If the Naga nation is a living organism like the human body, then the declaration of Naga independence on 14th August, 1947 and the Plebiscite of May 16, 1951 are the two legs upon which that Naga body is standing today. This is so, because these two important political events in our history, declared to the world that we too are a virile nation among the nations in the world. If our fathers and grand fathers had failed to conduct these two unique events yesterday, then today, all Nagas would have become like abandoned orphans with no national or political identity.
It is an obvious fact that the national affairs of a nation are not the responsibility of another nation. On the contrary, the national affairs of a nation are the inescapable duty of every citizen of that nation. In that line of duty, our parents of yesterday have rendered their duties to God and our nation and have passed them to this generation.
And today, as we celebrate the 65th anniversary of our Plebiscite Day with the last survivors of that generation, the answer that this generation must give to the world is whether we will stand on those two legs (Independence and Plebiscite) or live the rest of our lives on our knees as subjects of another nation? God, who has given us both our national identity and our Nagaland, demands an answer from every one of us today.
Looking back at world history towards the end of the 2nd World War, there was a great resurgence of nationalism all over the world. In that era, it looked as if a divine breathe from heaven itself was blowing across the globe, re-awakening the suppressed nations of the world to re-claim their God given national identities. This phenomenon started from the South Asian Sub-Continent in 1947 and moved like a giant wave all across the Middle East into Africa and even beyond the seas into South America. In its wake, it set free many nations that had come under the white man’s Colonial rule from the 15th to the 20th century. In the subsequent years, between 1947 to 1960, altogether, 36 nations became independent. Also when the UNO was formed on Oct.24, 1945, there were only 35 nation states in its membership. However by the end of 1970, the membership of nations in the U.N. swelled up to 127. Today, the total membership of the UNO stands at 193 nations.
Looking back over all those cataclysmic events that changed the world’s political face, the conduct of our national Plebiscite on May 16, 1951 is like seeing the very finger of God directing our national leaders to stake our rightful claims, over our rightful lands, at the rightful time, in our history. It is also all in record that our same leaders submitted six memorandums regarding our national stand to the departing British Government before the transfer of Power took place in 1947. It is also all on record, that they also submitted ten memorandums on the same issue to the Indian leaders before India was born on 15th August 1947.
But in spite of all these political declarations on our part, the Assam Rifles and the Assam Armed Police from the former British Assam, continued to occupy our lands up to 1954. Then in 1955, the Indian army invaded Nagaland and occupied every nook and corner of our lands after burning our villages to ashes. Because of this terrible war of invasion by India, our declaration of independence on 14th August 1947, and the conduct of our national Plebiscite of 16th May 1951, went un-noticed by the rest of the world.
But whether the world will recognize our independence or not, it is never the less, the prerogative right of any nation on earth to raise their own independence flag over their own independent territories. In this context, we Nagas have no right to raise our flag over some neighboring country’s lands because such an action would amount to an act of invasion. But going by the same political principle and international law, a neighboring country like India or Burma also has absolutely no right to raise their flags over our ancestral lands and claim that our lands and our people belong to them.
Therefore, on this auspicious occasion of our national Plebiscite day, let us once again unequivocally reiterate that we are an independent nation with all the rights and privileges thereof. Let us also, with one united voice, declare again to the world that Nagaland and Naga territories do not belong to India or Burma. May God bless Nagaland and the Naga people. And may the truth ever be the foundation of our nation.
Kaka D. Iralu
(Kaka D Iralu will deliver this tribute speech on the 65th anniversary of the Naga National Plebiscite at the Chedema Peace Camp on May 16, 2016.)
