Acüyi Vadeo,
Joint Secretary Naga National Council (NNC). Nagaland
By tradition, we Nagas are democrats and not Socialists or Communists. Therefore, the democratic Naga people constituted the Naga National Council (NNC) on February, 2 1946 to safeguard the sovereign independence of Nagaland as Nation. Thus, a Naga delegation under the leadership of NNC met Mahatma Gandhi on 19th July, 1947 at his Bhangi Colony in Delhi and said, "Nagas are not Indians and Nagaland is not Indian Territory. And the Nagas will defend their country and fight to the last man if attacked which the Nagas do when attacked. Is might right? “Mahatma Gandhi replied, "No, might is not right. We do not want the British and they are going. If you say that you are not Indian and your country does not belong to Indian, then the matter ends there. Nobody will force you to join the Indian Union."
Naga Delegation again said, "We are going to declare our independence on August 15."
Mahatma Gandhi replied, "Why wait August 15? Why not declare it today?”
In this way, with thorough understanding and solemn agreement of Mahatma Gandhi father of the Indian Nation, we Nagas under the Banner of NNC formally declared our age-old independence on August 14, 1947 and made known to the world and India in particular. On November 28, 1949 a Naga delegation met the Indian Governor-General C. Rajagopalachari on his visit to Shillong, Assam. And the Governor-General said to the Naga Delegation that the Nagas have every right to be independent outside the Indian Union.
The first Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army and Field Marshal Gen. Cariappa also said, "Indian Army would never be used against the Nagas under my command."
Thus, the right of the Naga Nation is crystal clear. But Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India covetously deployed its occupational armed forces in Nagaland in 1955 and began to invade Nagaland. ‘The Indo-Naga War’ was, as a result, fought for nine years and an International Ceasefire Agreement was later signed in 1964 between the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) and the Government of India (GOI). But India the aggressor unilaterally abrogated it in 1972 and continued her wicked invasion against Nagaland till date. Hence, India must quit Nagaland following the straightforwardness and honesty of Mahatma Gandhi, Governor-General C. Rajagopalachari and Gen. Cariappa.
Fellow Nagas, we are a Nation and the 71st Independence Day of our Nation is at hand to celebrate. So all Nagas who were born of Naga blood should celebrate together this historic day of our Nation the 14th August, 2017 and let the other foreign nations like India, Myanmar and otherwise celebrate their own national independence day.
In conclusion I would like to urge all Naga brothers and sisters who have gone away from the parent to return Home and march forward together towards our final goal for we have wasted our time so long, we have sacrificed thousands of lives and we have lost immeasurable wealth in the past journey of our Nation like Israelites in the wilderness.
