W. Shapwon
Joint Secretary, NNC
The Naga nation was founded by the Naga National Council (NNC) under the leadership of Eno (Mr) A.Z. Phizo before India and Burma became Independent, by declaring the age-old Nagaland Independence on 14thAugust 1947, and again it was reaffirmed by 99.99% of the Naga people when the NNC conducted Plebiscite on May 16, 1951.
However, India and Burma ignored the will of Naga people and sent their armed forces to Nagaland in 1954 in an attempt to invade, hence, the war started with the Nagas from then on. When the Indian Army committed a horrendous atrocity and genocide against the Nagas, the President of the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) sent the NNC President EnoA.Z. Phizo to Western countries in August 1956 to inform the world about the plight of the Nagas in the hands of Indian Army and submit the case in the UN, so that the UN intervene the Indo-Naga conflict and solve it amicably.
The Indian puppet state.
EnoPhizo landed in London on 12thJune 1960. When Shri Jawaharlal Nehru,the then Prime Minister of India, heard about it, he hurriedly offered a special Statehood to the Nagasby summoning the leaders of Naga People’s Convention (NPC) which was formed by the Government of India (GoI) in 1957. The agreement was signed on 27thJune 1960, between the GoI and NPC, which was known as the 16-Point Agreement. And the Indian puppet state of Nagaland was inaugurated by the President of India on December 1, 1963. This was done in an attempt to internalize the aggression case in order to cover up her naked aggression on Nagaland and horrendous atrocities committed by her armed forces on Naga civilians.
The international ceasefire agreement.
The Statehood under the Indian Union was outrageously rejected by the NNC and continued to defend the sovereignty of Nagaland. The Prime Minister of India Shri Nehru, therefore, realized that the State offered to the Nagas was not the answer of the conflict, and relented to sign an international ceasefire agreement with the Federal Government of Nagaland on May 25, 1964. On 26thMay 1964, one of Nagaland Peace Mission Members Shri B.P. Chaliha, (the then Chief Minister of Assam) informed Shri Nehru about the ceasefire agreement between the FGN and GoI. He, however, passed away immediately on the next day and left the conflict unsolved tothe next Prime Minister, his daughter Mrs Indira Gandhi.
The formation of the Revolutionary government.
Following ceasefire agreement, the talks were held at the Prime Ministerial level of the two nations, Nagaland and India. But among the FGN delegation, a division was cropped up, some of them wanted to hand the talks over to NNC President A.Z. Phizo so that he can internationalize the case, and the others refused it and tried to solve the conflict by themselves. The GoI, took advantage of it, played divide ruled policy. As a result of it, the Revolutionary government was formed on 2nd November 1968, yet it was surrendered en masse on 16thAugust 1973 and became Indian Army known as BSF (Border Security Forces). This was the second split among the Nagas.
The invalid Shillong Accord.
The GoI unilaterally abrogated the ceasefire agreement of 1964 on 31stAugust 1972, and re-escalated heavy military scorch-earth operation in Nagaland once again in 1975 to give pressure on the Nagas to have accepted the Constitution of India at gunpoint. In addition, the Indian Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi declared an emergency and suspended the Rule of Law in June 1975.
To fulfil the objective, Nagaland was heavily rounded up by the Indian Army in 1975. All Naga villages and fields were filled up by Indian Army. The villagers were not allowed to tend their fields even though their fields were reaped for harvest,but concentrated them in their villages indefinitely. In those days, the Indian Army committed torturing, raping, killing on the Naga civilians which were beyond human endurance.
At such juncture, the FGN has obligated to do to save the nation from the doom and the perishing civilian people. But no option to have signed any agreement with the GoI for peace which would become only a surrender Accord. But Eno Z. Ramyo, (BA. LLB), a minister of FGN and EnoKaviYallay (BTH) Phizo’s younger brother, believed that no agreement which is signed during the suspension the Rule of Law can exist as valid. In view of this point, they have full confidence in themselves that they could play the political game with the bureaucrat of GoIto escape from any accord which might force them to sign. And hence they boldly nodded to the leaders of Nagaland Peace Council (NPC) to have peace talks with the GoI. In such hazardous situation, the Church leaders were going between the two nations mediating for a peaceful settlement in its entity NPC, saying; defeating the Nagas by armed might would not be a solution. The GoI also accepted the proposal of the NPC for peace talks with the FGN leaders. The GoI, therefore, summoned the FGN leaders to come to Shillong for peace agreement on 10thNovember 1975.
As preplanned to have the Nagas surrendered politically, the framework agreement was drafted by the Indian leaders without consultation with the Naga national leaders and made them to sign the Accord on 11thNovember 1975 to accept the constitution of India under duress. But the agreement becomes an invalid document in itself. Because the GoI doesn’t want to recognize the NNC and FGN and therefore, made the Naga leaders signed the accord on behalf of the representatives of underground Organizations, but Governor L.P. Singh signed on behalf of the GoI. As the Naga leaders signed on behalf of underground representatives, the name of NNC/FGN, Naga, and Nagaland was omitted from the document, and no mention was made of the rank and designation of the signatories as well. The accord thus becomes invalid in itself and hence none of the Governments (FGN&GoI) ratify it, and the NNC President need not to condemn it either.
After the Accord, the President of FGN summoned an emergency national assembly and held from 29thNovember to 2ndDecember 1975 to deliberate on the Accord, yet it was not for its ratification but to reject it tactfully. Following the decision of the assembly, the President of FGN issued a statement; stating; the FGN is no competent body to decide on clause (1) and (3) of the accord. According to the Yehzabo (Constitution) of Nagaland, Article 139 and 140 (revised version 143&144), the NNC is the only competent body to decide for the final settlement of Naga national issue. This statement passed the talks to the NNC Central Executive Council to solve the Indo-Naga conflict. With the President’s statement, dated December 30, 1975, the FGN tactfully rejected the Shillong Accord. (The Accord clause (1) To accept the Constitution of India, (3) To formulate final settlement by the signatories).
The statement was submitted to Governor L.P. Singh on 3rdJanuary 1976 at an official meeting. When the statement was read out, the Governor bust anger because the FGN blatantly rejected the accord. Nevertheless, he accepted the statement in the interest of peace and for a peaceful solution to the Indo-Naga conflict, saying; “The political process has gone over our heads and the Prime Minister of India will hold talks with the Central Executive Council of the NNC. Meanwhile, for the sake of peace, you will deposit your arms to the Nagaland Peace Council. (Clause 2 of the accord). Let us maintain peace in this way.” As the Accord became invalid, deposition of arms in the hands of third party cannot term as surrender.
The GoI, knowing the accord faced instant death, gave pressure on the signatories to hold talks based on the accord so as to revive the accord. But EnoRamyoand EnoYallay, knowing political stratagemof GoI, gave counter pressure to the GoI, saying; we have passed the case to the NNC President A.Z. Phizo, the Prime Minister of India must talk with the NNC President to solve the conflict at the earliest time. Mrs Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India declined to hold talks with Phizo, but her successor Shri Morarji Desai held talks with the NNC President in London at the High Commissioner office of India on 14thJune 1977. The meeting was not fruitful but the Prime Minister of India discarded the Shillong Accord from the political court in this meeting. Because the Prime Minister of India started talks with the NNC Central Executive Council in abroad, which superseded the Accord and made the signatories completely freed from the bound of the Accord.As mentioned above, in Clause (3) the signatories will formulate for the final settlement.
The formation of the NSCN.
After the signatories completely freed from the bound of Shillong Accord;in 1977-79, EnoRamyo and EnoYallay were enthusiastically trying to contact Th. Muivah and Isak, the then NNC General Secretary and Finance minister of FGN, who were in Eastern Oking (Headquarters) under Burma military occupied areas. They wanted to tell them the policy of FGN that was; to establish military base in Eastern part of Nagaland having peace with the Burma Government; the case is passed to the NNC Central Executive Council and the NNC should solve the Indo-Naga conflict from abroad by internationalizing it. Meanwhile, the FGN will maintain peace in the Western part of Nagaland in the interest of a peaceful solution to the conflict.
EnoTh. Muivah has been upholding the NNC General Secretary office since 1965 up to 1980. But Th. Muivah, who wanted to play the political game by using the Shillong accord as his political propaganda, refused to meet Ramyo and Yallay, saying; “We have no point to meet them”. As he believed, he could play political game, he defected from the NNC on January 31, 1980, and on the same day formed the so-called National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) and justified it,for theNNC/FGN surrendered by signing the ShillongAccord,the NSCN was formed in order to save the nation. Before the formation of NSCN, he killed NNC/FGN top leaders and top Naga Army officers in between November 1979 to 3rdJanuary 1980, because they strongly opposed his socialism. But after the killings, he gave false charge upon them that they supported Shillong Accord and killed. Indeed, all the leaders who were killed by him unanimously signed to condemn the Shillong Accord on 15th August 1976, when he, General Secretary of NNC, led to condemn it in the Eastern part of Nagaland.
The socialism was conceived in the heart of Muivah from long time back and it was born in 1980 five years after the Accord was signed. Some of his (Muivah) classmate narrated, from his College life, he had an interest in Socialism. In I967, Th. Muivah led the first trip of Naga Army Goodwill Mission to China and before he left, he held a meeting with Reverend LongriAo and some Konyak public leaders in the Konyak Region. In the meeting, he said: “I will put all Nagas in my pocket like I put my pen into my pocket (showing them putting a pen into his pocket). And whoever opposes my policy, I will kill them like a tiger killing its prey.” When they reached China in 1967, he started to criticize the policy of A.Z. Phizo, NNC President, and said: “I will go on my own way”. He and IsakSwu were sent to China again in 1974-75, he started to advocate to form a socialist government, but Eno T. Venuh and Brig. Ngamalao rejected his policy. Brig. Ngamlaowas killed in Kachinland at 2ndBrigade areas as he strongly opposed to his policy. After Shillong Accord, in 1977, Muivah went again to China along with 300 Naga soldiers, but they returned home in 1978 was completely divided into two groups, who supported NNC and the leadership of Phizo (democracy), and the other was, who supported Muivah’s leadership and his socialism. This division was, however, within the NNC/FGN. The author supported NNC and Phizo’s leadership.
As soon as the Mission reached home, Lt. Colonel Yamtsethong (who was killed by Muivah on 15th July 1979) narrated me about the division among them on January 28, 1978, at Lolum village in Hemi Region. He said, if Muivah doesn’t change his policy, we should fight each other here in Eastern Nagaland. But if the Eastern Nagas, Khiamniungan, Lainong, Konyak, and Heimi national workers keep united, we could prevent the killings among us.
After they reached our Oking, we have thoroughly discussed to solve the problem among us. But Muivah did not change his policy. Rather, he adopted a resolution on 2nd August 1978 to overthrow the leadership of A.Z. Phizo, the then NNC President. The situation thus exacerbated from bad to worse, which triggered to declare Martial Law on August 30, 1978 by the Naga Army who supported NNC and Phizo’s leadership, and the two leaders were detained under house arrest.
While they were kept under house arrest, the Martial Law administrators convened a meeting from March 9-12,1979. On March 9, Martial Law lifted, and on 10, Khaplang, Eastern Naga Revolutionary Council (ENRC) merged with the NNC.After Sunday, on 12th March,Khaplang was elected as President of FGN at the Tatar Hoho (Parliament).And according to the decision of his ministry, Muivah and Isakwere released unhurt from house arrest in May 1979.
Even then, Th. Muivah did not change his policy, but rather he furiously started to eliminate all NNC/FGN top leaders and top Naga Army officers who went on against his policy as mentioned above, and then, formed the NSCN in January 1980. It was happened because Khaplang betrayed the NNC/FGN and supported Muivah’s policy after they were released. This was the third division among the Nagas.
After the formation of NSCN, Muivah completely deviated from the Naga national Stand (asovereignty and independent nation) and started to demand an autonomous state from Indian, known as Suisa’s proposal. However, 8 years after the formation of NSCN, EnoKhaplang rejected Suisa’s proposal and the NSCN split into two factions in April 1988, the NSCN-IM (Isak-Muivah) and NSCN-K (Khaplang) groups.
This is the true story and facts about treacherous path of the renegade leaders. But who writes or says that Muivah and Isak rejected the Shillong Accord and formed the NSCN, is either of the Indian false version or the NSCN leaders who want to justify their misdeed.
