Our Correspondent
CHEDEMA, MARCH 22
Naga National Council (NNC) President, Adinno Phizo implored upon the Nagas to stick to the “original stand”, in order to save the “Naga country”.
“There is only one way to save our country, and that is the original stand,” Adinno said while delivering the presidential message at the 61st anniversary of Nagaland Republic Day at Chedema Peace Camp.
The NNC president expressed her fear that “the Nagas could possibly become a minority in our own land if we lose our rights.”
“Nagaland is surrounded by sea of peoples and if we lose our rights, then, we could possibly become a minority in our land; and that, we should never allow it to happen,” Adinno said maintaining that the Naga society is classless and casteless and have equal rights and freedom unlike other countries.
She reiterated that the Nagas are not “secessionist” to India. The NNC President supported her statement by recalling the days of May 1947, when emerging India sent her Constituent Assembly of India to Kohima, but the NNC refused to join the Indian Union.
“In 1980, Th. Muivah and Isak C. Swu formed the National Socialist council of Nagaland (NSCN) with a foreign ideology, and projected themselves as if Nagas are demanding independence from India. They even went to foreign countries and joined non-nation organization like Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO). That is why the Indian Government is using them to undermine the NNC”, Adinno added.
Maintaining that the conflict created by India has left the Nagas in a mess till today, Adinno however, expressed hope that the Almighty God will guide the Nagas to resolve the conflict with India so that normalcy will return and the Nagas will live in peace.
On the auspicious day, the NNC President also implored upon the present generation “to remember and pay respect and gratitude to our national leaders and workers, Naga Army, Naga Women Federation workers, Naga Youth Federation workers and all volunteers who sacrificed their services and lives for our country.”
Give your best in the task of nation building: FGN ‘Kedahge’
Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) ‘Kedahge’, Gen (Retd) Viyalie Metha Thursday called upon all Naga countrymen “to rededicate ourselves to the defense of our national sovereignty through non-violence.”
Addressing the Nagas on the 61st anniversary of Nagaland Republic Day at Chedema Peace Camp, the Kedahge also urged all Naga citizens to give their best in the task of nation building.
“As far as national pride and honour is concerned, Nagaland’s performance in the past six decades of national defense has been outstanding and honourable. Let us all carry on that proud heritage of honourable freedom and liberty,” Viyalie stated.
“In the present changing world where centralization of political power is nullifying the individual’s rights to freedom and liberty, our people must take the utmost caution against all alien political ideologies that are threatening to overtake our Naga system of pure democracy,” he said.
The kedahge drew the nation’s attention to the fact that “our national government has ben carrying out its duties to the nation through an unbroken and uninterrupted chain of presidents (Kedahges) and council of Ministers (Kilonsers) right from Khriesaneisa’s presidency till the incumbent presidency. Including the present Kedahge, six other Kedahges have served the nation in continuity.
He lauded the founding members of our nation who have laid down the basic infrastructure of our newly established government.
“Though on the run and always relentless pursued by the Indian troops, our leaders from both the then British district of the Naga Hills and the then free Nagaland of the British un-administered territories joined together and established our Federal Government of the historic day of March 22, 1956,” he recalled.
