Reflections on the fourth Naga peace agreement
- Part 3 -

Lt Col (Retd) M Ranjit Singh *

Naga Movement under Phizo

Shri Zapu Phizo was an Angami from Khonoma village in Kohima District. He was reported to have passed his Matriculation examination from Government High School, Shillong. He was a dreamer and in some way far ahead of his time. He had earlier an unsuccessful venture with a motor tyre retreading company in Kohima when there were hardly any vehicles in Kohima.

Between May 1948 and June 1948 he went on spreading pro-Pakistan and anti-Indian propaganda. He was detained in Bengal for six months with effect from August 1, 1948. After his release from detention, Phizo worked his way up and managed to get elected as President of the NNC in December, 1950. His opponent, Visar, was defeated in the election by one vote.

At the NNC session held at Kohima on December 11, 1950, a resolution was passed to hold a plebiscite on the issue of the Naga Independence. The plebiscite was held on May 16, 1951. The result of the plebiscite indicating that over 99 percent of the Nagas in Naga Hills District were in support of the demand for independence was sent to the President of the Indian republic and other high personages and also to various other agencies inside and outside the country. Nobody believed the figure of 99 percent and there was no response from any quarter.

He then decided to take the Naga case before the United Nations. In September 1952, Phizo went underground to prepare a draft memorandum to take with him to the U. N. Headquarters via Burma and Pakistan. He was apprehended by the Burmese police in January 1953. On his release from Burma, Phizo returned to Naga Hills in June 1953, but continued to remain under ground.

Phizo announced the installation of an independent Republican Government of Free Nagaland at "Kautaga", an imaginary place in Tuensang on September 18, 1954 with "Hongkin" as President. The formation of "Hongkin" Government was superseded by the "Naga Central Government" at Phensinyu at Rengma area on March 22, 1956. A document issued on the occasion declared Nagaland to be a Sovereign Republic and claimed that this has been so from time immemorial. Simultaneously, an armed wing was also raised. One must remember that there were large amounts of arms and ammunition left behind in the District after the Second World War.

Attempts were made to bring certain amount of unity among different Naga tribes by choosing certain words from different tribes and using them in the federal set up. For example, the word "Kedage" (President) and "Kedalu" (Vice President) were from Rengma, "Ahng" (Governor) from Konyak; "Kilonser" from Yimchunger; "Tatar" (MP) from Ao; "Ahza" (Order) from Sema; "Runapeyu"(Deputy Commissioner), "Resapeyu" (S.D.O.) from Angami and "Oking" from Lotha. "Oking" is the headquarters of the Naga Federal Government. Phizo can rightly claim the credit for bringing unity among the Nagas.

On May 6, 1956, a moderate group who were against the violent activities of Phizo, for the first time appealed for reorgnisation of NNC and formation of a Naga State within the Republic of India for a stated period subject to a referendum to determine the future destiny of the Nagas on expiry of that stated period. The official reaction to the appeal was that there was no question of any "referendum". There after a series of violent activities from Naga underground spread to all over the district. They murdered many Nagas who were opposed to their violent movement.

In September 1956, the liberal leaders ran a campaign to oust Phizo from NNC for misleading Nagas for his false promise of independence and foreign aid. The Prime Minister met few liberal leaders and talked to them for about two hours on September 15, 1956. These leaders had condemned violence and also declared that Nagaland should be within the Indian Union. These were the two conditions laid by the Prime Minister for meeting any Naga leader.

Naga People's Conventions

The first Naga People's Convention (NPC) was held at Kohima on August 22-26, 1957 to discuss for a political settlement for the long drawn Naga problems through peaceful negotiations with the Government of India. 1760 delegates and over 2000 visitors attended the Convention. Every tribe of Naga Hills District and Tuensang Division of NEFA was represented. The Prime Minister met a delegation of Naga leaders of NPC on September 25, 1957.

In this meeting it was agreed to set up of one administrative unit consisting of the Naga Hills District and Tuensang Frontier Division within the Indian Union, directly under the President of India. On December 1, 1957, the Naga Hills Tuensang Area was formed. The area under a Commissioner was divided into three districts, viz, Kohima, Mokokchung and Tuensang each under three Deputy Commissioners. The Second Naga People's Convention was held at Ungmaon May 21-23, 1958.The Third Naga People's Convention met at Mokokchung on October 22-26, 1959. The NPC passed a sixteen-point resolution.

The first clause which was the main one said: "The territories that were heretofore known as the Naga Hills and other Naga area, which may hereafter come under it, shall form a state within the Indian Union and be hereafter known as Nagaland".

The 12th point mentioned that "All the Reserved Forests and other Naga area will be returned to Nagaland with a clear defined boundary under the present settlement".

The proposals of the NPC were forwarded to the Government of India by the new Governor. Prime Minister came to Gauhati on April 16, 1960 to discuss the proposals with the Governor and Chief Minister of Assam and other officials. The Prime Minister did not agree to the formation of a small state as they neither had the population nor the resources. The Prime Minister invited NPC Body for a meeting at Delhi on July 26, 1960.

A special Dakota of the Air Force lifted the delegation led by Imkolingba Ao on the morning of July 25, 1960 from Dimapur to Delhi. Earlier the Prime Minister had a meeting with the officials to go through the 16-point resolutions, one by one explaining patiently, the implications of each one of them. In the historic meeting held on July 26, 1960, the Prime Minister agreed upon the creation of the State of Nagaland in spite of many shortcomings.

On the 13th point of Consolidation of Contiguous Naga Area, the Prime Minister pointed out that this was always open in the Constitution but the moment one touches another area, the Government of India cannot decide. It was open and should be resolved by consent and agreement.

Formation of State of Nagaland as an Anti-dote to Violence & Peace Talks

The Prime Minister announced the decision about the formation of the 16th State of Nagaland to the Lok Sabha on August 1, 1960. The Naga delegation was in the Parliament gallery to hear the Prime Minister's announcement. On December 1, 1963, President Dr. S. Rdhakrishanan arrived at Kohima and inaugurated the State of Nagaland with a population of five and a half lakhs.

The first election of the new State was held during January, 1964. There was still a small minority that was persisting in a violent upheaval to achieve independence. It was hoped that elected popular constitutional government of Nagaland would deal with the situation to bring permanent peace in Nagaland and would succeed.

Years went before the underground could be broken and constitutional process could find a place in Naga politics in an atmosphere of true and real peace.

To be continued...