‘Break of day appearing over Naga struggle’
Dimapur, Mar 21 (MExN): Observing its 51st “Republic Day,” the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN), states that ‘the break of day’ is appearing over the horizon of the Naga struggle after withstanding the bitterness of the ‘divide and rule’ onslaught. On this as a reference, the FGN is for all ‘genuine’ efforts towards peace and Naga unity.
“Today, I am proud to say a word of praise of my people because we have over come the most difficult period and the break of day is appearing with renewed vigor and strength in the horizon of Naga solidarity” stated ‘Gen. (Retd)’ Viyalie Metha, FGN president, in his message on the FGN’s Republic day. “I assure that the FGN will be there to extend a helping hand to all genuine efforts towards peace, tranquility and Naga solidarity” he assured. The Nagas have withstood the bitterness of ‘the enemy’s’ divide-and-rule experiment in the land but all credit to individuals, civil organizations and the church in particular ‘and also some international voluntary organizations’ for their effort for peace and harmony, he stated.
The Kedahge also appealed to the people to look back at the “memories” of the past 50 years of ordeal and remember the sacrifices made by leaders “who had the wisdom to bring our people together for a stronger nation and the subsequent sacrifices of their all.” Stating that the Naga people will never forget that Nagaland was created from the leaders “blood, sweat and tears,” he expressed gratitude to all “national workers” in the FGN and the Naga National Council (NNC) for their “continued sacrifice in wealth and life in order to protect, preserve and promote Nagaland.”
Tracing the history of the struggle, the Kedahge reminded of the following “irrefutable facts” to be remembered: that Nagas were completely and sovereign in their own way of life; that they were never subjugated to any other nation at any point of time and along with the change of the modern world, Nagas declared their “independence” to the world on August 14, 1947 “which was confirmed and sealed with 99% in favor by Naga voluntary plebiscite on may 16, 1951.” The Nagas then “formed their own government called the Federal Government of Nagaland” on March 22, 1956 and has attained its “51st anniversary today” and this is “our simple history.”
However, on the other hand, Nagaland also had existed so long under the suppression of India and her militarized oppression. “Ever since India got her independence from their British rulers, India has been trying to annex militarily weaker neighboring countries including Nagaland” Metha stated adding that after killing the Father of the Nation “for obvious reasons,” the Nagas began to be terrorized. “Yet rows of India’s evil agenda to bring the Naga people into submission had failed and our people stood resiliently. As a result of Indian aggression, the Naga people were entangled with restrain and self-defense rather than working for progress and prosperity till today” he stated, quoting late NNC leader AZ Phizo’s words ‘our enemy is our whetstone.’
Further expressing unhappiness that a number of “pseudo-nationalists and few so-called academicians” have fallen prey to the enemy for “temporal easy life,” the Kedahge cautioned thus – “in the field of education, we have acquired much qualified scholars in various fields; in religion we still have a number of orthodox (Tsana) traditional religions, yet a great majority of our people has proclaimed Christianity; we have many highly-qualified theologians today. But we are failing to live up to the expectation. Let us all try and live in fear of God and according to His will” he advised.
On a final note ‘Gen.’ Viyalie Metha cautioned against violating the ‘Yehzabo’ which the FGN has responsibility to enforce so “to protect and protect the traditional values of the Naga people.” Nagas should be equal vanguards for this, he added.
