Speech of Rh Raising, Convener, Steering Committee, NSCN on ‘Agony Day’, September 27, 2018
I give my revolutionary salute to all the martyrs! On that fateful day, the 27th September, 1980, a hundred of Naga revolutionary patriots including the then Chaplee Kilonser, Mr. Khasui Longvah, Mr. Weimei, Tatar, Brig. Thungbo, Commander-in-Chief, Naga Army, Col. Newin, GSO of GHQ, Naga Army, Maj. Shongchin, Capt. Shangam and Lieut. Johnny were killed by the coalition forces of the enemies in the Battle of Langnok. They were martyred, not killed.
In 1950s, thousands of Nagas both national workers and the public, men and women and young and old were ruthlessly tortured and killed by the Indian armed forces. Thousands of women were gang-raped. Equipped with the Armed Forces Special Power Act, the Indian armed forces hunted for the villagers and shot them down at sight. Villages were burnt and people were kept in concentration camps and tortured them day in and day out which drove many others into the jungles for safety. But, as the saying goes, ‘flying out of the frying pan into the fire’, so thousands of people died of hunger in the jungle.
In 1960, most of the Matikhru villagers were butchered in the eyes of their children and women. Arbitrary arrest and summary executions, burning alive and killing in the name of fake encounter continued unabated for decades.
Following the Battle of Oinam in 1987, mass-detention in military custody, mass-torture, mass-rape and mass-murder were committed against the Nagas. Twenty five Village Authority members were arrested and summarily executed.
In 1988, enemies in collusion with Naga compatriots killed hundreds of Naga national workers. Fighting and killing between the Indian armed forces and the Naga Army continued till the signing of the cease-fire agreement in 1997. According to the reliable source, three lakhs Nagas have died.
It is said, ‘Jesus is the scapegoat of the world.’ He gave His life as a ransom to set free sinners from the clutch of death.
Naga martyrs are the scapegoats of the Nagas. They have paid the price for the freedom of their people. Enemies buried our martyrs knowing not that martyrs are seeds. Naga people are fortunate that they have still martyrs among them. Each and every member of NSCN is a scapegoat of the people. In other word, they are Nazirites of the Naga people. Nazirites are the people who are set aside for the Lord and His people. If enemies fear the Nagas, it is because they have scapegoats. If other peoples and nations recognize and respect the Nagas, it is because they have Nazirites among them. All NSCN members are Nazirites of the Naga people.
We will honor and remember our martyrs in all time.
