NSCN(IM) leader urges Nagas to focus on "sovereign State"
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Imphal, May 18 2025: Senior NSCN-IM leader Rh Raising has urged the Nagas to focus on "sovereign State, not on dependent State".

"The history of the Nagas, the political concept of the Nagas, the identity of the Nagas, the culture of the Nagas and the sovereign State of the Nagas come from the Naga foundation.

It can never come from other foundations.

And that if our foundation is betrayed or murdered, we perish," he said.

Rh Raising is Special Emissary of the Collective Leadership, National Socialist Council of Nagalim-IM.

He was speaking on the occasion of the Naga Plebiscite Day observed in Ukhrul on May 16, commemorating the 1951 event.

The programme was organised by the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM), and participated by the United Naga Council (UNC), the Naga Women Union (NWU), the NPMHR and other Naga organisations and leaders.

In his speech, Rh Raising said, "We are looking for our future: While the Nagas were living free and independent, their free existence was interrupted by the British invasion and occupation of a part of Naga country for a period of time.

Nevertheless, on the eve of the British departure from British India, the Naga people declared their independence on August 14, 1947" .

In 1950, the Constituent Assembly of India invited the Nagas to join the Union of India, which was rejected by the Naga National Council (NNC) under the leadership of AZ Phizo and his colleagues.

A plebiscite conducted on May 16, 1951 reaffirmed that decision.

This was informed to the United Nations and many countries through their embassies in Delhi, he said.

Contrary to the democratic method, the Government of India tried to "subdue" the Nagas through military might but to no avail.

It rather created a horrible human rights situation in "Nagalim", which drew the attention of the world, the NSCN-IM leader claimed.

Under its "ugly colonial policy", the Government of India "imposed" the so-called 16th point agreement in 1963 in the "stolen" name of Naga people's convention.

However, the Naga people rejected the agreement, he said.

The NSCN-IM leader said the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 stopped fighting, killing, horrible army atrocities and violations of human rights, he said.

"The historic plebiscite conducted on May 16, 1951 was a political step to be recognized by the aggressor-State for legitimacy.

Now, the Framework Agreement has made it a recognized political entity," he stated.

The Framework Agreement will certainly protect the sovereign right of the Nagas and security interest of India.

Nagas will view India as partner and vice versa.

It will bring the two people closer for a greater and higher cause, he stated.

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