President's Speech NPGN/NNC (N/A) On 70th Anniversary of Naga Independence Day on the 14th of August 2016 My
Dear Naga Citizens The genesis of Naga history remain the same till its end. As we celebrate the 70th Naga Independence Day. I extend my greetings to all the citizens of our nation with the message of love and gaiety. We thank our Almighty God for his boundless love.
Nagas were sovereign nation and enjoying their true democracy and republic system of government but this was threatened by the territorial annexation policy of British rule in India in pursuance of this British annexation policy the British sent a number of punitive expeditions to Naga territory during the middle and last part of 19th centaury AD. For the first time the Nagas constituted a union known as Naga Club, T. Aliba Imti as its president in October 1918. The desire of the Nagas to live as a separate nation is deserved and to proclaim this truth to the whole world found its passage through this club on 10/01/1929. This club submitted a memorandum to the statutory commission led by Sir. John Simon as its chairman with Clement Atlee. MP and E. Codegan as a member visited Kohima. In pursuance of this memorandum the whole Naga areas were left as Naga Hills excluded area. Having presented the inspiration and given support to the sovereignty of the Nagas in formal function hoisted the Naga flag on 14-08-1947 at Mission compound Kohima.
The name of the Naga club was changed into Naga National Council (NNC) A.Z. Phizo occupied this August office on December 1950 as its fourth president. Prior to Indian independence in 1947 A.Z. Phizo headed a Naga delegation to meet Mahatma Gandhi the father of the Indian National in his Bangi Colony .House in Delhi to reiterate the stand that the Nagas were sovereign people under British occupation and that when British left, they wished to revert to this position without joining the Indian Union. Mahatma Gandhi assured them that the Nagas were free to choose their political destiny and that under no circumstance would they be forced to join Indian Union. The Government of India refused to recognize the Naga independent alleging that the whole of the Naga territory under British occupation would be under Indian dominion. In 1950 the Indian constituent assembly invited the Nagas to join the Indian Union but it was rejected out-rightly by the Nagas and conducted a plebiscite on 16th May 1951 through out Naga territories and voted to 99.9% in favour of Naga sovereign Independent. This plebiscite result was sent to both the then president and prime minister of India and the then Secretary General of United Nation Organization (UNO).May 16 every year commemorated as a red letter day of all the Nagas. A day for remembering the Historic plebiscite day and paying respect to our great leaders who had courageously led and participated in this scared event.
It was on this day that that we reaffirmed our pledge through historic Naga plebiscite. Declaring to the world that voluntarily we have resolved to be a nation, to be governed by our own selves. It was under the fourth President A.Z. Phizo that this great plebiscite was conducted. At the same time one cannot ignore the decisive declaration of the Naga Independent on 14/08/1947 from - British occupied Nagas territories under the pioneering leadership of NNC through eminent former president such as Aliba Imti. This declaration of Naga Independent on 14th August 1947 followed by the 16 May 1951 plebiscite and the Republic day 22nd March 1956 laid the foundation of our nation and this uniqueness is known to the world. The government of India taking the advantage of the non-violent attitude of the Nagas, they forcibly conducted the first and second general election in 1952 and 1957 whereas the Nagas boycotted both the general elections. This led to invade Nagas territories beginning from 1954 and sent large contingent of Army to fight against the unarmed Nagas. The government of India on the pursuit of political strategy convinced some Naga opportunist to sign the sixteen points agreement by which agreement carved out some portion of Naga territory, the present so called Nagaland State in 1963. However, this was rejected between the Indian Government and the Federal Government of Nagaland in the initiatives of NBCC to pave the way for talked yet ended in dead lock in 1966. The present Political trend in our Naga's of Nagaland have many criticism were as we pray to Almighty God to bring an end, in favouring the goodness of our Naga people.
“Kuknalim”
Temjenyanger Aier, President NPGN/NNC (N/A)
