The term ‘Naga’ is a historical accidental name given by the British imperialist, which later becomes a recognised common national political nomenclature of the Nagas, who are composed of many tribes and sub-tribes indigenous to the common homeland called Nagaland or Nagalim. In fact, Naganess is traced from the line of a common history, common identity, common culture, common root of languages, common religion, common political will, and who have been living in the same country free and sovereign under their own government.
Twist and turn of history begun when the British imperialist forces came and occupied a part of Naga territory. However, as the British were forced by the international nationalist forces to go back to their own country leaving their colonies so they left the occupied Naga areas too. Thereafter, the Indian and the Burmese expansionist forces came to occupy our territory against which the Naga people put up resistance movement for decades in defense of their territory, history, identity, culture and sovereign right at the cost of more than three hundred thousand precious lives.
Realizing that Indo-Naga conflict is political not military or domestic problem of India, the government of India invited leaders of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), the one and only authentic political organisation of the Naga people for political talks at the highest level without any condition. Finally, government of India and NSCN as two entities engaged in a series of talks leading to the signing of a cease-fire agreement on 1st August, 1997.
In the process of talks NSCN leadership stated that Nagas and Indians came from different history. The Nagas are not asking for a piece of land from India. They have their own land only to be recognised by the aggressor states. Naga are not begging for sovereignty from India. Nagas are also a sovereign people. Sovereignty is not a commodity that can be given or taken away by others. Freedom and sovereignty are inherent rights of peoples and nations. They are ingredients of a people-hood. As your sovereignty lies with your people so also our sovereignty lies with our people, it is not with India or Burma. A government without sovereign power is a form without content. It is sovereignty that makes and unmakes things. Sovereignty is the power to develop a people into their fullest size physically, mentally, spiritually and socially. Hence, based on universal democratic principle of sovereignty, it was mutually agreed that sovereignty lies with the people. The Nagas are not asking for a flag from India or others. Recognise it or not, the Nagas too have their own national flag. Naga flag is the symbol of their recognised unique entity and sovereignty. Nagas are not praying to India for a constitution. The Nagas too have their own constitution called Yehzabo, the foundation and source of their laws through which they have been running their own government for centuries.
MIP, NSCN/GPRN
