n response to your invitation to participate in the ongoing Naga reconciliation, allow me to present the following questions and suggestions. With regards to the formation of a Naga national government, I have the following questions to pose:
1. Was the Naga national struggle for an independent nation state launched without a Naga national government? If this was the case, then the Indian Government is right in asserting that the Naga issue is just an internal Indian affair where some frustrated Nagas had launched an insurgency movement against the legally established Federal Republic of India which was formed on 15th August 1947.
However, our national records show an altogether different picture. As far as our national historical facts and records go, our Naga national government called the Federal Government of Nagaland was legally established on March22, 1956 through popular consensus and mandate of the entire Naga people. This important event was preceded by the establishment of the Naga political institution called the Naga National Council on Feb. 2, 1946. This national institution was formed with the declaration that every Naga born of Naga blood was a member of the NNC.
Also, in order to safeguard this unique Naga political institution, the Lakhuti resolution of April 27, 1955 was adopted by the national council which stated that “ Any person or persons who in order to destroy or undermine the integrity and the wellbeing of Nagaland and who for this purpose, act, abet or set up organizations against or oppose the political administrative and traditional institution of the nation, or attempt to do so, whether into or with the aid of another country or countries shall be deemed to have committed treason.”
It was this same political institution (NNC) that had conducted all the important political events in modern Naga history like submissions of all the memorandums to the British and Indians, the hoisting of our flag on 14th August, the conduct of the national Plebiscite on 16th May 1951 etc. It was also this same Federal Government of Nagaland that entered into a unilateral ceasefire with the Government of India on September 6, 1964. Going by Naga political historical facts, these two institutions are in fact the only two political institution and government of the Naga people established by the Naga people and carrying the mandate of the people.
Now, one also supposes that India’s recognition of the unique history of the Nagas means recognition of all these unique political facts and events in modern Indo-Naga political history stretching from 1929 to the present. However, if we are going to form a new Naga national government only in 2011, then we have ourselves nullified all our own unique history. Also, after the formation of such a new government, one wonders what that new government is going to negotiate with the present government of India.
Finally, in this connection, if the Naga nation has through a national plebiscite disbanded or dissolved their own established Federal Government, then a new national government can be re-established through another national plebiscite. However, in the absence of such a national dissolution of one’s own government, no individual or group within a nation can form another government superseding the already legally established government of the Naga people. Here I hope Nagas are going to conform to international political and legal norms in the establishment of nations and its governments. If we do not conform to these international political and legal norms, we will be making ourselves unqualified to be a `nation among nations.
One sincerely hopes that after 62 years of terrible political trials and sacrifices Nagas will not in the end project themselves as uneducated political novices.
1. Was the Naga national struggle for an independent nation state launched without a Naga national government? If this was the case, then the Indian Government is right in asserting that the Naga issue is just an internal Indian affair where some frustrated Nagas had launched an insurgency movement against the legally established Federal Republic of India which was formed on 15th August 1947.
However, our national records show an altogether different picture. As far as our national historical facts and records go, our Naga national government called the Federal Government of Nagaland was legally established on March22, 1956 through popular consensus and mandate of the entire Naga people. This important event was preceded by the establishment of the Naga political institution called the Naga National Council on Feb. 2, 1946. This national institution was formed with the declaration that every Naga born of Naga blood was a member of the NNC.
Also, in order to safeguard this unique Naga political institution, the Lakhuti resolution of April 27, 1955 was adopted by the national council which stated that “ Any person or persons who in order to destroy or undermine the integrity and the wellbeing of Nagaland and who for this purpose, act, abet or set up organizations against or oppose the political administrative and traditional institution of the nation, or attempt to do so, whether into or with the aid of another country or countries shall be deemed to have committed treason.”
It was this same political institution (NNC) that had conducted all the important political events in modern Naga history like submissions of all the memorandums to the British and Indians, the hoisting of our flag on 14th August, the conduct of the national Plebiscite on 16th May 1951 etc. It was also this same Federal Government of Nagaland that entered into a unilateral ceasefire with the Government of India on September 6, 1964. Going by Naga political historical facts, these two institutions are in fact the only two political institution and government of the Naga people established by the Naga people and carrying the mandate of the people.
Now, one also supposes that India’s recognition of the unique history of the Nagas means recognition of all these unique political facts and events in modern Indo-Naga political history stretching from 1929 to the present. However, if we are going to form a new Naga national government only in 2011, then we have ourselves nullified all our own unique history. Also, after the formation of such a new government, one wonders what that new government is going to negotiate with the present government of India.
Finally, in this connection, if the Naga nation has through a national plebiscite disbanded or dissolved their own established Federal Government, then a new national government can be re-established through another national plebiscite. However, in the absence of such a national dissolution of one’s own government, no individual or group within a nation can form another government superseding the already legally established government of the Naga people. Here I hope Nagas are going to conform to international political and legal norms in the establishment of nations and its governments. If we do not conform to these international political and legal norms, we will be making ourselves unqualified to be a `nation among nations.
One sincerely hopes that after 62 years of terrible political trials and sacrifices Nagas will not in the end project themselves as uneducated political novices.
