Pray for peace of Nagalim: NSCN-IM to Churches
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Dimapur, May 11 2024:
NSCN-IM has made a fervent appeal to "all Churches to pray for the Indo-Naga political talks and also for the peace of Nagalim", while stating that "in the event of failure of the current talks, we are apprehensive that horrible human rights situation will return in Nagalim".
In a statement made available to Newmai News Network tonight, NSCN-IM said the Naga people are convinced that this prolonged Indo-Naga political talks should be concluded honourably.
NSCN-IM gave a short historical background of the Nagas saying that history has it that the Nagas have been a free people from time immemorial.
"Of course, there were sporadic fightings between the Nagas and their neighbouring peoples and Nations.
But at no point of time has the Nagas ever been subjugated by any regional power.
Free Nagalim is the history and foundation of the Naga politics", it added.
The NSCN-IM statement also mentioned British imperialist forces intruded into Naga territory in 1832, to which the Naga people put up strong resistance for fifty years.
Subsequently, the British forces could occupy only a part of the Naga territories leaving the rest, which they called 'Free Naga area.' In the meantime, American Missionaries namely Rev Dr EW Clark brought the good news to the Nagas in 1872; Rev CD King established Kohima Baptist Church in 1883 and Rev William Pettigrew, brought the message of good news to the Tangkhul Nagas in 1896.The word of God opened the eyes of the Nagas spiritually and intellectually that they took a U-turn from their old perception of life to the new one and from darkness to light.
Indeed, the word of God transformed them into new beings.
It was followed by social and political enlightenments.
On the eve of the British departure from the Indian subcontinent, the Nagas in the British occupied area declared their independence on August 14, 1947 on the basis of their National right and principle, the statement added.
"After the lapse of British power, the Indian Constituent Assembly invited the Naga people in1950 to join the Union of India, but the Naga people said no to it.
The Nagas are not a party to the Union of Burma, nor to the Union of India.
That historic decision saved the future of the Nagas", the statement also said.
"From 1946 to 1955, Nagas had done their utmost to solve the Indo-Naga political issue through peaceful negotiation across the table, but the Government of India sent thousands of its armed forces for forcible occupation of Nagalim, where tens of thousands of Nagas including innocent children and old people were butchered; women were raped and some others were burnt alive.
In 1963, the Government of India offered an autonomous Nagaland State within the parameter of Indian Constitution with an eye to hook the Nagas with that bait, but it was rejected by the Naga People.
Realizing the futility of seeking military solution, theGovernment of India proposed a cease-fire agreement to the then Federal Government of Nagaland in 1964 for political talks at the Prime Minister level.
The negotiations however, ended in dead-lock on account of colonial policy of the Government of India.
In another attempt to subdue the Nagas, the Government of India imposed the infamous Shillong Accord in 1975 within the ambit of Indian Constitution," it added.
The accord was rejected outright by the Naga National Assembly.
Indeed, that historic decision saved the future of the Naga Nation once again, the NSCN-IM further said.
It then said the Nagas are also a sovereign people by right.
They have been living in their own country for centuries under their political system of sovereign village-States.
They are one people who come from a common historical root.
They practise common culture and profess the same faith.
They are one in a common political will.
There is no Indian Nagas or Burmese Nagas.
There are no Nagaland Nagas, Manipur Nagas, Assam Nagas, Arunachal Nagas as propagated by the enemies.
They are one because God created the Nagas with Naga materials and that no Naga can stay apart from his/her National identity.
The Nagas have never accepted the Indian Constitution and Union of India at any point in time.
The declaration of Naga independence on the 14th August 1947 and plebiscite conducted on the 16th May 1951 where 99.9% Naga people voted in favour of sovereign independent Nagalim are strong cases in point, the statement added.
"The world community and many sympathiser countries have acknowledged the fact that the issue of the Nagas is a legitimate case that demands no further question other than that of national independence, not that of secession.
Mahatma Gandhi, the father of India said, 'The Nagas have every right to be independent' .
Many prominent Indian leaders had stated: 'We don't believe in forced union or forced marriage.' Mr Jayaprakash Narayan, a Member of the Indian Parliament had said, 'It is far better to have friendly Nagas on our frontier rather than unfriendly and discontented kept forcibly within India,' the NSCN-IM statement said.
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