72nd Naga Independence Day Speech
Z. Royim Yimchungrü
President, NNC Parent Body
It is with great joy I write this message as we stand together to celebrate the 72nd Independence Day.
I understand that our Journey has been long and our struggle very hostile but the love and affection that each one of our people have bestowed upon us will not go in vain. I reminisce the past when we Nagas stood together for one common cause and goal regardless of the tribal lines, color or creed but with a dream of one free Nagaland; our battle for this dream which has claimed countless lives of our fathers and brothers, so also the many tears shed by our mothers and sisters must not be forgotten for any mere "Utopian" kingdom but rather we should still strive harder and fight for the ultimate identity of our people and land.
As we celebrate the 72nd Naga Independence Declaration 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, through which we have been able to live as one Nation; different lifestyle but the same vision; different mindset but the same goal. A long journey of 72 years as One Nation arid still strong enough to march forward for many years to come. With the march of time, our Nation's history shall continue to take its own course, which will go to the length and breadth together in a straight path ceaselessly till our goal is achieved and we all have reaped the harvest of what we sowed in the process. So, I call upon our fellow citizens and National workers (especially the Leaders) in particular to continue the journey of truth and justice that we have always stood for. Let us not be tempted with the temporal joy but let us continue to be the defender of Justice and Truth. Nagas were, are and will be free people. We didn't give in to the expeditions of the British Government when they tried to annex Nagaland during the years 1833 to 1879. Our leaders repealed and foiled the greedy ambitions of their annexation policy. In 1880, free Nagaland agreed to Great Britain to have a military base in a limited area, which was given the name Naga Hill. Nagaland Government refused to enter into any agreement or treaty to give up its sovereignty over "Naga Hills". The civilian and original administration over the people of Naga Hills has always been under the control of the Naga National Assembly of 1880 till British India left Nagaland. When the British India Act 1935 came into force, the Naga Hills territory was named as Naga Hills Excluded area in 1937. All these points clearly envisage that Nagaland was never a part of British India at any given time. In pursuance of the above memorandum, the whole Naga areas were left as Naga Hills Excluded area. The British Government and the Queen of England authorized Robert Raid to map out the excluded areas of the Nagas country which include Chin Hills (under Myanmar) to be known a Queen Land Colony. With the support from the British Government, the Naga Flag was hoisted on 14th August 1947 at Mission compound, Kohima with the prayer, "Thy Kingdom Come to Nagaland".
Acknowledging Christ as the supreme ruler, Nagas embraced the motto “Nagaland for Christ” as our ‘National Motto’. The flag hoisting function was graced by the then Naga Hills district Deputy Commissioner C.R. Pawsey and Rev. Supple. This was acknowledged by U.N.O. in Salt Lake, New York. Such acknowledgment was supported with the plebiscite of 1951 of the Naga History with its unique thumb impressions by 99.9 percent of the Nagas in support of sovereignty for the Nagas. Despite the desperate cry for sovereignty by the Nagas, the government of India sent a military expedition to Nagaland. After fighting for a decade, in 1964 a cease-fire agreement was made between the Federal Government of Nagaland and Indian Government. In 1960 under the 16-point agreement, Nagaland was carved out as a part of the Indian state, which was boycotted by NNC. Again, in 1975 various underground organization leaders under the initiative of NBCC signed the fatal Shillong Accord, which is the upshot of NSCN. The accord was condemned by NNC by the Wokha resolution of 1990 under the NNC president Khodao Yanthan and he asked the accordist group to leave the Peace Transit Camp as the campers were receiving rations and salaries from the Government of India, which is against our NNC norms, and it is fatal to our Nation's history.
All the facts mentioned above prove the uniqueness of Naga history. Nagas are not fighting for something that is not ours. For the last 72 years, we have been defending our land and people, sacrificing lives for our birthright. Many attempts have been made to avert the main issue of the Nagas by a certain section of the people and disunite us, but the torch of truth and justice has been kept alive till today by NNC.
We are not powerless but powerful because we hold on to the truth. We have hope because no power on earth can tear us apart for we are stronger together and we are united. We will not tremble with fear and doubt because God is on our side. Let us not be afraid but let us be strong in God. Let us not hesitate to give for our Nation needs you and me, and together we will continue to carry the torch of truth and justice of our land. Greed for wealth, lust for power and selfishness, should not mar the future of our Naga People but our utmost sacrifice will lay the foundation for our generations to come.
KUKNALIM
