Gen (Rtd) Thinoselie M Keyho
NNC President
My dear Naga brothers and sisters, I take this opportunity as my proud privilege to address the Naga Nation once again on this 76th Voluntary Plebiscite Day, a day of historical importance for the Naga people. I convey my special greetings to all of you in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I also pay my respect to all National workers who have been sacrificing their services for the nation all these years, and for whom the Naga National Council continues to uphold the democratic right of our Naga people firm and strong.
On every occasion, we remind ourselves of what our parents had told the British Government in their memorandum submitted to the Simon Commission in 1929, and how the Simon Commission gave recognition to our stand as a people and placed the then Naga Hills as an Excluded Area. This means that the Commission placed the then Naga Hills outside the constitution of British India in the Government of India Act, 1935. This decision of the Simon Commission – placing the then Naga Hills as an Excluded Area – is unique, and we highly appreciate the understanding of the Naga stand by members of the Commission that Nagas are not Indians and their land is not part of India. This status continued as long as the British Government ruled over her territories in Southeast Asia. But when news that the British Government would leave her territories in Southeast Asia was made known to the people without any decision for the Nagas, the Naga National Council declared Naga Independence on 14th August, 1947 – one day ahead of Indian Independence. A clear example of the failure of the British Government to keep their commitment was that Clement Attlee was a member of the Simon Commission who came to Kohima in 1929, and Clement Attlee was the Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1947. This betrayal of the British Government rendered untold sufferings and miseries to the Nagas at the hands of the Indian aggressors for more than six decades now. But these sufferings inflicted upon our people by our adversaries in various ways can never deter the Naga National Council from upholding the oath administered to God and to the world by the Nagas through the Voluntary Plebiscite of 1951.
I want to share with you today the circumstances which prompted the situation for the conduct of this Voluntary Plebiscite by the Naga National Council under the leadership of Phizo.
When the British Government left without giving any decision for the then Naga Hills, the new Indian Government took advantage of this silence and stretched her administrative arms over the then Naga Hills. In spite of all these injustices done to them, the Nagas wanted to put across their right through democratic process and, therefore, Phizo went to meet the new Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, in Delhi to assert the right of the Naga people. But record says that Delhi took Phizo lightly, thinking that he was a crank. Phizo was determined and, therefore, he met Nehru again in Assam and told him that he wanted a definite clause to be inserted into the terms of the original 9-Point Agreement that the Nagas would have the right to decide their own future. The Prime Minister replied that everything could be done under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution and gave no further comment. Phizo left disappointed and, as soon as he reached Kohima, he convened a meeting of all tribal leaders on 14th and 15th May, 1951 at Kohima. At this point in time, the Intelligence Bureau advised the Prime Minister, saying that Nagas were feeling betrayed on the 9-Point Agreement, and if they were allowed to meet, it was certain that they would talk about independence, and so the Government should do something to divert the course so that this meeting was not held. Their advice was not taken seriously by the PM nor by the Assam Government.
The tribal representative Naga leaders met at Kohima as scheduled and decided to conduct a Voluntary Plebiscite to decide their future. Accordingly, the Voluntary Plebiscite was held on 16th May, 1951, in which 99.9% voted in favour of Naga Sovereignty. The Indian Government also sent their representatives to see for themselves how the NNC conducted that Voluntary Plebiscite. The Voluntary Plebiscite is not just history – it was an act of pronouncement of a solemn oath before God by the Naga elders. Therefore, this oath is binding on every Naga, wherever we may be or whatever profession we may pursue.
With these few words, I shall now reiterate my stand once again:
1. Our first and foremost policy is Non-Violence. With this policy, we will continue to put across our democratic right as a people to the world and to Indians in particular, because what we have been talking about here is history based on our ancestral democratic right.
2. We are not against India; rather, we are expecting India to act as a guardian power to the smaller nations around her for her own safety. But it is unfortunate that India failed to look down to see the ground realities.
3. Therefore, the problem in Nagaland is external aggression. We are not asking for anything from India, but only telling them to go away from our land.
4. Our problem is political – which can never be solved by military prowess.
5. We firmly stand by the 1951 Voluntary Plebiscite. This stand can never be changed under any circumstances.
Citizens of Nagaland, let us observe this Voluntary Plebiscite Day with prayer, and not just a celebration in name. Let us observe it in letter and spirit to renew our vow, as was done in a solemn way by our forefathers 75 years ago.
May God bless the Naga people. Long live the Naga National Council.
KUKNALIM.
