On 26 June 1947 the Governor of Assam Sir Akbar Hydari came to Kohima with his Advisor, and after three days of hard discussion made a 9-Point Agreement with the NNC. After some time, it was rumored the Government would not accept it to the letter and therefore on 14 August 1947 the NNC sent a Telegram to the Governor of Assam, the Premier of Assam, Mr. Nehru, the Viceroy and the President of the Constituent Assembly.
None of the Communications the Naga National Council sent to the Authorities in India is more important than the Telegram the NNC sent on 14th August 1947 reiterating its commitment to a separate life for the Nagas.
Someone claimed Mr. Visar, one of the Presidents of the NNC sent the Telegram spending an amount of Rs.300.
One of the best opportunities to fill in the details of the NNC Movement is during the Funeral of the Old Stalwarts of the Movement when many of the old colleagues come to pay their last respect to their old colleague.
On 8 January 1993, at the Funeral of Mr. Zhaviu, Muzhui Chaplee Kilonser at Phesama and who was a pillar of the Organization, the Writer mentioned to Mr. Vilekho Peseyie, an old ardent worker of the NNC in his youth and latter Pastor of Jotsoma, that the Writer had heard Mr. Visar sent it at the cost of Rs. 300/- The venerable old man Vilekho thought for a moment and said in Jotsoma Dialect: “Si mo za ta nha”, (perhaps it is not exactly so)
Quite some years after, the Writer overheard some one of the Western Angami said it was Mr. Chalie Iralu who sent the telegram out of the Fund from the Khonoma Youth Organization.
One day while discussing about Timber Industry in Nagaland in his house, Mr. Jasokie Zinyü, an active worker of the NNC in his youth and later Chief Minister of Nagaland, the Writer narrated about the Telegram. He was not aware of the claims and said he sent the Telegram.
This is a very important thing and so the Writer would like to share with the Readers the exchanges in Angami that took place between the two:
Writer (W): “It is said an amount of Rs. 300/- was spent for the telegram”.
JB: “Hoot, in those days Rs 300/ was a big sum of money and could purchase a big plot of Cultivation land, I do not remember the exact amount but I spent a little more than Re. 1. I do not remember exactly but it was less than Rs. 3/-.
W: At what time of the day was the Telegram sent?
JB: We had the meeting in the small building –now no more- near the Kohima Arts College at about 10 AM and typed the telegram, then I took it to the Post Office; I do not remember the exact hour but it was before 12 O’clock.
W: How did you go to the Post Office?
JB: I went in my elder Brother Zasinihu’s Motor Bike.
W : At the Post Office, did you see the Post Master?
JB. No.
W: From where did you get the Petrol?
JB: The Family use to deal in Oil then.
W: Sir, if it is so, I will disclose it in Public.
JB: (Confidently and forcefully) “Tell it, tell it, I sent the Telegram”.
The 14 August 1947 Naga Telegram is this:
“Naga Hills cannot be considered part of the Indian Union until heads of proposed agreement between the Governor of Assam and the Naga National Council is accepted to the letter for execution, with No. 9 modified as “at the end of this period the Nagas will be free to decide their own future”.
The Writer copied the Telegram from “THE NAGA NATION” of October Issue of 1947, a monthly of the NNC perhaps the only copy left now and showed to John Bosco Jasokie Zinyü, the former Chief Minister who dropped into my house for some of his Works. He seemed surprised and asked me from where I got the piece. “From one of my father’s old Papers”, I said. Then the Writer asked him: “Is it the Telegram that was sent on 14th August 1947?
“The Words strikes me familiar” he uttered and read the writing very carefully. Then Writer took out the old very fragile copy of ‘The Naga Nation’ and showed it to him. Then Jasokie said: “Yes, this is the Telegram”, therefore the Writer said: “Then I will publish it in the written Media”, and Jasokie replied: “Yes, You can publish it”.
None of the Communications the Naga National Council sent to the Authorities in India is more important than the Telegram the NNC sent on 14th August 1947 reiterating its commitment to a separate life for the Nagas.
Someone claimed Mr. Visar, one of the Presidents of the NNC sent the Telegram spending an amount of Rs.300.
One of the best opportunities to fill in the details of the NNC Movement is during the Funeral of the Old Stalwarts of the Movement when many of the old colleagues come to pay their last respect to their old colleague.
On 8 January 1993, at the Funeral of Mr. Zhaviu, Muzhui Chaplee Kilonser at Phesama and who was a pillar of the Organization, the Writer mentioned to Mr. Vilekho Peseyie, an old ardent worker of the NNC in his youth and latter Pastor of Jotsoma, that the Writer had heard Mr. Visar sent it at the cost of Rs. 300/- The venerable old man Vilekho thought for a moment and said in Jotsoma Dialect: “Si mo za ta nha”, (perhaps it is not exactly so)
Quite some years after, the Writer overheard some one of the Western Angami said it was Mr. Chalie Iralu who sent the telegram out of the Fund from the Khonoma Youth Organization.
One day while discussing about Timber Industry in Nagaland in his house, Mr. Jasokie Zinyü, an active worker of the NNC in his youth and later Chief Minister of Nagaland, the Writer narrated about the Telegram. He was not aware of the claims and said he sent the Telegram.
This is a very important thing and so the Writer would like to share with the Readers the exchanges in Angami that took place between the two:
Writer (W): “It is said an amount of Rs. 300/- was spent for the telegram”.
JB: “Hoot, in those days Rs 300/ was a big sum of money and could purchase a big plot of Cultivation land, I do not remember the exact amount but I spent a little more than Re. 1. I do not remember exactly but it was less than Rs. 3/-.
W: At what time of the day was the Telegram sent?
JB: We had the meeting in the small building –now no more- near the Kohima Arts College at about 10 AM and typed the telegram, then I took it to the Post Office; I do not remember the exact hour but it was before 12 O’clock.
W: How did you go to the Post Office?
JB: I went in my elder Brother Zasinihu’s Motor Bike.
W : At the Post Office, did you see the Post Master?
JB. No.
W: From where did you get the Petrol?
JB: The Family use to deal in Oil then.
W: Sir, if it is so, I will disclose it in Public.
JB: (Confidently and forcefully) “Tell it, tell it, I sent the Telegram”.
The 14 August 1947 Naga Telegram is this:
“Naga Hills cannot be considered part of the Indian Union until heads of proposed agreement between the Governor of Assam and the Naga National Council is accepted to the letter for execution, with No. 9 modified as “at the end of this period the Nagas will be free to decide their own future”.
The Writer copied the Telegram from “THE NAGA NATION” of October Issue of 1947, a monthly of the NNC perhaps the only copy left now and showed to John Bosco Jasokie Zinyü, the former Chief Minister who dropped into my house for some of his Works. He seemed surprised and asked me from where I got the piece. “From one of my father’s old Papers”, I said. Then the Writer asked him: “Is it the Telegram that was sent on 14th August 1947?
“The Words strikes me familiar” he uttered and read the writing very carefully. Then Writer took out the old very fragile copy of ‘The Naga Nation’ and showed it to him. Then Jasokie said: “Yes, this is the Telegram”, therefore the Writer said: “Then I will publish it in the written Media”, and Jasokie replied: “Yes, You can publish it”.
