Speech of Brig. (RETD) S. Singnya, Kedahge, Federal Government of Nagaland on the occasion of the 63rd Naga Republic Day on March, 22, 2018
My dear countrymen and women,
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 reminiscent 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!
