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By Takuyaba Dated 6th September 2022
Dear Countrymen,
I thank President NNC, President FGN, Speaker Tatar Hoho and their colleagues for inviting me to be here with you on this auspicious Day of the 59th Indo-Naga Ceasefire Day observation. I am a primary member of NNC by birth and has every right to participate in NNC activities except restriction to vote in a particular decision.
Here, I want to recall the causes of ceasefire between the Government of India and the Federal Government of Nagaland on this Day of 1964.
1. In fact, the Geography naturally defines its territory and Nagaland is bounded on the north by former Arunachal; in the east by Burma (Myanmar); in the South by Mizoram and on the west by Assam. Nagas are a nation and its freedom is from time immemorial.
2. However, in 1880, a small part of Naga territory on its western side was subjugated by the British and became a District of Assam called the Naga Hills.
3. That in 1929, the said Naga Hills inhabitants submitted a memorandum to the British Parliamentary Commission wherein the central point was enshrined as the Nagas were to be left alone when the British Government left India.
4. As a result, in 1935, the Government of India Act, passed in British Parliament and under section 91 and 92 of the said Act, the Naga Hills made as “Excluded Area” whereof British laws were not imposed and the Governor of Assam was entrusted to make regulations for the administration of Naga Hills.
5. 1n 1946, the British Government allowed to form a Constituent Assembly of India being going to declare Independence of India in 1947. Whereas the intention of the Constituent Assembly was to form the Indian Union over the area covered by the British. A very hot debate started amongst the members, especially from the representatives of the Muslim league. Seeing the grim situation, the British Government issued a statement/order on 6th December 1946, which may be quoted as follows:
“should a Constitution come to be framed by the Constituent Assembly, in which a large section of Indian population had not been represented, His Majesty Government would not contemplate forcing such a Constitution upon unwilling part of the Country”. As a result, the Constituent Assembly of India met on 22nd January, 1947 and adopted eight resolutions and basing on the said framework, the whole Indian Constitution was adopted. The relevant 2 sections may read as follows:
“Resolution No. 1. The Constituent Assembly declares its firm and solemn resolved to proclaim India as an Independent Sovereign Republic and draw up for her future Governance a Constitution;
No. 2. WHEREIN the territories that now comprise British India, the territories that now form the Indian states, and such other territories as are willing to be constituted in the Independent Sovereign India shall be a Union of them all”.
6. That in 1947, basing on the Resolution No. 2, the Pakistanis and the Nagas refused to join the Indian Union and both the Nations declared independence on 14th August 1947. Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian Nation reiterated the said Resolution No. 2 to the delegates of Nagas when they met at Bhangi Colony, Delhi on July 19, 1947.
7. Thereafter, on 16th May, 1951, the Naga Voluntary Plebiscite was conducted within the said Naga Hills district by NNC with due notice to UNO and Government of India. In this Plebiscite, the Naga population voted in favour of independence by 99.9% as a confirmation of 14th August, 1947, Declaration of Independence.
8. In the process, the Hongking Government of free Eastern Nagas and NNC formed the Federal Government of Nagaland in 1956.
9. Since 1955, Indian Army invading Nagaland as witnessed by B.N. Mullik, Director, Indian Intelligence in his book of – “My years with Nehru” the following Draconian Laws were imposed in Nagaland and is not lifted till date.
(i) The Assam Disturbed Area Act, 1955;
(ii) The Tuensang Frontier Division (Undesirable Persons Regulation Act, 1962)
(iii) The Armed Forces Special Power Act, 1958;
(iv) The Nagaland Security Regulation Act, 1962, etc
(v) The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1972, etc
10. Under the aforementioned draconian Laws, houses were burned to ashes in all villages of Nagaland in 1956, even Havildar ranks are empowered to shoot upon any suspected person without trial and more than one lakh innocent civilians were shot dead before ceasefire, women were raped, innocent people were tortured by putting chilly into their private parts; beating to death with sticks, etc. the said laws are not lifted till date as evidenced by the killing of innocent 14 civilians last year in Konyak Region by Indian armed forces Grouping of 4-5 villages in a particular village/place in concentration camps during 1957.
11. Seeing the rule of Indian Army, on a Nagaland Baptist Churches Council (NBCC) initiative, a ceasefire agreement was made between the Government of India and Federal Government of Nagaland on this day of 6th September, 1964, which we observe today.
The conditions of ceasefire were:
(i) The government of India undertook the Indian Army within the periphery of 1000 yards from its respective posts;
(ii) And the Federal government of Nagaland undertook not to allow the Naga Army to attack the Indian Army;
(iii) In an unexpected encounter, “no firing unless first fired upon”.
12. In 1972 August 31st, the Government of India unilaterally abrogated the said Ceasefire Agreement but the Federal Government of Nagaland and Naga National Council are still upholding the Ceasefire agreement till date.
13. That with regard to the Sovereignty of Naga Nation, the Ceasefire Agreement of 1964 is the only valid agreement made by competent authority and any other agreement/agreements are conflict agreement (agreement without mandatory authority) which is void under the existing provision of the world.
14. Further, it may be mentioned that under Article 3 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People 2007 it is enshrined as:
“Indigenous peoples have right to self determination. By virtue of that right, they freely determine the political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development”.
15. In view of the aforesaid few facts of evidence, Naga Sovereignty is admissible legally and Natural Justice as well as per:
(i) Natural Justice (God’s Laws)
(ii) Indian Constituent Assembly Resolution No. 2;
(iii) Declaration of Naga Independence on 14/8/1947;
(iv) Naga Plebiscite, 1951;
(v) UNO Declaration, Art. 3 of 2007 etc.
16. That the Nagas are not demanding Sovereignty but defending its Sovereignty and without protecting the rights of our Naga Nation, the rights of citizens cannot be protected. Nagas need to realize that we cannot exist without the existence of our nation. Our motherland is a divine gift, not our creation and our main duty is to become a member of the United Nations by upholding the NNC principle of Non-Violence and as such, not to destroy on our petty interests.
May God bless our Naga Sovereignty.