Respected Chairman, dear Naga brothers and sisters,
We are gathered here today to affirm and declare that Nagas are one, whether they are in Assam, Arunachal, Manipur or in Myanmar. The earlier speakers have already mentioned our historical rights and how Nagas were divided without our knowledge and consent.
We are here to make a clear statement that Naga nationalism without integration of the Naga areas is folly. What good will it be to work for Naga rights without talking of the land rights of the Nagas. Naga rights and land rights go hand in hand.
Nagas want to make it clear that we do not equate nationalism with chauvinism, and we do not interpret nationalism as meaning the superiority of our people over others. God forbid! No, for us Nationalism means the building of our nation; it means the effort to provide equal esteem to our peoples; it means the determination to embrace the future in peace with our neighbors. For us, nationalism is the love of our country and a determination to improve it. In post-modern politics, nationalism may be an out-of-date doctrine, but for the rest of the struggling peoples of the world, including the Nagas, it is the mainsprings of our right to exist. Understanding this is to know the simple secret to peace and common humanity. Fail to understand this, and no amount of tactics, brain racking methods and no amount of money will produce anything but bitterness and dangerous conflicts. Actually many political leaders are aware of this but sadly many refuse to acknowledge the seriousness of this matter.
History is our teacher and we learn that artificial divisions and arbitrary boundary lines are unstable. What does remain firm and fixed is the lands of the Nagas. This is what constitutes right and legitimacy. This is based on primordial right – an elementary principle.
Besides this primordial rights, there’s a deeper and dynamic principle that demonstrate the uniqueness of the Naga nation. This is what we term as the “spiritual principle” of a nation.
A nation is a living soul. Two truths constitute this soul. One is the past, and the other is the present. The past is the common possession of a rich heritage. The other is the actual consent, the desire to live together, the will to preserve worthily the undivided inheritance which has been handed down through generations. The Naga nation, like the individual, is the outcome of a long past of efforts, sacrifices and devotion of great Naga men and women. This forms the social and political capital, upon which a nation is founded, nourished and cherished. That means having a common heritage in the past and a common will in the present; having achieved great things together, and having the will to do it again if needs be – such are the essential conditions for the making of a people.
A nation then, is a living soul. Two truths constitute this soul. One is the past, and the other is the present. The past is the common possession of a rich heritage. The other is the actual consent, the desire to live together, the will to preserve worthily the undivided inheritance which has been handed down through generations. The Naga nation, like the individual, is the outcome of a long past of efforts, sacrifices, and devotions of great Naga men and women. This forms the social and political capital, upon which a nation is founded, nourished and cherished. That means having a common heritage in the past and a common will in the present; having achieved great things together, and having the will to do it again if needs be—such are the essential conditions for the making of a people.
A nation then is a great solidarity, constituted by the sentiments of the sacrifices that its citizens have made, and of those who are willing and ready to do it once more. It implies a past, but a past that connects us to the present by a tangible fact – CONSENT, THE CLEARLY EXPRESSED DESIRE TO LIVE A COMMON LIFE UNDER A COMMON POLITICAL SET-UP. A nation’s existence is a daily plebiscite.
Finally, let it be known that Nagas are neither enslaved by divisions, tribes, divide and conquer policies, nor by the will of others. A great assembly of men and women, in the right mind, and warmth of heart, CREATE A MORAL CONSCIOUSNESS. And this, let us remember, constitutes the heart of a nation. This is why we are all here today, the 31st of August 2005. May God continue to be the author and finisher of our destiny and of our neighbors as well.
Kuknalim
Rev. Dr. Wati Aier
