior Citizen
