Ukhrul, Kamjong celebrate Naga 1-Day with flag hoist
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang

Ukhrul, August 14 2021: Commemorating 75th Naga Independence Day, various villages across Ukhrul and Kamjong districts under the banner of Tangkhul Naga Wungnao Long (TNWL), hoisted the Naga National Flag in their respective villages on Saturday.

Leading the celebration, Tangkhul Naga Wungnao Long organised a symbolic function at its Winotang office near TNL Ground.

The creme de la creme of the affair was hosting of the Naga National Flag, which is one of the crucial demands of the collective Naga leadership for resolving the age-old political issue.

TNWL president SA Ramnganing ceremonially hoisted the flag in front of their office, flanked by a host of public leaders including TNL assembly speaker, Tangkhul village chiefs/headmen and well-wishers and TNWL executive members.

Speaking on the occasion, Ramnganing pointed out that August 14 is reserved as Naga Independence Day and it was being celebrated across the Naga inhabited areas", by young and old alike.

He observed that the ongoing peace dialogue between the Centre and the Nagas has reached a crucial stage and that the collective Naga public should come together and seek divine blessing in one accord.

"We must all humbly bow before the Lord and ask for His intervention so that He will grant us our ultimate wish, a final settlement of our long-pending political issue," he said.

Along this line, the chief of the headmen's body exhorted the Naga brethren across different artificial boundaries, to continue with their prayerful submission to the Almighty.

At the same time, similar flag hoisting ceremonies were organised across interior villages in the twin districts.

Reports said that village authorities organised the events and hoisted the Naga National Flag in their respective villages, along with prayers to mark the historic occasion.

Meanwhile, the district administrations of both Ukhrul and Kamjong in separate notifications issued on August 9, had directed all village chiefs/headmen under their jurisdictions to celebrate India's 7Sth Independence Day by hoisting Indian National Flag in their respective villages.

The district administrations further requested the village leaders to collect the National flag from their concerned Sub-Divisional Block offices.

Two days later, however, the Government of the People's Republic of Nagalim (GPRN) issued a counter directive to all the Naga districts to refrain from participating in the national celebration as directed by the district administrations.

"All the concerned regional authorities are directed to strictly oppose such activities within Naga jurisdiction," it said in the August 11 directive.

The Naga outfit has accused the state authorities of imposing India's Independence Day observance on village authorities, even in the midst of the raging pandemic.

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