Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) termed it as “wrong” the statement purportedly made by PWD (housing & mechanical) Tongpang Ozukum at the 29th general conference of the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) held in Kohima on Friday that “Nagas cannot survive alone”.
Taking exception to it, NPCC president K Therie argued that whether Tongpang meant without India or without neighbours, it (Tongpang’s statement), in political terms was a confession of weakness and expression of inferiority and submission.
Therie alleged that by his statement, Tongpang has “insulted” the people of Nagaland particularly “our ancestors to whom we owe all that we have today.”
He said Tongpang did not deserve to enjoy the fruit of “our ancestors who have given their lives, wealth and health for which we have sovereign state.”
Further, Therie said that “if this is the mindset of NDPP, Nagaland has no future with them.”
He said Nagas have lived alone for many centuries with every village ruled by its village chief. Therie said Nagas have history of honour and bravery and that even at the mouth of death fear was not known to them.
Therie said when Naga forefathers, sensed that the British were setting India free, they moved for a separate entity through the famous Naga Hill Memorandum “because of our inherent properties of religion, culture, customs, social practices and usage of land.”
He also pointed out that Nagas have protected their sovereignty against the invasion of the Manipur Maharaja’s army, by a collective village warrior force of Nagas living in Southern Nagaland. Therie said that was the reason why “Khezhanuo was collected as a token of unity and appreciation once in a year.” He said that the tribute was only a token of recognition and was not fixed.
Further, he said Nagas have no history that their villages conquered by any Kingdom as “We have lived alone for generations. And we have never depended on anyone’. He said the British ruled “ over us mostly to prevent head hunting and inter-village warfare.”