“Pan-Naga nationalism movement was picked up from the Naga Club by the Naga National Council, which came into being in 1947.”

FGN has termed Mr. N. Rio’s pronouncement as an “unwise utterance, political cowardice and no vision of Nagaland’s future.”

Moushumi S Bora

For those, who are burning the midnight oil to find a solution of the vexed Naga problem, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has something to offer for them. In a recent speech, made at the India Habitat Centre on ‘“Governance in troubled times - the Nagaland experience”, Mr. Rio suggested that the demand of integration of Naga areas should be conceded to find an amicable solution to the decades-old problem. The Nagaland Chief Minister expressed that this issue had become one of the main stumbling blocks in the on-going Naga peace talks.

“The concept of integration of Naga homeland is inextricably linked with the concept of Naga nationalism. From a historical perspective, both the concepts are of recent origin, being the products of the awakening of the Nagas in the first quarter of the 20th century. Prior to the advent of the British in Naga homeland in the last part of the 19th century, the various Naga tribes lived in splendid isolation and independence, without much interaction with the outside world, or even amongst the different Naga tribes. With the advent of the British, and the spread of Christianity and education, these artificial barriers were gradually breaking down, and the various Naga tribes started to come together again. In spite of speaking different languages, the Nagas began to realize that in terms of race, culture and traditions, they are one. The first significant event heralding the birth of pan-Naga nationalism was the formation of the Naga Club in 1917. The Naga Club then submitted the historic memorandum to the Simon Commission in 1929, demanding that as and when the British decide to relinquish their Indian Empire, the Nagas should be allowed to regain their former status of sovereign independence. Therefore, in terms of historical perspective, it can be said that the pan-Naga nationalism is a youthful movement. However, its youthfulness does not detract from its depth and legitimacy. It is to be seen as the coming together of independent and sovereign “‘village communities or tribes” under one administrative roof, on the realization and conviction of their oneness, in terms of ethnicity, cultural affinity and nationalism. Seen in this context, no one can deny that demand for ‘integration Onega homeland’ is the birthright of the Nagas. In fact, it has become a matter of faith, touching our innermost sentiments and emotions,” said the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister further stated that “The pan-Naga nationalism movement was picked up from the Naga Club by the Naga National Council, which came into being in 1947. In the 9-Point Hydari Agreement of 1947, the demand of the NNC for integration of ail contiguous Naga inhabited areas under one administration was duly recorded. Subsequently, the Naga People’s Convention (formed in 1957), while signing the 16-Point Agreement with the Government of India, leading to the formation of Nagaland state, had made it a point to record their demand for restoration and amalgamation of all the contiguous Naga inhabited areas under the new Nagaland State. The Govt of India had then put in on record that this issue of integration can be dealt with subsequently under Article 3 of the Constitution, thereby keeping the issue alive and unresolved. Therefore, it is difficult to understand the hesitation or reluctance of the Govt of India to seriously address this issue now. The Legislative Assembly of Nagaland had also been following up this issue, by passing four resolutions for integration of all contiguous Naga inhabited areas, on 12th December, 1964, on 28th August, 1970, on 16th September, 1994, and lastly on 18th December, 2003. It is worth noting that all these resolutions were passed unanimously.”

Meanwhile, FGN has reacted strongly to Mr. Rio’s statement. FGN has termed the pronouncement as an “unwise utterance, political cowardice and no vision of Nagaland’s future.”

FGN stated that such utterances would only play a vital role for   more bloodshed among the Naga people. “Some Indianized, educated Nagas who are stating and emphasizing that ‘integration or unification of Naga inhabited areas is the route to the solution of the five-decades old Indo-Naga conflict’ is yet another deceiving word to the Nagas” asserted the FGN adding that such pronouncements will not benefit the Nagas but would lead only to more bloodshed among the people. “In fact this is a very unwise utterance, political cowardice and no vision of the Nagaland Future” the statement added.

The FGN asserted that those who made such utterances themselves knew from the beginning that the Nagas are not fighting for the integration of Naga-inhabited areas under the Indian union, and therefore, “integration or unification of Naga-inhabited areas can never be the route to the solution of the Indo-Naga conflict.”

The FGN further stated that integration was being demanded only by the NSCN (IM) for its own solution and not for the Nagas.

“The Isak-Muivah group is fighting against their own Nagas for the interest of integration in the past 25 years and it is still unabated, which is an act of treason and all Nagas should condemn them as traitors. If not they will never stop killing the Nagas” the FGN stated while adding that it was time for all the Naga people ‘to rise up and condemn them as traitors in favour of promoting Naga cause’.

Though the Nagaland Chief Minister had spoken at length about integration, he was mum about factional killing among various underground groups.

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