Message of Adinno Phizo, President, NNC on the 80th anniversary of NNC formation
Fellow countrymen,
I am giving thanks to Almighty God first of all and extending my warmest greetings and best wishes to all of you on this historic day of our nation.
Fellow Nagas, we are inherently a sovereign independent people and a free Nation in our own right and tradition. Every Naga Village is a small republic. But the Britishers irrationally intruded into our country in January, 1832 and began to attack us. As a result the intermittent war between our people and Britishers was fought for 48 years. The last battle was fought in Khonoma on 27th March, 1879 and later a verbal agreement was arrived at on 22nd November, 1880. Then the British proposed “A new Reform” to our people in 1918. So our leaders replied, “We need no Reform. We are complete.
We have everything what we need.” Then the Naga Club submitted a Memorandum to Simon Commission on 10th January, 1929 and said, “Leave us alone as in ancient times.”
So 80 years ago, with the evolution of the modern world, our people democratically constituted the Naga National Council (NNC) on February 2, 1946 at Wokha to continue to safeguard the sovereign independence of our people as a Nation. So the nine point agreement was signed between NNC and Sir Akbar Hydari on 26th June, 1947 (But India later officially repudiated/betrayed the agreement on 8th November, 1949). Then a Naga delegation led by NNC leaders met Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi on 19th July, 1947 and made him known very clearly on the stand and position of our Nation. With this, NNC formally declared the age-old Naga Independence on 14th August, 1947 at Kohima one day ahead of India’s independence and on the same day, NNC informed India by Telegram and the same was cabled to HMG AND UNO FOR INFORMATION AND RECORD.
Then NNC conducted Naga Voluntary Plebiscite of thumb impression on 16th May, 1951. NNC ratified the Lakhuti Resolution on 27th April, 1955. NNC adopted the Yehzabo of Nagaland on 14th January, 1956. Thus our people under the leadership of the mandated NNC through federation proclaimed the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) on 22nd March, 1956 by hoisting the Naga National Flag when the undeclared Indo-Naga war was on the run in Nagaland as India began to invade our country in October, 1955. So, B.N. Mulik, Chief of Indian Intelligence clearly said, “Troops moved into Tuensang by October, 1955 and the war with the Nagas started from then.”
But after nearly ten years of war, a trilateral Ceasefire Agreement was signed between the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) and the Government of India (GOI) in May 1964 at Sakraba Village, Chakhesang Region through the tireless efforts of Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) and third party, the Nagaland Peace Mission. The members are Jayaprakash Narayan a Sarvodaya leader, B.P. Chaliha C.M. Assam and Rev. Michael Scott of UK. This ceasefire agreement was officially celebrated on 6th September, 1964. On this occasion, Shri S. Radhakhrisnan, the President of India sent his official Message and Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, the Prime Minister of India also sent his official greetings on the occasion. In this undeclared war of a decade, tens of thousands of our people were killed and much more of our people were wounded, suffered and lost the immeasurable wealth and properties. I therefore humbly pay my heartfelt tribute and respect to all of them and also I express my deepest gratitude to all past and present national workers for their indomitable sacrificial services rendered to the nation.
Fellow citizens, we have safeguarded our Nation this far by the grace of God and we shall continue to safeguard our nation. We are a Nation with every right. It is not a movement or a demand. We do not demand anything from India, Burma or anyone else. Demanding flag and constitution from the enemy is a shameful thing and senseless. Asking solution from the enemy is a pollution of our national right. Nagas were one in the NNC/FGN and Nagas must be one in the NNC/FGN. Our people must discern the nation and the factions.
In conclusion I call upon all fellow Nagas especially the Naga youth to rise up and work hard in defence of our Nation. So that no one can stop our Nation to do anything as the right is on our side.
May God continue to protect our people and Nation.
Urra Nagaland.
