MESSAGE OF ADINNO PHIZO, PRESIDENT, NAGA NATIONAL COUNCIL ON 79TH ANNIVERSARY OF NNC FORMATION 2 FEBRUARY, 2025.

My dear countrymen,

At the outset, I thank Almighty God for sustaining us through another year to come together and commemorate this auspicious day. Today is the 79″ foundation day of the Naga National Council (NNC). It was on February 2 1946 when the pioneer Naga leaders had gathered at Wokha.

In that mammoth gathering, the Naga leaders in the House decided to form the Naga National Council (NNC). The tribes representative body was formed into a council of the people to assert that we are a people of one country. NNC was established on the model of the time-tested institutions of the Naga village states.

For that reason, the NNC is called an institution and not an organization. An institution is established on what already existed whereas, an organization is a new creation, an organization is formed by like-minded people for a common objective.

In an organization, membership is by rights of registration. It is an exclusive club of like-minded people. On other hand, NNC membership is by right of birth by blood. It is inclusive in that, every new bom child is spontaneously counted and accepted as a bonafide member. By structure and function, NNC became an organized apex/central institution for all village institutions which were until then, independent of each other.

The ultimate objective and vision of the NNC was for a common future in a free nation. The working system of the NNC was spontaneous as it was established on a system already in usage. NNC under the leadership of three successive Presidents in a span of four years negotiated with the British government and the British India government for a smooth transition of power, the power to govem ourselves again as in ancient times.

It was under the able leadership of A. Z. Phizo, the fourth President that the NNC charted a resolute path for the Nagas to live as one people, one nation after the British exit from the Indian sub-continent. The NNC leaders left no stone unturned for a negotiated Naga future based on inherent historical rights.

The 9-point agreement signed in June 1946 between the NNC and Sir Akbar Hydari, the Governor of Assam of the British India government was a living testament to the commitment of the NNC for a negotiated settlement. However, the Indian leaders had pre-meditated minds to impose their will on Nagas for forced union. The efforts of the NNC leaders to reason with the British government too was brushed aside.

As a last resort action, the NNC took a pre-emptive measure and declared the Naga independence on August 14, 1947, a day before the power transfer of the British India government to independent India. Consciously or subconsciously, the Naga Club memorandum to the Simon Commission in 1929 asserting “leave us alone as in ancient times culminated into Naga independence declaration.

Thereafter, the NNC leaders went on to reason with the Indian leaders led by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India so as to avoid confrontation. NNC adopted the Gandhian philosophy of non-violence to find peace with the government of the new independent India. NNC was committed to democratic ways of working. To that end, the NNC conducted a national plebiscite on May 16, 1951. The result was an overwhelming mandate of 99.9% for an independent Nagaland.

However, instead of respecting the people popular mandate, the Indian government tried to crush that mandate by using its military power. Needless to say that the NNC had done everything under its powers to secure the independence of Nagaland.

The NNC is the sole author of the Naga independence declaration and plebiscite. Plebiscite mandate was the climax of Naga unity. Today, the Naga people talk much about unity. Unity is possible only on the basis of truth. NNC is the truth. The Nagas have been crying for peace.

Nagaland has been under forced foreign occupation for over seven decades. Our common objective is to work together to bring an end to foreign occupation. Ours is a God-given sovereignty established under the banner of NNC. NNC was the foundation and the standing institution. Let us unite under it’s platform to free our nation of foreign occupation and live the God-given freedom.

God bless Nagaland

URRA UVIE