Dear Naga People: I am blessed and honored to bring the message for the 62nd anniversary celebration of the Naga Independence Day on this day, August 14, 2009. I commend the Naga National Council (NNC) members and supporters for your dedication to ensure that the Naga History is not only preserved but celebrated and further express the national goals and the mission of the NNC. Thank you for making this important event possible. I am proud of each one of you. You represent the life-line and the heart of the Naga nation. I hope that the fellowship and the unity exhibited this day will encourage and symbolize the perpetuation of Naga national pride and the hope for a better future.
I congratulate your enthusiasm and look forward with great expectation for your active participation and involvement in the Naga national affairs. You are all gathered here because you love our country-Nagaland. By virtue of our heritage we are privileged to observe the Independence Day in recognition of the legacy and the truth left to us by our forefathers. We celebrate the 14th of August annually to reflect what it means to be a Naga and greet each other as we would: Happy Birthday, Happy National Day, Happy Victory Day, Happy New Years’ Day, Happy Anniversary Day, Happy Freedom Day.
Regardless of the differences among us, it is our duty and pride to preserve, protect, and defend our cultural heritage and help promote harmony in common heritage. “God grants liberty only to those who love it and are always ready to guard and defend it” (Daniel Webster).
We want to stand by and cling together during difficult times. It is not a question of patriotism, courage, loyalty - It is a question of moral rights. We want to dwell as one land, one nation, one people in unity, peace and liberty. Independence and freedom are indivisible, so is the institution of the NNC; there is only one NNC and no other. Let us seek what unite us and not what divide us. We want to propose the beginning of a new tradition by embracing the past and honor our land in unity and celebrate this Independence Day to uphold the bonds that will frame our destiny.
As we pause to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day, we must never take liberty for granted. Too many Nagas for too long have given too much with reliance on the protection of God. They pledged each other their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Please remember that most NNC members and founding fathers who represented Naga nation on that day are no longer with us. We honor their memory and legacy by showing our love for our families and friends, our respect for each other and reaffirm our unity and solidarity as one people.
Despite the solemn reflections, let us rejoice and share the ancestral blessings of this day with our friends, family and especially with children. Let us remember to be grateful and to carry on in their spirit of the declaration of Naga Independence Day on August 14, 1947. May God bless Naga National Council in its great commission and find His favor in the Fulfillment of His Will. God is good all the time and He is in control (Jeremiah, 29:11).
KUKNALIM
Senka Yaden,
President,
Naga National Council (NNC)
