16 May 1951: The day 99.9% Nagas voted in favor of sovereignty

Concerned forums of Mokokchung commemorates the day by reminding youngsters the importance of Naga Plebiscite

A group of concerned citizens in Mokokchung on Tuesday organized a ‘Round Table Panel Talk’ on ‘Naga Plebiscite and Naga Political Rights’ espousing the significance of the Plebiscite day of 16 May 1951 where 99.9% Nagas voted in favor of Naga Sovereignty.

The panel talk initiated by the “Senior Concern Forum & Concern Forum of Mokokchung” and held at Hotel Metsuben had Senior Advocate & ex-MLA Takoyaba, Dr Toshi Echa and Dr Lanusashi Longkumer as the resource persons.

Ex-MLA Takoyaba and Dr Toshi Echa reminded the gathering that the plebiscite held on 16 May, 1951 was for ‘sovereignty’ and ‘nothing less than sovereignty status’.

According to Takoyaba, Nagas have the right of sovereignty because the ‘Nagas are a nation and its sovereignty is from time immemorial’. He stated that although in 1880, a small part of Naga territory on its western side became a district of Assam called the Naga Hills, he reminded how the Naga Hills inhabitants in 1929 asked the British to leave them alone when they leave India which, he said, was the reason why the British in 1935 made Naga Hills an ‘Excluded Area’.

He also reminded the eight resolutions which the Indian Constituent Assembly adopted on 22 January, 1947 which, according to him, has two relevant resolutions for the Nagas where one resolution stated that the independent India territory comprise the ‘British India territory’.

Therefore, he said, basing on this resolution, the Nagas and the Pakistanis in 1947 declared Independence on 14 August 1947 indicating that the Naga Hills were not included in the ‘British India Territory’ because they were ‘Excluded Area’.

Thereafter, on 16 May 1951, he said the Naga voluntary plebiscite was held within the Naga Hills District by Naga National Council with due notice to the United Nations Organizations and the GoI.

He then quoted Article 3 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People 2007 which states that Indigenous people have the right to ‘self-determination’. Therefore, by virtue of that right, they freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social and cultural development.

In this understanding, he list out five of facts on why he thinks Nagas have every right of sovereignty:

· By natural justice, being sovereign from time immemorial

· By Indian Constituent Assembly resolution no. 2 of 22 January, 1947

· Declaration of Naga Independence on 14 August 1947

· Naga plebiscite on 16 May 1951

· UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2007

Dr Toshiba Echa spoke on how the Naga Plebiscite took place. He stated that on 1 January 1951, NNC President AZ Phizo wrote a letter to the president of India stating that the Nagas desired observers from India to witness the plebiscite.

Then, on 29 March 1951, Phizo wrote the second letter to the President of India informing him of the plebiscite that took place using thumb print. In the letter, he said that Indian Intelligence Chief BN Mullik came to Kolkata as an observer.

Dr Echa then spoke about how Phizo had written about the ‘Plebiscite papers and machinery’. Dr Echa said that, according to Phizo, the entire Plebiscite papers and machinery were prepared, initiated and collected by Imkongmeren, VP of NNC from Jorhat using his own Willys Jeep with the help of Takaneken. And that the whole expenditure of the Plebiscite was borne by Nokchira, the most successful businessman in Mokokchung Sub-division at that time.

Meanwhile, Dr Lanusashi Longkumer while speaking on the theme ‘indigenous people’ stated how there are 8 billion people in the world out of which 5% are indigenous; however, the 5% of the indigenous people possess 95% of the culture and also hold 23% of the resources.

Longkumer also stated that the Nagas are ‘not seeking for sovereignty but are seeking for the recognition of our sovereignty’. He also explained that the recognition of the Naga political movement as ‘unique’ by GoI was based on the 1929 Simon Commission and 1951 Plebiscite, and, therefore, he said “Plebiscite is our base for sovereignty.”

He also urged the younger people to learn more about the Plebiscite and stick with it.

Mokokchung Times