Dimapur, August 18 (MExN): The Great Britain should set the record straight regarding the Naga political issue, the long running postcolonial matter, Frans Welman, General Secretary of Naga International Support Center (NISC) has stated.
In a solidarity Message on the occasion of ‘77th International Commemoration of Naga Independence Day’ organised by the Global Naga Forum (GNF) on August 14, Welman maintained that the “Great Britain did not seem to be touched by the horror India inflicted on the Nagas.”
“After India became independent Great Britain did not react. It did not react when Nagas proclaimed independence; it did not react when the result of the plebiscite was published, it did not react when India unleashed the war on the Naga people. And last but not least until now it has not reacted,” he maintained.
“One might come to the conclusion that Great Britain after more than a hundred years was happy to vacate the Naga Homeland,” he added.
According the NISC GS, this is the situation despite the fact that while Great Britain had actually only 25% colonised, it implicitly not explicitly handed over 100% of the Naga Homeland to India.
“I say implicitly because no papers are published to that effect and Great Britain did not intervene. India in turn handed approximately 30% to Burma,” he argued.
So, after 70 years later, we should question Great Britain, hold it accountable for what it did and ask them about the mistake they made, he added.
In this connection, the NISC GS maintained that it s most likely a good time for the United Kingdom to take steps into the direction to recognise both East and West Nagalim, by first making publicly apology.
“When in a letter we asked about this long running postcolonial matter, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom did not respond. On letters with the same content either did neither the United Nations nor the Government of India,” he added.
“Great Britain should set the record straight,” he asserted, further urging for calling upon the present Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to come forward like other nations and repair what has essentially gone wrong.
Welman further argued that before and during British colonisation Nagas had no relations with British India whatsoever Nagas feared they would become Indians and so they made it internationally certain that they wanted to be independent.
Nagas rejected or refused to the sign the Panglong Agreement of February 12, 1947 and in June 1947 the Nine Point agreement was signed between the British Government of India and the Naga National Council, NNC which included a coexistence with India, he noted.
But Nagas disagreed at point 9 of the 9 point Agreement and consequently the declaration of Naga independence was declared on August 14, 1947, he claimed.
Thereafter, Nagas held a plebiscite, 1950s and something like 99% voted for independence.
India did not acknowledge the result and Nehru unleashed the invasion and an estimated 300.000 Nagas perished, he added.
