Brig (Retd) Sshingnya
Kedahge, Federal Government of Nagaland
Dear fellow Countrymen,
Today the 6th September 2026 we once again recollect the 62nd anniversary of the Ceasefire day.
Sixty-two years ago, on this day, a Ceasefire was concluded between the Federal Government of Nagaland and the Government of India after nearly ten years of military conflict. On this auspicious day, I on behalf of the Federal Government of Nagaland wish to re-affirm and also share the following facts with the people of Nagaland.
Though Nagaland and India had been neighbours of many countries, there had never been any social, political or cultural affinity between the two countries prior to 1947. When the British left their South Asian Empire in 1947, war broke out between Nagaland and India over the issue of India’s claim that Nagas are Indians and Nagaland is India. This was a most illogical and unhistorical claim made by India. The ensuing fifty years of Indo-Naga war would never have been fought if India had not made this false claim over Nagaland. This war should never have existed, nor any legal or historical dispute over the issue of Nagas being Indians or Indians being Nagas.
When Indian troops marched into Nagaland in the later part of 1955 and unleashed a reign of military terror and atrocities against the Nagas over this claim, the Nagas were forced to organize themselves politically and militarily to defend their right against foreign invasion. In the ensuing war, the conflict has been one where India attempted to crush the Naga political right with her military power, while Nagas fought back with their political rights. The conflict has been one where not only the armies of both nations but even the civilian populations of both countries have suffered untold misery and death. However, this fifty-year conflict has clearly proven this fact: that a political conflict can never be solved with military might.
In the midst of this conflict, many Naga Christian and Church leaders have prayed and worked fervently to bring peace between our two warring countries. As part of these efforts, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council formed a Nagaland Peace Mission in 1964. As per the request of NBCC, the Rev. Michael Scot of England, Jaya Prakash Narayan of the Sarvodaya movement, and BP Chaliha, Chief Minister of Assam, were inducted into the peace mission. Through the efforts of these three people, as well as many other well-wishers, a Ceasefire between the Government of India and the Federal Government of Nagaland was finally concluded on the 6th September 1964. The Federal Government of Nagaland and the people of Nagaland will remain ever grateful to the Nagaland Baptist Council of Churches and the Nagaland Peace Mission for bringing about this Ceasefire.
Even though the Government of India had violated and abrogated the Ceasefire of 1964, we wish to re-affirm that the Federal Government of Nagaland is still committed to a peaceful solution through non-violent means. At the same time, on this historic occasion, we also re-affirm that we will never surrender our God-given inalienable national rights to any foreign aggressor. It is our sincere prayer that God would grant wisdom and guidance to the leaders of both our nations, so that a final and amicable settlement will finally dawn over this battle-scarred land of ours.
“With greeting to everyone”
KUKNALIM
