Nagas will co-exist but not merge with India: Thuengaleng Muivah

Thuengaleng Muivah
GUWAHATI: As Naga people, from US to Myanmar to Nagaland to Bangalore, celebrated the “74th anniversary of the declaration of Naga independence day” on Friday and hoisted the “Naga national flag”, NSCN(IM) leader Thuengaleng Muivah, in his address to Naga people while being in talks with the Centre in New Delhi, said the Nagas will co-exist sharing sovereign powers but will not merge with India.
The “Naga national flag”, a rainbow and a six-point star of David on a blue background that was hoisted at Parashen in Rengma for the first time on March 22, 1956 along with a Naga constitution, are the major points of the ongoing dialogue with the Centre.
“We are not asking for Naga national flag and constitution from the Government of India. Recognize them or not, we have our own flag and constitution. Flag and constitution are ingredients of our recognized sovereign entity and the symbols of Naga nationhood. The Nagas must keep their flag and constitution,” Muivah said in his address.
He added, “As mandated, a negotiating team led by me had a series of talks with the representatives of the Government of India from the position of our unique history. It took a long time for us to make the Indian leaders understand and admit what the unique history of the Nagas is."
‘Govt of India recognised sovereignty of Nagas’

The Indian negotiators acknowledged that the Nagas have the history of sovereign independence. They are also well informed of the historical fact that the Nagas have neither been a party to the Union of India nor to that of Burma.”
He added that in 1950, the constituent assembly of India invited the Nagas to join the Union of India but it was rejected by the Naga people. “This historical fact was reaffirmed by subsequent conduct of plebiscite in 1951, where 99.9% of the Naga people voted in favor of a sovereign independent Nagalim, which is still fresh in the memory of many older people today,” he said.
He added that in the Framework Agreement signed on August 3, 2015, the Government of India has recognized the “sovereignty of the Nagas,” as the agreement says, “Inclusive peaceful co-existence of the two entities sharing sovereign power.” “The Nagas will co-exist with India sharing sovereign powers as agreed in the Framework Agreement and defined in the competencies. But they will not merge with India,” Muivah said.
On the day, Naga people greeted each other and posted photos holding the Naga flag, including Virginia State in the US, by members of the ‘Global Naga Forum’.
Nagas celebrate this day as ‘Independence Day’ every year and like in the past, the influential Naga Student Federation (NSF) this time also gave a call to all its units to hoist the Naga flag on August 14.
“The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) extends our warmest Independence day greetings to all the Naga people living in different parts of the world. As Nagalim celebrates its 74th year of its length and breath free from any occupational and imperialistic forces, the federation joins the Naga people in taking their legacy forward. Today’s celebration is in furtherance of the Naga people’s legitimate rights based on historical facts,” the student body said.
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