Our Correspondent
Chedema | August 14
Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) Kedahge (President) Gen. (Retd) Viyalie Metha today maintained the FGN recognizes the fact that the Indo-Naga conflict remains unresolved due to the “invasion and continued occupation” of “our land by India and Burma.”
In his address at the 72nd Nagaland Independence Day here, the FGN president reiterated that the long drawn Indo-Naga conflict is not an Indian internal law and order problem and that Nagas are not secessionists or insurgents. “The conflict is an international conflict of invasion by India and Burma. Nagas are only defending the Naga nation. Therefore, the conflict can only be resolved from an international level.”
He further noted that FGN has not entered into any agreement with India other than the 1964 Ceasefire Agreement which became effective on September 6, 1964. This International Ceasefire Agreement was signed between the FGN and Government of India through the Nagaland Peace Mission, he added.
On the part of FGN, Metha said, knowing the fact that too many lives were lost due to the armed conflict in a period of almost ten years from 1954 to 1964, “we gave our consent for a ceasefire and are upholding the same till today.
However, the successive leadership of the Indian government continued to pursue a violent policy rather than peacefully resolving the conflict.” The policy of the Naga National Council is non-violence and the FGN is still holding to that policy, he asserted.
Stating that the NNC and FGN are the only two nationally mandated institution and established Government of the Naga people to uphold the historical and political rights of the Naga Nation, Gen. (Retd) Metha said, “Hence, the NNC and FGN do not, and will not; recognize any factions or organizations that may commit Naga citizenship to any other country. The NNC and FGN stand to protect Naga sovereignty and independence.”
On integration of all Nagas territories under one single political umbrella, he said Nagas were an integrated nation even before the official proclamation of their Federal Republic on March 22, 1956.
“In this connection, Nagas have always been an integrated nation occupying a continuous Naga territory throughout all the aeons of human history. These two facts of Naga anthropology and geography form the basis of Naga nationhood,” Metha affirmed.
“The NNC and FGN will consider any acts of integrating Naga territory under the constitution of any foreign country as acts of treason against the nation,” he added. “In the present fast changing world where many small nations have become members of the UN, we Nagas also can be confident of a new dawn in our history.”
