As you journey to some of the North Eastern States of India during this maiden visit from different states and cities of the Indian sub-continent, you must have seen with your own eyes and felt with your own hearts, the similarities and differences the people of this region has with the rest of the Indian sub-continent which sometimes calls itself “the mainland India”. This very concept itself unwittingly tells how the people of the region are looked upon or even treated as “not so-Indian”. And coming to Nagaland, as you traverse some of the North-East Indian States to enter Nagaland, you must have noticed that Naga areas begins where the valleys ends, surrounding the Imphal valley in Manipur, which consist the southern Naga areas and zeros you down to the present state of Nagaland whose borders flows into the plains of Assam in the western parts of Nagaland.
NAGAS are Indigenous people with an approximate population of about 4 million, spread across the present States of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in India; While in Burma (Myanmar), Nagas occupy 7 townships under Sagaing Division, namely; Lahe, Tamu, Mowlick, Homelin, Laishi, Hkamti and Namyung and under Kachin State, Tanai township which is also known as the Naga Hills District. All these areas put together measures about 120,000 Sq. Kms on the Patkai Range that lies between the Longitudes of 92.5 East and 97.5 East; and Latitudes of 23.5 North and 28.5 North.
Naga villages use to be Independent like the ancient Greek city states, till Britishers invaded parts of our land in 1832 to which Nagas fought back and resisted for 47 long years. But in 1879, they conquered part of our land, while the larger portion remained free and un-administered and controlled by Nagas themselves. On January 10, 1929, Nagas submitted their first written statement to the British Government’s Simon Commission, demanding that Nagas be left alone as it was when Britishers first found them on their departure from the Indian sub-continent, saying; “when you go, we should be left alone to determine for ourselves as in ancient times”. However, sensing that Britishers were going to leave Nagaland under the mercy of a new Independent Indian union, when India attains her freedom on August 15, 1947, Nagas declared their Independence on 14th August 1947, one day before India declared her Independence, which was duly cabled to the United Nations Organization (UNO).
However, India claimed Nagaland as part of the Indian Union, saying Nagaland was too small and too poor to govern itself. Therefore, to demonstrate to India and also to the world that under no circumstances Nagas would live under India a National Plebiscite was conducted on May 16, 1951, under the banner and leadership of the Naga National Council (NNC), where 99.9 % voted for Independent Nagaland. And when India imposed its first General Elections in 1952, all over India, Nagas completely boycotted the Indian imposed elections saying Nagaland was not a part of India and continued to live and govern themselves according to their traditional and customary way of life, on the principles of non-violence, non-cooperation and to uphold the Independence of the Naga Nation.
Following this assertion of the Nagas, by 1953 India started sending her military into the Naga areas with a policy to crush what they called “rebellious Nagas” and by 1956, more than 100,000 Indian soldiers were sent into the Naga Hills. And in 1958, the Indian Parliament enacted the most draconian law called the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958, giving unlimited powers to the Indian Military to arrest, search or seize without warrant and to “shoot and kill” anybody on mere suspicion with full legal impunity. Armed with this unlimited powers to “shoot and kill”, more than 200,000 Nagas have been killed, tortured, raped and maimed for life, while entire Naga villages across the Naga country were burnt down from at least 3 times to as much as 18 times.
Prior to the enactment of this law, there was the Assam Maintenance of Public Order (Autonomous district) Acts of 1953, when Nagaland was a district under Assam, which even restrict an assembly of 5 persons or more. Then came the Nagaland Security Regulation of 1962, and later the Nagaland Legislature Assembly enacted the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in 1972, after the State of Nagaland was shifted from the Ministry of External Affairs to the Ministry of Home, besides other existing anti-peoples laws. And when the whole of India was brought under “Emergency Rule” from 1975 to 1977 under the then Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, and the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) was imposed, Naga leaders, including Over-ground politicians, Youth and Student leaders, were rampantly arrested and jailed in different parts of India. All of them had a common objective and that was just to crush the Naga national movement. It was also during this period of “Emergency” that the so-called “Shillong Accord” was signed by some representatives of the underground organization on November 11, 1975.
Nevertheless, side by side with all this happenings, there were also periods of Peace initiatives. In 1964, there was the declaration of the first Ceasefire between the Government of India and the Naga National Council (NNC) which continued for about 8 years. But it could not come out with any kind of solution, because India was not prepared for an Independent Nagaland, and Nagas too were not willing for any settlement that falls short of an Independent Nagaland.
Then in the summer of I997, on July 25th, another ceasefire was announced by the then Prime Minister of India, Mr. I. K. Gujral in the Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha) at New Delhi and by the Chairman of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim, Mr. Isak Chishi Swu, from Geneva that was flashed through the News Media under 3 mutually agreed principles and as two different entities. The 3 agreed principles for the ceasefire and to start a political negotiation were;
• That the talks will be held without any conditions,
• That the talks will be held at the highest level (i.e. at the Prime Ministerial level), and,
• That the talks will be held in a third and neutral country (Not in India or in Nagaland).
Today it is exactly 13 years and 6 months, since the peace process have started and political talks have been going on ever since, with around 70 rounds of talks that were held in different cities of neutral countries, such as, Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland, Amsterdam of The Netherlands, Paris in France, Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand, Osaka in Japan, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Vienna in Austria, etc. with some of the talks taking place in New Delhi, India at the invitation of the Prime Minister of India in the recent times and a couple of them were held in Nagaland, once in Dimapur and once at Kohima. It may also be mentioned that the Government of India have in writing, “Recognized the unique history and situation of the Nagas” during one of the talks held at Amsterdam, in The Netherlands, on July 11, 2002. This admission came after more than 50 years of war and persuasions and has been seen as one of the progressive landmark achievement in the history of the ongoing peace process.
On the other hand, the Government of India, also entered into a Ceasefire with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, led by Mr. S. S. Khaplang and Mr. Kitovi Zhimomi in 2001, which is also continuing till date making the prevailing peaceful atmosphere possible and enabling the people as a whole to openly discuss and debate on the possible solutions to the political problems which may be honorable and acceptable to all parties concerned.
In the meantime, the Naga society which has been reeling under the political conflict and armed confrontations ever since India got her Independen ce in 1947 has suffered all kinds of humiliations and pains, many of which cannot be described in decent words. I will therefore not even attempt to say them. But one of the worst repercussions this political conflict has brought to the entire society and population was, when the people themselves that fought for human dignity and for freedom started killing each other, forgetting the larger common enemy. This has happened to the Nagas.
Nevertheless, not to be out-done by this situation, the people and society as a whole, through the different people’s organizations and religious institutions are now playing their share of the responsibility to restore normalcy from violence, forgiveness from hatred and healings from all the pains of the past. In this endeavor, a Forum for Naga Reconciliation has been formed since February 2008, which is making all out efforts to bring healing to our land. And I feel happy to say that after a very long spell of darkness, we are beginning to see lights at the end of the tunnel. And when you go back to your respective places in India, tell your people that Nagas do not hold grudges anymore against the people of India for what we have gone through. But that everyone, who were responsible for the human sufferings for the last more than 60 years in Nagaland were also equally victims of the wrong policies of governments who sought “military solutions” to every “human problems”.
Mr. Neingulo Krome,
Former Secretary General & Member,
Naga Peoples’Movement for Human Rights
Presented at the Bharat Parikrama Programme for Youth Club Members from different States of India at Kisama Heritage Village, Kohima, on the 31st of January 2011, organized by; Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, an Autonomous Body under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India
NAGAS are Indigenous people with an approximate population of about 4 million, spread across the present States of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in India; While in Burma (Myanmar), Nagas occupy 7 townships under Sagaing Division, namely; Lahe, Tamu, Mowlick, Homelin, Laishi, Hkamti and Namyung and under Kachin State, Tanai township which is also known as the Naga Hills District. All these areas put together measures about 120,000 Sq. Kms on the Patkai Range that lies between the Longitudes of 92.5 East and 97.5 East; and Latitudes of 23.5 North and 28.5 North.
Naga villages use to be Independent like the ancient Greek city states, till Britishers invaded parts of our land in 1832 to which Nagas fought back and resisted for 47 long years. But in 1879, they conquered part of our land, while the larger portion remained free and un-administered and controlled by Nagas themselves. On January 10, 1929, Nagas submitted their first written statement to the British Government’s Simon Commission, demanding that Nagas be left alone as it was when Britishers first found them on their departure from the Indian sub-continent, saying; “when you go, we should be left alone to determine for ourselves as in ancient times”. However, sensing that Britishers were going to leave Nagaland under the mercy of a new Independent Indian union, when India attains her freedom on August 15, 1947, Nagas declared their Independence on 14th August 1947, one day before India declared her Independence, which was duly cabled to the United Nations Organization (UNO).
However, India claimed Nagaland as part of the Indian Union, saying Nagaland was too small and too poor to govern itself. Therefore, to demonstrate to India and also to the world that under no circumstances Nagas would live under India a National Plebiscite was conducted on May 16, 1951, under the banner and leadership of the Naga National Council (NNC), where 99.9 % voted for Independent Nagaland. And when India imposed its first General Elections in 1952, all over India, Nagas completely boycotted the Indian imposed elections saying Nagaland was not a part of India and continued to live and govern themselves according to their traditional and customary way of life, on the principles of non-violence, non-cooperation and to uphold the Independence of the Naga Nation.
Following this assertion of the Nagas, by 1953 India started sending her military into the Naga areas with a policy to crush what they called “rebellious Nagas” and by 1956, more than 100,000 Indian soldiers were sent into the Naga Hills. And in 1958, the Indian Parliament enacted the most draconian law called the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958, giving unlimited powers to the Indian Military to arrest, search or seize without warrant and to “shoot and kill” anybody on mere suspicion with full legal impunity. Armed with this unlimited powers to “shoot and kill”, more than 200,000 Nagas have been killed, tortured, raped and maimed for life, while entire Naga villages across the Naga country were burnt down from at least 3 times to as much as 18 times.
Prior to the enactment of this law, there was the Assam Maintenance of Public Order (Autonomous district) Acts of 1953, when Nagaland was a district under Assam, which even restrict an assembly of 5 persons or more. Then came the Nagaland Security Regulation of 1962, and later the Nagaland Legislature Assembly enacted the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in 1972, after the State of Nagaland was shifted from the Ministry of External Affairs to the Ministry of Home, besides other existing anti-peoples laws. And when the whole of India was brought under “Emergency Rule” from 1975 to 1977 under the then Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, and the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) was imposed, Naga leaders, including Over-ground politicians, Youth and Student leaders, were rampantly arrested and jailed in different parts of India. All of them had a common objective and that was just to crush the Naga national movement. It was also during this period of “Emergency” that the so-called “Shillong Accord” was signed by some representatives of the underground organization on November 11, 1975.
Nevertheless, side by side with all this happenings, there were also periods of Peace initiatives. In 1964, there was the declaration of the first Ceasefire between the Government of India and the Naga National Council (NNC) which continued for about 8 years. But it could not come out with any kind of solution, because India was not prepared for an Independent Nagaland, and Nagas too were not willing for any settlement that falls short of an Independent Nagaland.
Then in the summer of I997, on July 25th, another ceasefire was announced by the then Prime Minister of India, Mr. I. K. Gujral in the Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha) at New Delhi and by the Chairman of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim, Mr. Isak Chishi Swu, from Geneva that was flashed through the News Media under 3 mutually agreed principles and as two different entities. The 3 agreed principles for the ceasefire and to start a political negotiation were;
• That the talks will be held without any conditions,
• That the talks will be held at the highest level (i.e. at the Prime Ministerial level), and,
• That the talks will be held in a third and neutral country (Not in India or in Nagaland).
Today it is exactly 13 years and 6 months, since the peace process have started and political talks have been going on ever since, with around 70 rounds of talks that were held in different cities of neutral countries, such as, Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland, Amsterdam of The Netherlands, Paris in France, Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand, Osaka in Japan, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Vienna in Austria, etc. with some of the talks taking place in New Delhi, India at the invitation of the Prime Minister of India in the recent times and a couple of them were held in Nagaland, once in Dimapur and once at Kohima. It may also be mentioned that the Government of India have in writing, “Recognized the unique history and situation of the Nagas” during one of the talks held at Amsterdam, in The Netherlands, on July 11, 2002. This admission came after more than 50 years of war and persuasions and has been seen as one of the progressive landmark achievement in the history of the ongoing peace process.
On the other hand, the Government of India, also entered into a Ceasefire with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, led by Mr. S. S. Khaplang and Mr. Kitovi Zhimomi in 2001, which is also continuing till date making the prevailing peaceful atmosphere possible and enabling the people as a whole to openly discuss and debate on the possible solutions to the political problems which may be honorable and acceptable to all parties concerned.
In the meantime, the Naga society which has been reeling under the political conflict and armed confrontations ever since India got her Independen ce in 1947 has suffered all kinds of humiliations and pains, many of which cannot be described in decent words. I will therefore not even attempt to say them. But one of the worst repercussions this political conflict has brought to the entire society and population was, when the people themselves that fought for human dignity and for freedom started killing each other, forgetting the larger common enemy. This has happened to the Nagas.
Nevertheless, not to be out-done by this situation, the people and society as a whole, through the different people’s organizations and religious institutions are now playing their share of the responsibility to restore normalcy from violence, forgiveness from hatred and healings from all the pains of the past. In this endeavor, a Forum for Naga Reconciliation has been formed since February 2008, which is making all out efforts to bring healing to our land. And I feel happy to say that after a very long spell of darkness, we are beginning to see lights at the end of the tunnel. And when you go back to your respective places in India, tell your people that Nagas do not hold grudges anymore against the people of India for what we have gone through. But that everyone, who were responsible for the human sufferings for the last more than 60 years in Nagaland were also equally victims of the wrong policies of governments who sought “military solutions” to every “human problems”.
Mr. Neingulo Krome,
Former Secretary General & Member,
Naga Peoples’Movement for Human Rights
Presented at the Bharat Parikrama Programme for Youth Club Members from different States of India at Kisama Heritage Village, Kohima, on the 31st of January 2011, organized by; Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, an Autonomous Body under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India
