Mokokchung, 14 August (MTNews): Stating that the heart of the matter is “Nagas are sovereign people,” Ato Kilonser of NSCN-IM Th Muivah, in his 77th Naga Independence Day speech on Monday, 14 August, asserted, “Nagas are not begging for a piece of land from others.” Arguing that they have every right to build their own nation-state on their land and to decide their future themselves, he said these actions should not be viewed as aggression against the rights of others. “The Naga national resistance movement is all about defending the inherent sovereign right of the Nagas and their land,” he said.
Reflecting on eighteen years of political negotiations, he highlighted the Framework Agreement signed on 3 August 2015 between the Government of India (GoI) and NSCN-IM. He said this agreement, rooted in the recognition of the unique Naga history and sovereignty, underpins shared coexistence between the two entities. “This is a mutually agreed official document,” he asserted, adding that the “Framework Agreement is our legacy” and therefore must be defended with “our own sweat and blood.” Addressing the integration of all Naga areas, he said the Government of India has officially acknowledged that it is the legitimate right of the Nagas and therefore it shall be finalized accordingly.
Muivah further emphasized the inseparability of a people’s sovereignty from their flag and constitution. “It is a universally accepted truth that the flag and constitution are constituent parts of sovereignty. There is no ambiguity about it. The Indian leaders understand it too. They must take a stand to speak the truth,” added the Ato Kilonser.
Reflecting on history, Muivah commended the visionary leaders who declared Naga National Independence on 14 August 1947, shaping the Naga identity amidst the British departure. He paid tribute to those who stood firm against offers from India and Burma. “It was a historic step that gave new meaning to the Naga National identity and saved the future of the Nagas,” he said by saluting the visionary leaders for reaffirming their national decision to remain a sovereign independent Nagalim by rejecting the offer of the Union of India and that of Burma.
However, Muivah recalled how immediately after the rejection of Union of India by the Nagas, the Indian aggression on Nagalim started resulting in massacre, mass torture, summary execution, mass rape, and mass detention in concentration camps, destruction of villages, Churches, schools, and forests. “Nevertheless, the Naga people could withstand all those horrible persecutions and oppressions perpetrated against them and survived by the grace of God,” he said. He paid homage to all those martyrs and acknowledged the abundance of revolutionary patriots among the Naga people.
Rejecting the Shillong Accord and the 16-point memorandum, he said, “Upholding the national decision, the Naga National Assembly rejected and condemned both the so-called 16-point memorandum and the Shillong Accord as treacherous acts of treason.”
“We must understand that freedom is not the end of the matter,” he said and reinforced that true freedom encompasses the choices for worship, salvation, peace, progress, and self-rule. “Freedom is meaningless if we choose slavery or death,” he added.
Finally, Muivah expressed unwavering commitment to a free Nagalim for Christ, asserting that this land is a divine portion and their responsibility to defend it at all costs. “No power on earth can stop the moving wheels of history. We will keep going,” he affirmed.