Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho
The 52nd Indo- Naga Ceasefire Anniversary At Chedema Camp, September 06, 2016 Message delivered by Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho, General Secretary, NBCC
Today, we are gathered here to commemorate the ceasefire that was signed between the government of India and the federal government of Nagaland, 52 years ago. And as we commemorate this ceasefire day, we must not forget the history of how the ceasefire of September 06, 1964 came into being. It came at a time when our land was caught up in a warlike situation. The Nagas in general suffered untold miseries, our homes were burnt down into ashes and the common and the innocents citizens, regardless of who they are become prime suspects and suffered torturous treatment and abuse, and the Naga national workers were hunted like animals in and out of the jungles. In such a situation the ceasefire came as an interim relief for the Nagas. But ceasefire was not final in itself, it is not an achievement but a springboard upon which greater things were to happen. The Ceasefire, though is a relief to end hostility, reckless operations and killings of the innocents in our land, it is neither an end, nor a final achievement. It is a means for dialogues and negotiations endless it may appear to reach the end where the problem can be put behind for which ceasefire is signed and entered into by the two parties.
However, today, the end seems to have been buried deep inside our selfishness and in the ever luring temptation to be comfortable and maintain the status quo. The ceasefire seems to have seized our right to self determination based on our historical and political rights. Therefore, though we honour this day, what value is there if our political will for self determination is made to die a natural death. Nevertheless, on this day, if we can once again revisit the glory of those days where nationalism reign supreme without arms, without muscle power in the atmosphere of ceasefire, we can still intelligently continue to travel in the path and vision of our leaders and many of our patriots who have made the supreme sacrifice. This however, needs courage and determination. Courage to once again say we must go back to where we belong and determination to do what we know and believe is right.
On this day September 06, 2016, the 52nd year of the Indo-Naga Ceasefire let us be reminded the ideals of signing the ceasefire. 1. To end hostility but not surrender our rights; 2. To Create peaceful atmosphere without arms and intimidations; 3. To look at each other without superior mentality; 4. To dialogue and negotiate as equals; 5. To reach final solution for which ceasefire comes into effect.
In this regard, have we made any forward move? Has the firing stopped? Maybe for some groups because along the way, there were several peace accords signed with different groups to cover up the mistake that was made when the first ceasefire was signed on September 06, 1964. What ceasefire seemed to have achieved is, it has silence and roped us of our rights to even speak boldly. It is illogical that ceasefire after ceasefire or in another phrase, "peace accord after peace accord with this group and that group one after the other can be signed or entered on one single issue. This is where common people like me cannot really follow the logical conclusion of the matter today. Allow me to put forward a poignant question before the audience: How many ceasefire must we commemorate to reach our goal? Or to put it precisely, how many years of ceasefire must we observe to become what we wanted and longed to be? Ceasefire day commemoration is a time to put the Naga cause in perspective. This I say, because, we have become so comfortable on the one hand, and so divided on the other hand. We have become comfortable because we have taken for granted as if the final show is over. We have cut the elephant into pieces and holding each piece apart we still call it an elephant. We must take the journey to put the pieces together and look at the elephant as a whole standing strong and mighty and call it an elephant. Until we do, the aspiration that once belongs to us will be buried in the rubbles of our division. And our will to exist as honourable human beings will be brought down to survival mentality.
It is within this context that I want to build on the importance of this day, the ceasefire day, some call it peace day, which ever way we put it there is still much to be done. Cease fire is not only to stop the hostility between two waring enemies. It is not only to save us from the terror of hunting each other, but to give us hope to stand on an equal footing with the force that sought to destroy us and give us a platform to dialogue and negotiate for our rights.
Ceasefire is never to make us comfortable but an opportunity to make a forward move. And we must appreciate and thank those who took the pain to give us this moment, where talking about our rights as people distinct from our counter part is not something that we ask and demand but we, assert. It has given us an equal rights as any other though we may be small and few in numbers.
The ceasefire of 1964 is not the beginning of our political aspiration. It is just an interim relief and in itself is not final. We must also visit the early 20th century era, the Naga Club days and what followed in 1929 where the Naga Club submitted a memorandum to the Simon Commission. We must not also forget the formation and the early days of the Naga National Council (NNC) in 1946 under our great leader late A. Z. Phizo and what followed soon after that in 1947 and the NNC resolutions of January 10, 1949 bringing us to 1951 plebiscite.
Events leading to this day, 52 years ago began with NBCC's involvement in a convention at Wokha (January 31st-February 2nd, 1964) to form a peace committee to pursue peace. Whereby, a three member committee was formed in March of the year consisting of, Mr. B. P. Chaliha, Mr. Jayaprakash Narayan, and Rev Michael Scott. Along with them many other NBCC leaders of those days many of whom are no longer with us, were involved and their contributions to the day we are observing must never be forgotten.
So far, I have sketch the past briefly leading to this occasion , allow me to strike the note on the present and the future:
We must not blame our counter part for everything that has not been. We also have to admit that we have dug our own share of mistakes along the way. Mistake of stubbornness, mistake of pride, mistake of self justification, mistake of holier than thou and above all mistake of lording over all. This has been not only been the problem and mistake not only of one particular political group but has been the problem and mistake of all the political groups that exists today. I do not want to think how many groups we have. I only know that Nagas must come together without playing the politics of division and we start must speak in unison to the big India to listen to our rights and aspiration because in the words of J. P. Narayan "sovereignty of Nagaland in imminently practicable and negotiable." That "negotiable" can turn into "possible" if we unite.
As a Christian majority state, we all acknowledge that God has been our guide and that he has been the force behind our political aspirations. There were times when the missionaries who brought the message of the Gospel to our land were blamed to the extend that they were also driven out of our land and our contact with the outside world was barred.
The Point here is, our political aspiration and the fight to self rule and determination was post Christianity. At the height of our political movement, Christianity, the new found faith was rapidly making her strong wave in our land. This has caused us to call upon God as our helper, strength, zeal and vision. In other words, nationalism was the new found faith went hand in hand. That God become our mighty warrior and the cause of the Nagas following his leading. I will not be able to elaborate on this aspect but I want to draw my conclusion. If people who believe in God cannot submit to his sovereignty; if people who believe that God is their Mighty warrior and leader cannot follow his leading and follow the ideals of his teachings, we are just blaspheming God and using him just for convenient sake.
The Bible says in Galatians 6:7, " Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." God surely wants us to forgive. God surely wants us to be humble. God surely wants us to give up our pride. God surely do not want us to live in our past. God surely wants us to move forward. God surely wants us to give a better future to the our children. And above all, God surely wants us to unite.
We cannot pretend that things are alright with us. No, we are not alright! We cannot expect angels to come and fix things right for us. We must act and begin to mend the broken relationship. It must begin with someone, somewhere and somehow. Who that someone will be?Where that somewhere will be? And how that somehow will be birthed? I regret that what I have said here on this auspicious occasion is heard by few of us here. Giving the impression that we are the reason for what I have said. Far from it we all must bear the blame no one is exempted in the predicament we are. Therefore, I am speaking to all the Nagas regardless of our affiliation to tribes and groups without any prejudice. I cannot white wash the wall without helping us to see the dirts on the wall. We must seek God and live.
Because above all, I fear God most and I place myself as his spokesman though I am wretched sinner. Nagas must stop playing with God. We must stop jeopardising the future of our younger generations and the generations to come. Allow me to quote Abraham Lincoln: Die when I may, I would like it to be said of me, that I always pulled up a weed and planted a flower where I thought a flower could grown.
I know the sacrifice you have made, the difficult life you have lived. Nothing that I say or our people do will be able to repay you for all that you have done. The Nagas owe all of you a whole lot more than we ever can realize. You have stood your ground, you have left the comfort of life in so many ways that people like us cannot imagine. I say this from my heart do not let your sacrifice go in vain. Let us seek God and his ways and do what is right so that a new beginning will dawn come upon us, upon all the Nagas.
May the 52nd ceasefire commemoration ignites the fire of repentance and revival in our national movement. And may we live as people of God and a nation under God. For me to live is Christ...
