Senka Ao
President, NNC
Dear Naga brothers and sisters,
I extend my greetings in the name of our Almighty God. This day holds profound significance for our people. On this historic day, the 16th of May, 1951, under the grand leadership of the Naga National Council (NNC), the “Plebiscite Day” was conducted through a democratic process marked by the thumb impressions of our Naga people. This was not merely procedural; it was the expression of our unity and political aspiration to declare to India and the International community that the Nagas wish to live as a free and sovereign nation, determined in our commitment to the principle of self-determination.
We, the Nagas, from the very beginning have always been fierce lovers of freedom and equality as the foundation of our way of life. We have been living as an independent people until the arrival of the British. The advent of British imperial expansion led only to the partial annexation of a small portion of our land in the south-western region; it neither defined nor diminished the essence of our independence. And as the British prepared to withdraw from the subcontinent, we did not seek freedom as a concession, for it was never lost in spirit. Rather, in our memorandum to the Simon Commission in 1929, we affirmed what had always been our position: “Leave us alone, and when you—the British—leave, we shall remain as we have always been—free and independent.” In this same spirit, we reaffirmed our historic and inherent independence on the 14th of August, 1947, a declaration not born out of demand, but of assertion: that we are, and have always been, a free people.
The 1951 plebiscite should not be interpreted merely as a statistical outlier; rather, it was an assertion of our national identity and inherent sovereignty, as evidenced by the outcome with 99.9% in favour of independence to live as a free and independent nation. On this day, we pay our tribute to AZ Phizo, the father of the Nation and the erstwhile President of NNC, for his visionary leadership in proclaiming and officially placing on record the unity and aspiration of the Naga people for a separate, sovereign nation without any external interference.
The plebiscite was neither conducted in secrecy nor clouded by ambiguity; it was a clear expression of our political will, carried out with probity and verifiability, and preceded by prior notification to the Government of India through two formal communications addressed to the Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, in January and March 1951, respectively. These missives clearly outlined the Naga people's intent to determine our own political future through peaceful, democratic means. The NNC also extended an invitation to the Government of India to send official observers to witness the Plebiscite. In response, the Indian press (Hindustan Standard) and BN Mullick, the Director of the Indian Intelligence Bureau (IB), served as observers, and in his meeting with AZ Phizo at the Foreign Guest House in 1951, BN Mullick stated: “YOU HAVE ALREADY WON. I AM SURPRISED TO SEE YOUR PEOPLE THEY ARE SO DISCIPLINED AND SO HAPPY EVEN IN SUCH A BIG MEETING”, (AZ Phizo diary, London) further affirming the legitimacy, openness and our political aspirations for a free sovereign nation.
The historical mandate of the 1951 Plebiscite serves as a foundational pillar of our Naga people, which continues to guide our commitment to self-determination, reminding us that our sovereignty is not a negotiable commodity but an inherent right grounded in our distinct historical, cultural, and political identity, and to pursue our rightful position within the world community as a free and sovereign people. It is therefore incumbent upon us to carry this legacy forward. Like a guiding flame, let this truth illuminate our consciousness and, in all we do as a people, shaping both our political reality and also the very ethos of our national identity.
As we commemorate this day, may the Almighty God guide our people to a time of true peace, where the weight of fear and the weight of arms are lifted from our peaceful land, and strife to be a free sovereign nation where the dignity of each life is respected and honoured- WE SHALL BE FREE.
Kuknalim
