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CHEDEMA — On the 74th anniversary of the Naga Plebiscite Day, president of the Naga National Council (NNC), Adinno Phizo said that the plebiscite of 1951, where 99.9% of Nagas voted for independence, was not about joining or separating from India, but about solidifying Nagaland’s inherent independence, which was declared on August 14, 1947.
In her speech, read out by NNC spokesperson, Kolezo Chase, at Peace Hall Camp, Kohima, Phizo maintained that the plebiscite was conducted in response to India's challenge of Nagaland's independence, particularly in the Naga Hills district administered area.
Asserting that the plebiscite was a voluntary expression of the Naga people's will and not subject to any external authority, she maintained that “the plebiscite 1951 mandate had decisively concluded Nagaland’s position as an independent nation.”
She went on to state that the plebiscite and the NNC are inseparable, and “any political organisation claiming the mandate of plebiscite will need to prove that there was smooth transition of power from NNC to that organization by due democratic process as governed by general international convention.”
“Nagas do not need another plebiscite,” Phizo asserted, stating that the 1951 mandate was a ‘time-tested Naga oath that “gave the solid basis for all future political talks with the neighbour countries occupying the Naga country.”
Cautioning against seeking solutions within the Indian constitutional framework, she said that, “Occupation situation is the political problem” that needs to end first in order to begin serious and meaningful dialogue.
She stressed that the plebiscite mandate closed all doors for any discussion within the constitutional framework of any other sovereignty.
“Plebiscite mandate is a path-finder towards that direction. So long as this historical fact is ignored, there will be no break-through in any political talk,” she asserted.
Meanwhile, vice president of Naga Students Federation (NSF), Mteisuiding Heraang addressed the gathering, emphasising that the Naga history is not merely a collection of events, but a testament to resilience, courage, and the unyielding pursuit of sovereignty.
He expressed concern over the divisive policies employed by external forces that exploit internal divisions and rivalries among Naga communities, weakening their resolve and hindering their aspirations for sovereignty.
Stating that Nagas cannot afford to allow internal divisions and external pressures to derail their quest for sovereignty, Heraang urged the Naga people to rise above petty squabbles and conflicts that threaten to tear them apart. He emphasised the importance of reaffirming the principles of unity, integrity, and perseverance in the face of these challenges.
Kegwanye Kent, president of the Rengma Region of the NNC, who witnessed the 1951 plebiscite firsthand, shared his personal experience and recounted how he helped people mark their thumb impressions on the plebiscite document. He said that the document was kept safe in the Rengma region before being handed over to Michael Scott, who subsequently took it to London and delivered it to AZ Phizo.
The event, led by Shevohu Keyho, Killo Kilonser of the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN), included a scripture reading and prayer by Dr. Imsutoshi Lemtur, Associate Pastor of the Kohima Baptist Church. Special songs were performed by Chedema Thenuko Krotho and the Rengma Baptist Church, Kohima, and a vote of thanks was proposed by Dziesevilie Kesiezie, Advisor to the NNC.