In the midst of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, India is trying to emerge as the champion of peace on fallacious claim that India had no history of invading any nation in her neighbourhood or anywhere in the world. The statements of Indian Vice President, Prime Minister and Defense Minister in recent times on this line were blatant lies. Started from October 1955, India invaded Nagaland and continued her war in Nagaland up to 1964. But an International Ceasefire Agreement was signed between the Government of India and the Federal Government of Nagaland which was officially effected on 6th September, 1964. However, even after the Peace Pact, India is continuing her forced occupation of Nagaland.
Nagaland has clear history of a nation as real as other nations in the world. On August 14, 1947, the Naga National Council (NNC) formally declared the independence of Nagaland as a nation. On the same day NNC informed India by Telegram, and Cabled to HMG and UNO for information and record. The Naga independence declaration preceded both India and Burma’s independence declarations. It remains a living testament that Nagas neither joined Indian Union nor the Union of Burma. In the very independence declaration, NNC explicitly stated that Nagas did not accept the constitution of India. When all efforts to integrate Naga territories into the Union of India fail, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India sent thousands of Indian troops into Nagaland in 1955. To this, B.N. Mulik, Chief of Indian Intelligence, in his Book “My years with Nehru, 1948-1964” unequivocally said, “Troops moved into Tuensang (Nagaland) by October 1955, and the war with the Nagas started from then”.
It was a naked aggression on the sovereign Nagaland. It was a war and there is nothing else to claim by India. In the decades long Indo-Naga conflict in Nagaland, the Indian troops attempted extermination of the Nagas from the face of the earth but failed. Over a hundred thousand Nagas were killed by the occupational Armed Forces of India and is still continuing till recent times. India has blood-stained hands. As long as Indian occupation of Nagaland continues, she has no right to stand up as peace broker. India should clean her mess in Nagaland first before projecting herself as a champion of peace. Nagaland is not Indian territory and Nagas are not Indians. India should withdraw her occupational forces from Nagaland so as to restore the honor of the sovereignty of Nagaland.
Acüyi Vadeo
Joint Secretary
Naga National Council (NNC)