74th Anniversary of Naga Martyrs’ day observed
Morung Express news
Senapati | August 29
NSCN/GPRN member of the Collective Leadership, Rev A Puni has asserted that India has not maintained basic principles of honouring an agreement signed by a nation and that it is craftily shying away from implementing the agreement by collaborating with self interest groups and individuals to nullify the Framework Agreement.
He said this while giving an update on the ongoing Indo Naga Peace talk during the 74th Anniversary of Naga Martyrs’ day on Saturday at Kalinamei under Senapati district, Manipur organized by the Mao Council under the aegis of the United Naga Council (UNC).
Over the ongoing Indo-Naga political talk, Rev Puni stated that the NSCN (IM) reportedly agreed to start political negotiation with the Government of India only after having recognised the Naga movement as a political and not internal law and order issue. He referred to India declared that military way of solution against the Nagas was not possible as stated by Gen Choudhury.
He also made reference to Mahatma Gandhi who had said that Nagas have every right to be independent. In contrast, he also mentioned that after India’s Independence, Indian Prime Minister Nehru said, “Even if heaven falls, the whole country goes to pieces and river run red with blood, I will never allow Nagas to be independent.” Subsequently, he sent thousands of Indian armed forces to crush the Nagas, the leader said.
Taking a dig on past leaders of India on the Naga struggle, Rev Puni said how Indira Gandhi openly expressed that she did not care whether Nagas were right or wrong; she only cared about India’s security. As such, many top Indian leaders were also only concerned about India’s security and took into consideration of India’s defence from external forces as priority.
“When the formulation was made between the NSCN (IM) and Government of India on agreeing a joint defence, many top Indian leaders reportedly expressed that it was matter of great satisfaction,” he said.
Citing important landmarks that had been made over the political talks he mentioned that the Government of India officially recognised the “Unique History and situation of the Nagas” on July 11, 2002 remarking it as first realistic step forward in the political negotiation. Indian Prime Ministers, Dr Manmohan Singh had also said that India is ready to walk the extra miles, outside the box, meaning, solution outside the constitution of India.
The Framework Agreement was signed on 3rd August, 2015 with the opening word, “The Political Conflict....” It acknowledged the intricacies of the Indian system and in consonance with the contemporary realities, both the parties acknowledged that violence must end to pave way for sustainable peace and overall development, Puni remarked.
He said the Indo-Naga honourable political solution will provide a new Relationship for peaceful co-existence of the two entities however lamented that India continues to play with the sentiments of the Naga people and pointed out how the Government of India recently, started saying that Flag and Constitution is non-negotiable, which he called very unfortunate.
In the competencies he mentioned that it was clearly stated that ‘In the matters of her own affairs, as mutually agreed upon, Nagaland shall be sovereign.’ And accordingly, it was mutually agreed that ‘This agreement shall constitute a constitution which shall be called Yehzhabo.’
Puni pointed out that RN Ravi even commented to share and draft the constitution with Naga experts during the interim period. The competencies also cited that ‘The Naga National Identity will be duly mentioned in the Indian passport.’ Further mentions were made that Naga affiliating with the international sports organization meaning, Nagas can represent or play in any of the international competitions as Naga, he said which further ended with the words “Details and execution plan will be worked out and implemented shortly.”
He lamented how India has not maintained basic principle of honouring an agreement signed by a nation later adding that “Nevertheless, India and our neighbours should know that failing to implement the Framework Agreement would bring more loss to them than the Nagas.”
The ‘Naga Martyrs’ Day’ is observed every year considering that it is a landmark in the history of political movement of the Nagas in Manipur in particular and all Nagas in general, the observation of the day was taken up from 2005 by the United Naga Council with the Mao Council as the local organizing committee. The day marked the event when the Assam rifles killed different volunteers and students when people of the region took up on “No Tax Campaign” in Naga hill areas.
