SPEECH OF MR. TONGMETH WANGNAO, HIS EXCELLENCY VICE CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL SOCIALIST COUNCIL OF NAGALIM (NSCN), ON THE COMMEMORATION OF THE NAGA PLEBISCITE 1951
My dear countrymen,
Let us praise our Almighty God for giving us the courage to commemorate together the Naga Plebiscite Day after 73 years. May 16, 1951 was a red letter day in the history of Naga freedom struggle when the Naga plebiscite was conducted to reaffirm the declaration of Naga Independence that was announced before the world on 14th August, 1947. It was the day the Nagas portrayed themselves loud and clear with their thumb impressions in which 99.9 % of the Nagas voted for sovereign Naga nation. This was the occasion of an episode which is of more than making a striking statement on Naga independence. It was the most powerful symbol of Naga people’s inalienable right for sovereignty. Not only does it represent the virtues of being Nagas, it also ignited the flame of irreversible political identity of the Nagas as a sovereign nation.
My dear countrymen!
Let the historical truth be told to the why the Nagas under the banner of Naga National Council (NNC) took the crucial steps to conduct Naga plebiscite. Let us recollect the words of NNC President AZ Phizo on the Naga Plebiscite day:
“…we are here today to reaffirm the stand of our Naga nation that we do need India and we do not want her. We are here today to prove to India and the world that Nagaland is united and that our nation aspires the same conviction to continue to be independent as a distinct nation as we have always been the sovereign national state of the Nagas”.
My dear countrymen!
Please listen to me very patiently as I give you a brief background story of the Nagas as a nation and how the declaration of Naga Independence took place on August 14th, 1947.
Let it be known that Nagas came into existence as a free nation since time immemorial without any pressure from the outside world. This takes us to the fact that the origins of political geography lie in the origins of human geography itself. This means, from the very beginning Nagas are politically a distinct nation with each village as a republic with sovereign authority. Naturally, Nagas were against any kind of intrusion/incursions and domination over their sovereign right. Accordingly, Nagas zealously guarded against the misadventure of alien forces like the Shans from the east and others. When the British intruded into the Naga territory, they went through horrible time in the hands of the ferocious Angami warriors. This is no less a show of Naga nationalism for the love of their mother country. No doubt it sent shockwaves against the forces that dared to test the nerves of the Nagas. Importantly, the Naga people’s allegiance to the Naga nationhood is the dynamism of the Naga culture. Needless to say, the passion for political freedom and independence are intrinsically link and this had been the motivating factor that drives the Naga political movement.
With the passage of time the British ruler who has established their authority over the small Naga area known as Naga Hills District in 1879 became more conscious of the Naga’s political right and their concern for future political status. They could follow the burning desire of the Nagas who did not want their national identity to be buried under the shadow of British India or British Burma. Thus, when Sir J.H Hutton, a British officer convened a meeting with the Naga Club to ascertain their wishes after the departure of the British, the Nagas expressed their desire to be left alone just as the British found them at first. When Simon Commission visited Kohima on January 10, 1929, the Naga Club exhibited remarkable political maturity by coming up with more organized system in their political approach towards their stand. They submitted a memorandum demanding that the Nagas be left alone to decide their own future and their political status be reverted to the independence they enjoyed before the British came. The memorandum concluded thus: “We pray that we should not be thrust on the mercy of the people who could never have conquered us themselves, and to whom we were never subjected; but to leave us alone to determine for ourselves as in ancient times.”
Ironically, things were not moving as desire by the Nagas as the British Government and British India Government did not show any sign of withdrawing their hold on the Nagas. This compelled the Nagas to organize themselves under the banner of Naga National Council (NNC) and assert their rights in the manner that carried the weight of authority and credibility. Henceforth, NNC occupied the centre stage to lead the Naga political movement. In the first place the NNC submitted a memorandum to the British Government and British India Government on February 20, 1947 with the request for Interim Government for themselves and proposed a “Protected state status” with India as a guardian power for an interim period of ten years, at the end of which the Nagas would be left with the option to decide their political future. The copy of the memorandum was sent to Clement Atlee, the Prime Minister of England, Lord Simon, Member of the House of Lords and Winston Churchill. Part of the cover letter to Lord Simon, the House of Lords read:
“No argument is needed to show that the Nagas are a separate people with their own customs, traditions and culture; and to say that the British Government has decided to hand over to the Indian hands complete authority for governing of ever Nagaland, in complete inconsistence with the policy of administration hither followed in these Hills and in violation of implied but clear pledges in the past years, without even asking the opinion of the Nagas is not only unjust but immoral.”
Nevertheless, the Nagas decided to put up a good fight when it became very clear that the overriding geopolitics of the Indian government was simply to make the Nagas as part of the Indian union. This was made known when the Indian Constituent Assembly was established in 1946. T. Aliba Imti, the first NNC President was made a part of the Sub-committee. When this sub-committee met in Shillong over the issue of joining India, Nagas refused to be bogged down under any pressure and stoutly took the stand not go along with the other princely states and walked away with the comment:
“We the Nagas, cannot sign our names to be under India. We do not agree with it and we resign.”
Not willing to let his name go down in history as having led down the Nagas, Aliba Imti minced no words as he plainly told the sub-committee: “I cannot return to my people as a traitor.”
Following the failure of the Shillong meeting of the sub-committee, the very next year the sub-committee visited Kohima in May 1947 to persuade the Nagas to join the Indian Union. At this juncture NNC became more assertive and stated that the Nagas are willing to co-operate with India only under the ten year interim period with the freedom to terminate any agreement entered with the government of India after ten years. NNC was bold enough to make known the legitimate stand of the Nagas that they have their own constitution and they would never bow down to subscribe or surrender to the constitution of any country under any circumstances, come what may!
It was under the heat of this moment that the Government of India sent Sir Akbar Hydari, the Governor of Assam, to Kohima on the 27th June, 1947, to meet the NNC leaders to resolve the deadlock. There was three days of hectic consultations, and finally, agreement was reached known as Nine Point Agreement (Hydari Agreement). It was signed by moderate NNC leaders T. Aliba as NNC President and T. Sakhrie as NNC General Secretary and the Government of India. However, hardliner NNC leaders like AZ Phizo were never optimistic of the Nine Point Agreement and never believe that India will be sincere enough to implement it.
Significantly, NNC was given the official recognition as the sole national political authority of the Nagas. What has really built up the confidence of the Nagas was that after ten years the Nagas has the liberty to terminate the agreement. However, within few months after the agreement was signed, the Nagas were given a rude shock when the Government of India denied that there was such provision in the agreement for the Nagas to terminate the agreement after ten years and establish for themselves a sovereign independent state and threatened the NNC leaders that India would use force against the Nagas if they refuse to join the Union of India. This ugly turn of development shattered the faith of the Nagas on Government of India.
However, the NNC hardliners led by AZ Phizo rushed to Delhi and made things very clear before the Father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi that Nagas will declare independence on the 14th August, 1947, no matter what the opposition is from the government.
True to his statesmanship, Mahatma Gandhi lent his ears very patiently to the narrative of the NNC leaders. He was true enough to tell the Naga delegates that Nagas have every right to be independent if they did not want to join the Indian Union.
To make the case very sharp and clear the Naga delegates took pain to point out the aggressive bearing of Sir Akbar Hydari when he threatened to use force against the Nagas if they refused to join Indian Union. Mahatma took strong exception to this and responded: “Sir Akbar Hydari is wrong! He cannot do that…I will come to the Naga Hills; I will ask them to shoot me first before one Naga is shot.” Going further, he open heartedly stated: “Why wait until 14th August? Why not even declare your independence tomorrow!” Unfortunately, the ruling elites in the Government of India were determined to use force to bring the Nagas into submission.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck as Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by one fanatic. But in his death Nagas finds inspiration in his “path of his in nonviolence and truth”.
The NNC leaders returned to Kohima, emboldened by the successful meeting with Mahatma Gandhi. And they wasted no time and declared Naga Independence on the 14th August, 1947. The declaration was sent to the King of England, the Government of India and to the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) in which it was explicitly mentioned that “Nagas will be independent and Nagas do not accept Indian suzerainty, and the right of the people must prevail regardless of size”.
The Government of India remain defiant to deny the desire of the Nagas to be independent and continue to hone its war machinery in the Naga Homeland.
The policy of aggression against the Nagas began to unfold when the Indian Army started to arrest and imprison Naga political leaders. Even AZ Phizo, the President of NNC and others were thrown into prison in July 1948 while returning from Delhi after meeting the Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. The NNC which had pursued a policy of non-violence approached the Governor-General of India Mr. C. Rajagopalachari on November 28, 1948 to reason out the Naga political issue. The Governor-General assured them: “India wants to be friendly with you. India does not want to deprive the Nagas of their land. Nagas are at liberty to do as they like, either to become part of India or be separated if it would be best for their interests to be isolated.”
My dear countrymen!
The most damning act of betrayal against the Nagas came when the Government of India committed a breach of agreement. In 1949, Gopinath Bordoloi, Chief Minister of Assam admitted that the Government of India no longer hold the Nine-Point Agreement valid and invited the Nagas to join the Union of India. To the Nagas this is like rubbing salt in the wound. Ironically, the Nagas rejected the offer out rightly and resorted to taking legitimate steps as the only way to find solution to a fundamental political problem. On January 24, 1950, the NNC informed the Indian Government, the United Nations and those countries that had their embassies in Delhi that the Nagas do not accept the Indian suzerainty.
Finally, to lend legitimacy to our claim as independent nation as declared on the 14th August, 1947, NNC took a critical decision to organize a Naga Voluntary Plebiscite and accordingly, informed the Government of India on January 1, 1951 in no uncertain that there is no going back on plebiscite as scheduled. The NNC President AZ Phizo informed the President of India to send their observers to bear witness to the whole process of the plebiscite from beginning to the end. The Plebiscite was held on May 16th, 1951 that saw multitudes of people never witness in the history of the Nagas. It turned out to be a landslide victory for the Nagas as the tabulated results showed 99.9% Nagas who favoured for sovereign independent Naga State. Taking a bold stand, the NNC delegates met the Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru on March 11, 1952 to convey the sovereign will of the Naga people for an independent Naga State as expressed through the Naga Plebiscite.
The Government of India determined to throttle the bona fide standing of the Naga political rights went for the shameless act of defiance by imposing Indian State elections on the Nagas. When the Nagas boycotted both the 1952 and 1957 General Elections, India used violence that attacks the human dignity of the Nagas.
During the Indo-Naga political dialogue, NSCN leaders led by Chief Negotiator Mr. Th. Muivah spotlighted the declaration of Naga Independence and Plebiscite based on solid historical foundations. Ultimately, the Government of India accepted the historical truths that the Nagas were in existence with sovereign identity as a nation. Accordingly, two agreements were signed: (i) Amsterdam Joint Communiqué of July 11, 2002, that recognizes the unique history of the Nagas and the political situation. (ii) Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 that recognize the bona fide status of the Nagas with sovereign rights.
My dear countrymen,
Let the world hear us today. In God’s name we observe Naga Plebiscite in consonance with the recognized unique history of the Nagas and Framework Agreement, after 73 years. This is to put on record once again the inalienable rights of the Nagas to be a sovereign nation. Thus, the sovereign rights of the Nagas rights as flaunted on the 16th May, 1951, will continue to remain imprinted indelibly in the psyche of the Nagas. In God who has power and authority over the universe we put our trust.
Kuknalim!
Tongmeth Wangnao