Before reacting to Chidambaram’s statement in the Lok Sabha, the following historical, political and legal facts must be first stated.
1. Like India and many other nations in Asia, Naga political leaders also declared their own country’s independence on 14th August 1947. This declaration of their independence was done on the basis of irrefutable historical and political facts and also in conformity to international legal norms. Prior to the declaration of their independence, up to six memorandums clearly highlighting these historical and political facts and the Naga political stand thereof were furnished to the departing British Government before the transfer of power took place in 1947. On top of this, up to ten memorandums highlighting the same facts were submitted to the incoming Indian Government before India was born on 15th August 1947. Copies of all these systematic documents are still available in the Naga national archives and also must be in India’s possession too.
2. After the declaration of their independence, a cable message was sent to the then Secretary General of the UN in the following words: “Benign Excellency, Kindly put on record that Nagas will be independent. Discussions with India are being carried on to that effect. Nagas DO NOT (Emphasis mine) accept Indian Constitution. The right of the people must prevail regardless of size.”
All these facts show that Nagas were not at all asking to be an integral part of India or were seeking to integrate any parts of Nagaland with India. Also when Nehru and the government of India ignored the written as well as acted wishes of the Nagas on the grounds that the declaration of Naga independence was done only by Phizo and a few Naga fanatics, a national Plebiscite was conducted in 1951 and a resounding 99% Naga people’s verdict for independence was shown to India and the whole world. From thenceforth, when 53000 Indian troops invaded Nagaland in Oct.1955, the whole of Nagaland, including Nagas later dissected into Manipur, Arunachal and Assam states as well as those dissected into Burma rose up as a nation to defend Nagalands integrated territory. That integrated Naga territory as defined in the Naga Yehzabo runs as follows: “The territory of Nagaland shall comprise of all the territories inhabited by the indigenous Naga tribes.” (The Naga Yehzabo, Art.1)
In the light of all these historical and political facts, Chidambaram’s implied statement in the Indian Lok Sabha that the pluralistic nature of the Indian states cannot be just wished away for Nagaland’s territorial integration sake, bears no relevance whatsoever with the Indo-Naga political issue or any Naga territorial issues with India. Nagas also know about the pluralistic nature of the Indian states and have no wish whatsoever to meddle in India’s internal demography or geo-political set up. Also, Nagas are not in any way trying to dissect India through some dubious integration scheme.
However, in this connection, it is also totally incongruous and stupid on the part of any Naga to be quarreling with India over India’s state boundary re-demarcation issues. Here, let every Naga citizen be clear with this fact that the Naga stand as a nation was never “Integration of Naga territories under the Constitution of India.” Naga ancestral lands were also never 16,579sq km only as demarcated by India in collaboration with some very short sighted Naga leaders when the Indian Nagaland state was created in 1960. However, the contrary Naga stand which was supported by an overwhelming 99% of the then Naga population was simply Urra Uvie. Urra Uvie means our lands belong to us. The honest Naga national leaders never harbored any secret plans to add some Assamese, Manipuri or Arunachali lands to make our land bigger than what it was in history. Our declared stand as stated in our Yehzabo however also meant that we were not going to surrender any of our lands to any neighbor states because the Indian Government had passed a bill in their Parliament to that effect.
From the very beginning of modern Indo Naga relationships, our Naga stand whether political or geographical, was very clearly made to Indian leaders. But it was a tragic day for India, when Nehru thundered that Nagas would never be given their independence even if all the rivers in India flowed red with blood. On that day Nehru sealed India’s fate which resulted in Indian blood flowing with Naga blood for the past six decades over a territory that had never belonged to India. Today it is for the likes of Chidambaram’s to redeem that legacy of blood with diplomacy and honesty to history.
As for all Nagas living today, let it be known to every true son of the soil that Naga territory far from being just16579 sq km is on the contrary, more then 100,000 sq km. This territory stretches from the plains of the Ahom kingdom to our west across the mountainous borders of China to our north and all across and beyond the Chindwin river of Burma to our east to finally end in the borders of the Kangleipak kingdom of Manipur to our north. These are ancestral Naga lands inhabited by the Naga people from the ancient BC era right up to the present moment. It is a territory which was never conquered by any Ahom, Chinese, Burmese or Meetei king from time immemorial. As far as our distant neighbor India is concerned, here we are not at all talking about Indian Territory because far from conquering us in the past, no Indian king or Prince had ever even set a foot in Naga territory prior to 1947.
As for any Naga territory invaded by India after 1947, not an inch of that territory is Indian Territory by Naga consent or surrender.
If however Chidambaram is talking with some Naga leaders about Indian interstate boundary disputes, it is none of Naga business. Such talks are all purely traitorous Naga talks with the Indian Government. This is so, in the light of all the above mentioned historical and political facts about Naga history or Indian history.
Kaka D. Iralu
