Naga I-Day Speech of GPRN/NSCN President

Beloved Naga Brothers and sisters, I give all Glory and Honour to our Heavenly Father, the Author of Naga Nation and our sustainer, in Him alone shall we place our faith and future of our people. 14th August 1947 shall eternally be etched in our history as this day marked the Nagas as a politically conscious entity and a decisive people. This day distinctly separated us from of our neighbours who were mostly immersed in social, economic and spiritual pursuits while we Nagas, in unison, blew a trumpet of political freedom from colonial powers. This fact of history must be acknowledged by our friends and neighbours. I pay homage to all the departed freedom fighters and salute their indomitable sprite. We celebrate this triumphant declaration because of their valour. A prolonged conflict like ours cannot be resolved through piecemeal solution. There have been agreements in the past which did not have the approval and consent of the Naga people. 9 point Hydari Agreement 1947, 16 point memorandum, Shillong Accord 1975 etc. all failed to silence the Naga. A political problem cannot be solved through economic considerations. All agreements of the past ere one dimensional and did not fulfil the political aspiration of the Nagas. The last four decades has turned Nag homeland into a feuding land as a result of division and fratricidal conflict. In the last ten years the Naga civil societies, Churches, Tribal Hohos, Nagaland GBs, Mothers, Student bodies etc. have played a crucial role in bringing a sense of normalcy in our land. Today, a positive breeze is blowing in our land. The Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs).as desired by the Naga, have formed a working Committee (WC) and having been officially invited by the GOI for a political dialogue, the 17th Nov. 2017 Agreed position document bears testimony that the two entities, firmly retaining the essence of Naga plebiscite of 1951, are determined to take the Indo-Naga issue to a logical conclusion. The political world is constantly evolving the geo-political landscape is constantly changing and so are the spheres of influences and relationship among nation. The very definitions of independence and sovereignty have taken new meanings. WC, NNPGs has made it clear to the GOI that 1947 remains a historic day. The Naga Plebiscite of May 1951 will be the basic foundation of any political solution. It is with this strength that we signed an Agreed position with the GOI on 17th Nov 2017. The essence and spirit of Naga plebiscite is duly acknowledged by GOI. The right to self determine our future is entrenched while on our part due consideration must be given to contemporary political realities. GPRN/NSCN believes in equality and brotherhood among the NNPGs. It is our endeavour that future Naga generations would build on what we achieve today. The GOI and WC have in principle agreed that there would be clear definitions over competencies where neither Indian parliament or constitution shall infringe upon. This means there is no ambiguity in the present negotiations between the WC, NNPGs and the GOI. We are confident that WC, NNPGs and GOI are in a right path. We will not go for publicity stunt. Fact, truth and practical pursuit give us confidence that we can give our younger generation a political future and identity that they can be proud of. At this hour, I urge our people to remain positive and stay strong in our resolve. God Bless Nagaland! Gen. (Retd.) MB Neokpao