Naga National Council
Dear Nagas,
It is only because of the grace of the Almighty God, the rights of the Nagas are protected till date for which we give thanks to Him. On this 63rd Republic Day of the Naga Nation, I on my own behalf and on behalf of the Naga National Council bring greetings and salute all the Nagas who are at home as well as in far away land in the services of the Nation.
Government of India had seen and is aware of the inalienable rights of the Nagas very well. Therefore, India is avoiding any peaceful and meaningful dialogue with the Nagas to settle the “Issue”. All these years, India has been provoking the Nagas with the intention to crush them through brute military power and thereby to invade and take over Nagaland.
The attempted invasion of Nagaland by the Indian Armed Forces had compelled the Naga National Council (NNC) to declare Nagaland as a Republic and accordingly formed the Federal government of Nagaland (FGN) on 22nd March, 1956 and since that day, the Nagas have been defending Nagaland against Indian invasion. The war has been going on for the last 62 years.
It was not by our own power nor through our strength that the Nagas could fight the mighty Indian army in war or negotiate with the Indian Government during peace time thus far, but it was only because of our Almighty God’s plan and purpose for the Nagas. I have full faith and confidence that God’s plan is for Nagaland to be an independent sovereign nation among the nations of the world. It is because of this plan that God has granted wisdom to some of our leaders to lay down the foundation of our nationhood while the Indian and many of our neighbors were not aware of it. God has been our pillar and because of this, till date India could not defeat us!
However, in order to let the world know his strength and power and to test the patience and perseverance of the Nagas, God has been putting hurdles in our ways and in these tests, many Nagas had fallen and many had failed miserably.
The first and the most arduous hurdle faced by the Nagas thus far is the 16 – Point Agreement.
Government of India thought that Nagas can be easily intimidated to surrender with the sole objective to invade Nagaland. But on seeing the courage, resoluteness and toughness of the Nagas, they changed their approach. If the Indian Government is serious to solve the Naga issue through peaceful negotiation, then it should have negotiated with the parties which were struggling and fighting with the Indian Government, the parties involved in the case, i.e. the Naga National Council and the Federal Government of Nagaland. Unfortunately, leaving aside the parties in the dispute the Government of India chose to negotiate with the “Naga People’s Convention” (NPC), a group nurtured by the Indian agents and signed the 16 – Point Agreement under the Indian Constitution which gave birth to the present illegitimate State of Nagaland.
In signing the 16 – Point Agreement, the Indian Government has committed a serious blunder. The approach and the attitude of the Indian Government towards the Nagas was very wrong. The agreement instead of becoming a solution turned out to be an obstruction to the Naga issue. How can a solution be found without the involvement of the parties engaged in the dispute? The Agreement has clearly indicated the evil designs of Indian Government. Through the agreement, the Indian Government introduced the “Divide and Rule” policy and divided the Nagas. The Indian Government started to play with the Nagas through this State and in the process those who are within the Nagaland State are conveniently being used by India without their knowledge.
The Indian Government rewarded the present state to those who sided with them with the intention to take over the land under the guise of this statehood. Nevertheless, this statehood may turn out to be a trap, a snare and a poison for the Indian Government. This statehood may be a cause of embarrassment for the Indian Government in future. The Naga issue has no connection with the Indian Constitution, however, it was the Indian Government who connected the Naga issue with the Indian Constitution. On the basis of this, the Indian Government has been occupying Nagaland for the last seven decades or so. Nonetheless, how long can they hold to this interpretation? Sooner or later the truth will be out.
The second hurdle for the Nagas was the “Shillong Accord” of 1975.
Through this Accord, the Naga National Workers which was once united under the umbrella of NNC and FGN was divided into two groups- ‘pro’ and ‘Anti’ Shillong Accord of NNC and FGN. Thereafter a group left NNC and FGN and formed the NSCN & GPRN. The national workers kept on disintegrating and now Naga National Workers disintegrated into 9 (nine) different groups out of which presently seven groups are negotiating with the Indian Government. The current negotiation that is going on between the Government of India and the 7 (Seven) Naga groups will at the most reach an “Interim Settlement” only, devoid of “Sovereignty” which is the basic issue to be addressed to.
In this scenario, nothing worthwhile can be achieved. It is a well known fact that Government of India will never settle the “Naga Issue” in the right perspective. Moreover with the disintegration of Nagas into various groups, humanly speaking, there is no hope.
However, thinking of the past and pondering upon the words of God, we still have hope of achieving our goal for our God is a God who does miracle when man failed and that is why we call him our God. Our God is the God who forced the Egyptian to let the Israelite go to Canaan, He can let the Nagas be free from the clutches of the Indian Government!
Therefore, I once again appeal to all the Nagas to have faith in God and keep on interceding with God for the Nagas. We will surely be victorious one day.
Kuknalim
In praise of our living God I on behalf of the Naga National Council salute the Naga people and the National Workers in particular on this auspicious Naga Republic Day, as our living God has given another peaceful year of celebration of National Day as we march on for the attainment of our freedom. And this is my prayer today that the living God bless our people and land for His glory in this part of our world. May our Lord Jesus Christ’s will and purpose prevail in the entire land of the Nagas and victory of freedom come to our homeland.
I also bow down my head in prayer to God in remembrance of our Naga martyrs today for their self-less and sacrificial deeds for the cause of freedom. As we celebrate the day, let us the living remember the martyrs in our prayer, and also for their families in particular for blessings to be upon them.
The NNC today wish all of our well-wishers and supporters far and near who stood strong morally and politically for Naga people and also for constant prayer to God for Naga freedom.
Today on this occasion I must say that the Government of India has come forward to have honest and sincere negotiation with the majority of the Naga National Political Groups recognising the historical and political rights of the Naga people to self determine their future in consonance with their distinct identity, and the two entities (GOI & NNPGs) are working out the relationship in consonance with contemporary realities.
Therefore, the two entities should work to establish and consolidate new relations and foster cooperation on common interest, which are in each entity and mutual best interest, and the competencies must be negotiated in accordance with the principles of the November 17th, 2017 honorable agreement. Since the Naga people have the right of self defense against any force that threatens the Naga people’s identity, historical and political rights and right to self-determination. The two entities must take all appropriate measures to restore security, peace and good -will between the Government of India and the Naga people in conformity with the honorable agreement. The Naga people must be responsible for all security matters within its territorial jurisdiction and take necessary and appropriate measures to safeguard both the entities security concerns.
The Naga people also must have the right to pursue and develop international relations and foreign policy based on the Naga people’s identity, historical and political rights, right to self determination and in consonance with the agreement between the two entities. Therefore the citizens of Nagaland must have a distinct passport indicative of their distinct identity and their historical and political rights. Where possible, the Naga people must have the right to represent themselves as a distinct entity in the international arena.
The Naga people must also have the right to develop and introduce their own immigration policy, grant visas to visitors traveling into Nagaland, levy of custom duties and introduce mechanisms to pursue and achieve such objectives. The Naga people also must have a Foreign Secretariat to establish, to liaison with the Ministry of External Affairs of Government of India to pursue, discuss and develop better understanding and cooperation within the terms of the agreement.
The Naga people must also have the right to create, establish and pursue their own communication policies in accordance to their requirements and purposes. The Nagas have every right to have their own flag to represent their distinct identity.
The Naga people sincerely hope and pray that the largest democracy India will honestly resolve the seven long decades of political problem amicably with honorable and acceptable agreement between the Naga people and the Government of India for peace and development in the Region.
Kuknalim.
On this historic occasion of the 63rd Naga Republic Day, I greet you all in the name of our Almighty God and take this opportunity to address you. I also pay my homage and my deepest respect to the founding fathers of our nation through whose wisdom and vision our nation became a republic based on the historical and political rights. Our journey was not easy but the knowledge deep within each one of us that we are born to be free like any other nation of the world has withstood the test of time.
On this historic day in 1956, on 22nd March, Nagaland became a Republic when the Naga National Council convened the First Tatar Hoho Session which brought together the Free Nagas represented by the Hongking Government and the Naga National Council representing the then Naga Hills District which led to the establishment of the Federal Government of Nagaland. With the National Mandate entrusted to them in 1951 and acknowledging that the Almighty God alone is the Supreme Sovereign over this whole world, and the authority of the people to be exercised on the territory is a sacred trust from God, our leaders established our National institution based on the modern principles and ideals of Democracy, Justice, Liberty and Fraternity.
Today, as we commemorate 63 years of our existence as a republic and as we celebrate the courage of our visionary leaders who had guided and contributed to the formation of our nation, we must also rededicate ourselves to follow in their footsteps, not lose focus on what we all hold dear to our hearts and redirect our minds to issues that are confronting us as a people and a nation.
We have to move forward in the best way possible to achieve our goal. The choice before us is to talk about our past and reminiscentp with regrets and avoid following the path charted for us or to place ourselves within the historical framework of the past by placing ourselves in it and follow the path till our historical rights are expressed in full freedom. What is becoming clear in this modern day world is that, we are divided in defining who we are and what we must be.
Rights, whether it be birth right or historical rights or political rights will not change anything until those rights are legitimately established. The Naga nationalism was founded on courage, the courage to believe that Nagas are different and unique as a people and as a nation founded on the historical and political reality of the time.
Our greatest enemy is not from without but from within, we still stand apart from each other because deep within us we are suspicious of one another. But there is still one hope left, the fact that we must travel back in time to the past to reclaim our rights that was declared in unity and trust and struggle together with pride and dignity.
We have been ruled and dominated against our will by a power that is selfish in nature and political in attitude we must show that we have the moral strength, the power to suffer for truth. Civilization says; the past is always old and outdated whereas, advancement says, the new is always best! If our opponent would use its force to weaken our strength, that is not civilization- a civilized nation and world power as they aim to be must use its power to rescue and help the weak rather than build hatred in the minds of those whose struggle to try to find a foot holds to their long cherished dream. If they persist to suppress our freedom as a nation we must muster our strength and acquire enough power to resist the intrusion.
In the midst of opposition and distrust we must become stronger and more efficient and free ourselves from the suspicion which often permeates our mind leading us to become captives of our own actions. We have to overcome this and join hands to embark on the path of responsibility. There is a strong believe in our heart that there is a future before us and that, that future is waiting for those who are morally rich, determined and resolute enough to make it their own.
Knowledge and adaptation is important to survive as a nation but we must not import knowledge that would destroy the very fabric of our nationalism. The danger exists in attempting to popularize our national issues in the same plane of existential knowledge. A time may come when this may happen but we must stay strong and commit to the basics of what our leaders of yesterday had envisioned and enshrined for us as a nation. Our history is our inheritance and to sell it would mean a total sell out of our rights!
Finally, may it be known that we do not live in other people’s space or time; our land, i.e., our space belongs to us and our history, i.e., our time is ours. What belongs to us and is ours cannot be crushed by might. Our strength lies in this and it will forever be until such time when we can all say, the end has come and a new beginning has begun.
My prayer is that God will give us the grace to help us to be patient in times of hardship and the wisdom to guide us in difficult times of hardship as we journey forward.
May God bless you all and Kuknalim
I give thanks to the Almighty God who has brought me this far to stand before my people on this historic Naga Republic Day. I am deeply indebted to all who have firmly stood the ground in all times of trials and ordeals. The future of the Nagas is alive on account of you all.
I pay homage to the departed brothers and sisters martyred for the cause. They are the worthy sons and daughters of the land, who indeed have paid the price in full.
We admit the fact that ours is one of the longest national resistance movements in the world history. It is a case of aggression by India and that the Nagas are the aggrieved. However, from the very beginning the Naga people have been looking for a negotiated settlement of the Indo-Naga political problem. Our past leaders met Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian nation, for solving the problem through dialogue. It is so because the Nagas trust in a democratic principle of settlement of dispute through mutual consent and agreement, and that they are opposed to imposition of India’s will upon them, because imposition of one’s will upon the other has never ever solved problems anywhere in history, it only aggravates them.
The Nagas are definitely for a kind of agreement that is rooted in the principle of mutual respect and recognition of sovereign rights and territories. Above all, a solution that protects and guarantees their future. History says no genuine and lasting solutions to any political problems have ever been brought by military might. All enduring solutions to the problems are arrived at only through bilateral dialogue and mutual agreements.
It is a fact that the Nagas are a brave people who can outmaneuver and outfight the enemies in military battles as proven in many battles we have fought and encountered. The stronger we have been oppressed and persecuted, the more resilient we have been in our resistance. We have endured the aggression of the enemies with clear conviction and firm determination. The undaunted fighting spirit of the Nagas is admired by many peoples, even by the enemies. And after decades of military campaigns against the Nagas, the Indian army generals and political leaders finally stated, “Military solution is not possible.”
The Indian leaders though admitting the fact that they could never kill or subdue us with bullets have never stopped working to look for our Achilles heel. And so, they have changed their strategy from military approach to that of business oriented approach. Sadly, many of our Naga brothers could not stand before the enemies’ beguiled quantum of money and tinsel positions. Thus, some of our leaders who were dealing with the issue and our future exchanged like the ‘bird for a termite.’ So, we must be well-equipped to understand our strong points and weak point as well.
We know we are a sovereign people by right, but knowing or shouting alone is not enough, it needs political articulation for recognition. We may say ‘urra uvei’ (our land belongs to us), but that is not enough, it needs strategies to gain recognition.
Indeed, we should be grateful to our gracious Lord for He has been with us in the fighting front, in the diplomatic front and in the negotiating front from the very beginning. He has never ever forsaken the Nagas at any point of time. The Lord has been faithful to His word even when the Nagas deserted him betraying the cause. Had it not been for His saving grace, we might have been crushed by our enemies. Had it not been for His boundless love GoI and NSCN would have encountered difficulties coming together in a cordial mood in signing the historic ‘Framework Agreement.’ The Framework Agreement is the foundation of a new relationship between the two entities. It is a bridge that connects the two peoples. It will help dispel the doubts and fears nourished in the hearts of the two peoples against each other bundling up for decades. It will protect the future of the Nagas and guarantee the security of India. Betrayal to it will be an irreparable loss for both the parties.
Our military strength alone will not safeguard our future; our political wisdom and understanding alone will not guarantee our future; our inherent right alone will not protect our future. We must fight with the invincible Spirit of the Lord; we must speak with the Spirit of the Lord; we must go with the Spirit of the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord and praise Him without ceasing for all the good works He has done for us. Let us renew our vows and reaffirm our decision and strive along. The long-cherished goal is now within our grasp.
Kuknalim!
