Thupushuyi Keyho, President of the Naga National Council (NNC), on the occasion of the 69th Republic Day of the Naga Nation, made a strong statement reaffirming the Naga people’s commitment to their sovereignty and independence.
Keho announced, “The Naga Nation shall never Accept any Accord or Agreement with Indian Government or any Country similar to ‘Shillong Accord’. It shall relentlessly commit to our Original Position of Sovereignty. It is the Legitimate right of the Nagas to choose their own Future and Nagas will Choose to live as free Sovereign people Under God”.
The NNC President elaborated on the historical context of the Naga struggle, noting that the Naga National Council (NNC) was formed on June 20, 1946, following the establishment of the Naga Club, which consolidated the Naga people’s political aspirations. “For ages, Nagas were sovereign people. Every region is an autonomous region, and every village is independent by itself, completely independent of any foreign power,” he asserted, reinforcing the belief that Nagas were never Indians and that their territories were never part of India.
“As such any Political Negotiations or Agreement to Surrender our Birth right to India is a violation of our covenant with God,” he added.
He recalled the Naga Club’s rejection of the Simon Commission’s proposal in 1929, where they made it clear that the Nagas had never been subjugated by a foreign power. “When the British left India, Nagas should have been left alone to determine their own future,” Keyho said.
The NNC President also referenced the Naga Voluntary Plebiscite of 1951, which was conducted under the leadership of Dr AZ Phizo, where 99.9% of the Naga population voted in favor of sovereignty. “It was when the Naga people exercised their right to self-determination, boldly asserting their identity and aspiration for sovereignty,” Keyho remarked.