DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 24 (MExN): Khonoma Village today issued a statement urging the Government of India not to “unwisely use force” nor treat the Nagas as a people who “have no option but to keep fighting or surrender.”
“Without violence, Nagas will fight to defend their rightful position, and their sovereignty shall never be compromised,” said a press release from Nisavi Hieme, president, President, Khonoma Rüffüno Nagaland; Kevisekho Chücha, president, Sedoma Union; Asielie Whiso, president, Thevoma Union; and Megorüzo Chase, president, Merhüma Union.
The Naga struggle, the statement observed, “has revealed India cannot even discuss Naga sovereignty as India is a young democracy although a very ancient nation and civilisation. But that does not mean we are to treat our history as if it is not true or not important for our proper development.”
It however noted that today the Naga people have “understood India’s problem.”
“It is extremely difficult for India to discuss the sovereignty issue with the Nagas. Therefore whatever any settlement any Naga political group/s may reach with India will have to leave sovereignty out to wait for the day in the future when the situation will have improved and India will be ready to discuss for a settlement with the Nagas of that time that will be honourable and acceptable to both sides,” it said.
It pointed out that Khonoma village has from the very beginning contributed her fair share to the launching and nurturing of the Naga struggle to become a people and a nation.
“Today her sons and daughters are humbly grateful and proud of the role their village too has played along with all other Naga villages and tribes to establish our people’s common identity and nationhood. What the Nagas have become as a result must be understood for what it is so that we may build on what we have achieved together,” it stated.
The Naga people, it stated have reached the “most testing time in their journey into the modern world when the fundamental facts of their history are being questioned and even sought to be misinterpreted.”
Describing the realities of Naga history since the arrival of the British, the statement made clear that “the people of India should know the Nagas dared to claim the right and privilege their history entitled them to claim.”
“Their defence of the stated status at immense sacrifice till date clearly shows what their aspiration and their struggle for it mean to them,” it added.
It therefore said “India has no right to treat the Naga struggle as secessionist, separatist or anti-national as Government of India has done thus far.”
“The Nagas were never a part of India at any stage or any other neighbouring nations before the 1880 agreement to restore peaceful co-existence. The unilateral interpretation of the agreement by the British was the only confusion,” it added.
It affirmed that the Naga people “have not asked India to give us our sovereignty.”
“Nagas asking from India anything that is not legitimately theirs does not arise. Nagas expect India to recognise the facts of our history,” it said.
