Speech on 78th Naga I-Day

First of all I thank our all mighty God for giving me this golden opportunity and wishing you my best regards to my people of Nagalim on this auspicious day 78th anniversary of Naga independence 14/August/2025.
Prior to the advent of the British the Nagas have neither king or governing body to ruled over them,lived independently and peacefully, villages have their own sovereign republic,no Nation conquered nor ruled over the Nagas. British ruled over only some parts of Naga territory. The Nagas relentlessly fought against the British from 1832 to 1879 to defend their territory and peace was concluded in 1880 but Nagas refused to enter into any written treaty.
In 1918 the Nagas club was formed and through which a memorandum was submitted to the British statuary Simon commission on 10th January 1929 stating”To leave Nagaland alone to determine for themselves as in ancient times”.In 1946 the British government has withdrawn from South East Asia colonial countries,The Nagas has formed the Naga National council (NNC) on 2nd February 1946 to voice for the future of Naga people and submitted a memorandum to the British cabinet commission (camp New Delhi) on 9th April 1946 stated” that the future of the Nagas would not be bound any arbitrary decision of the British government and no recommendation would be accepted without consultation”.
Again on 29th March 1947 the NNC submitted another memorandum to the PM of British Mr. Clement Atlee (Who was a member of the Simon Commission of 1929 stating the Nagas could not be thrown to the sea of Indian politics”. A copy of the 1929 memorandum was also enclosed with,In May 1947 the Indian National Congress (INC) delegation came to Kohima and offered an autonomous state to the Nagas and asked to join the India Nation but the Nagas rejected the offer saying the Nagas were sovereign independent before India became independent. NNC delegation met Indian leader in New Delhi to make them understand about the stand of the Nagas. The delegation met Mahatma Gandhi on 19th July 1947 and told him that Nagas are not Indian and Naga territory doesn’t belong to India Mahatma Gandhi said if you don’t want to be Indian,your territory does not belong to India nobody will force you to join Indian nation. Nagas have every right to become Independent outside India and you can even declare your independence today so NNC declared the age old Naga Independence day to the outside world on 14th August 1947.
Also on 24th, January the NNC declared the Nagas did not accept the Indian constitution. The India constitution became law only on 26th January 1950. Morever the NNC conducted the Nagas National voluntary plebiscite on May 16th 1951 in which 99.9% of Naga people voted to remain independent as in ancient time. When the first general election of India was attempted to conduct in Nagaland in January 1952,the Nagas did not participate in the Indian election because the Nagas were sovereign nation outside India.
The policy of the NNC was non violent but Mr. Nehru then the Prime minister of India sent the armed forces of India to Nagaland in 1954 and started war against the Nagas to join to Indian union at gun point,but Nagas firmly decided not to surrender their sovereignty at any cost and countered violent for self defence measure and the war was dragged for many years during that period Nagas have suffered alot and some Nagas had lost their lives. Nevertheless now Nagas want to live peacefully unlike in the past, therefore NSCN(IM) headed by Th. Muivah as chief negotiator decided to have peace talk with GOI and had a series of negotiations and eventually signed an agreement known as Framework Agreement on 3rd April 2015 to settle the political problem of the Nagas. However the said agreement has not implemented,still remains unsolved.
Therefore,I request both the parties (GoI and NSCN(IM) specially GOI to resume the talks and to implement the Framework Agreement as soon as possible but the solution would not be acceptable to the Nagas without separate flag and constitution.
Kuknalim.
T. Ovung
President, NPGN/NNC(N/A)