Nagalim

 NAGALIM VOICE

POLITICAL VALUE OF LAND

THE Naga political movement is all about land and people because land represents economic, political and social power and identity of the people. People’s based revolutionary movement revolves around the land. Significantly, land is the driving force of the people’s movement. Our political movement is deeply rooted in the God’s given land and political identity. Importantly, Nagalim have a strong emotional hold in our hearts, politically and spiritually as symbolized by the Naga national flag. Naturally, land ownership is our God’s given right. No wonder our land is the springboard of Naga revolutionary movement towards determining our political destiny.

Naga areas are never part of India. The Government of India (GoI), however, argued that taking over Naga area is a matter of hereditary prerogative right from the British. This is most unjustified and ridiculous. The factual historical accounts stated that only small areas of territories came under the British rule, known as the “Naga Hills District”. The British established their authority over the Naga Hills District in 1879, after the last major battle between the Nagas and the British in Khonoma. Nevertheless, in most places, the Nagas remained free from the British rule and were able to retain physical ownership of their territories. These were known as “Free Naga Territories” which remained entirely self-governing and independent, even when India attained independence from the British Empire in 1947.

So, the fact remains that the occupation of Naga territories is illegal and unjustified by any international human rights narrative.

It is pertinent to assert that in the current Naga revolutionary movement, upholding the right of the Nagas for territorial integrity of Nagalim is crucially important as people crave for a new life and a new political rebirth. Certainly, revolutionary people who carried the mandate of their people anticipated new elements of pride, confidence and hope through political settlement with the Government of India.

The Naga national flag symbolize the covenant between God and Naga people to make Nagalim captivatingly enchanting. No wonder Nagalim geographical structure is endowed with various tribes that share a common traced origin and historical tradition. They are culturally homogeneous, inhabit a common contiguous territory and have a common desire and expressed free will to exist as one people.

The Nagas persistently defended their dignity and freedom connected to their lands, upholding the rights to decide their own destiny. They were never conquered by any external power. Those days Nagas had very little contact with the people beyond their natural territory of existence until they came into contact with the British Empire.

God blessed the Naga people with a geo-political strategic region where three great states of India, China and Burma (now Myanmar) intersect. Nagalim also stands as the link between the two regions of South Asia and South East Asia and share close physical, social, cultural affinity and habits with South East Asian cultures.

The Nagas live in a compact area of about 120,000 square kilometers (sq. kms.) on Patkai Range that spreads approximately between the Longitudes 92. 5E and Latitudes 23. 5N and 28. 5N. It is bounded in the North by China, in the West by Assam (India), in the South by Manipur Valley and Mizoram (India) and the Chin Hills (Burma), in the East beyond the Chindwin River and along its tributary Uyu River (Burma).

When the Nagas refer to Nagalim they mean the entire homeland inhabited by the Nagas which was partitioned by the British between two states- India and Burma. The Indian state occupied the western and central parts while the Burmese state occupies the eastern parts of Nagalim. Without the consent and knowledge of the Nagas, India and Burma imposed a physical and technical “international boundary line” to divide and rule over the Naga people and their lands. 

The Indo-Burma “international line” which was formalized only in 1972, arbitrarily runs through houses and villages. In fact, in Longwa village of the Konyak Nagas, the international boundary cuts through the middle of Angh’s (Village Chief) house.

As part of the policy of occupation, the Indian State further fragmented Naga territories under its occupation. Though a contiguous compact geographical area, the Naga territories have been placed under four Indian administrative states: Nagaland, Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. The Nagas are a minority in the latter three states and a majority in the first one. 

Out of the total Naga Homeland of 120,000 sq. Kms, an area of 16,579 sq. Kms. was carved out to form the present “state of Nagaland” in 1963 to create the impression that the Nagas has accepted to join the Union of India. The Nagas under Burmese occupation have also been divided under two states, Sagaing Province and Kachin State.

“Nagalim” when translated in the English language means “Nagaland” refers to the whole Naga homeland. Nagalim is the political vision that transcends all artificial state boundaries imposed by India and Burma; and represents the sovereign rights and will of all the Nagas to live as one unified geographical entity which is free from all forms of subjugation, exploitation and domination.

Significantly, the primary goals of the Naga nationhood are sovereignty, territorial integrity and political identification. NSCN have already defined Nagas’ political goals by signing the historic Framework Agreement (FA) with the Government of India on the 3rd August, 2015. Consequently, we shall stand the ground to defend FA in letter and spirit. There is no other way forward.

Importantly, geopolitics cannot be understated as it places a critically strategic factor towards fulfilling the desire of the Naga people to live together as one people under one administrative system with sovereign identity as defined in FA. Thus, to acknowledge geopolitics that arranges determined guidelines for achieving strategic political advantage, preventing conflict and coming to an amicable solution as good neighbours (Nagalim and India) is the stress we have laid while signing the historic FA.

Ura Uvie