Today, to perpetuate their occupation, Nagalim is forcibly made to remain oversaturated with occupational troops (with India having stationed more than 200,000 troops, and Burma more than 10,000). Armed to the teeth with sophisticated weapons and a number of black laws, these occupational forces are committing endless crimes against the Nagas and humanity. They want to destroy and forcibly supplant the Christian faith and indigenous culture of the Nagas with theirs. The process of Indianization with forcible introduction of Hindu culture is on the rampage. And, to make the unyielding Nagas totally dependent on the them by exhausting their means of sustenance, their lush forests are being systematically destroyed and their mineral resources rudely exploited to the maximum.

Numerous joint military operation of Indian troops and Kuki terrorists against the Naga civilians had left 961 dead, over 50,000 tortured and 3494 homes burnt and uprooted in between May 1992 and May 1994. Recently, on 16 October 1998, in a pre-planned assault conspired with the 9th Indian Manipur Rifles, a Kuki militant group, the brain-child of the Indian Army, mowed down ten and injured six innocent Naga villagers when the bus they were travelling was attacked in between Chalwa and Gelbung villages in the Zeliangrong Region.

These events surely portend ill for India and her mercenaries. The Nagas from all walks of life are converging into a force to confront India’s reality and this is why the Indian Government is frantically branding us as desperados, extremists, hostiles, insurgents, secessionists, undergrounds and, of late, terrorists. But the Nagas are definitely none of the names being wildly called by the occupational Indian marauders. The Nagas are proud defenders of their sovereignty. There is not a single case of an innocent Indian civilian having been tortured or killed by the Naga Army in the past 51-year-old War of Resistance. Every prisoner of war was treated with dignity and released on humanitarian grounds. A few examples are being cited below:

1. On 27 March 1956 a total of seventy-eight Indian police personnel were captured by the Naga Army when an outpost at Satakha in the Sumi Region was attacked, but were released unharmed.

2. On 26 August 1960, an Indian Air Force Dakota plane engaged in dropping arms and ammunition to the Indian troops at Bor outpost in the Pochury Region was shot down by the Naga Army. All the nine Indian aircrew and officers were captured, but were later released unharmed.

3. Three Indian Para Military (Assam Rifles) personnel, captured by the Naga Army in an attack at the Peshao Post in the Konyak Region on 12 April 1978, were released unharmed.

4. Two Indian Army (Bihar Regiment) personnel, captured by the Naga Army in an attack at the Konu Post in the Konyak Region on 24 February 1980, were released unharmed.

5. On 28 November 1986, a Phek treasury convoy was immobilized and captured at Chizami in the Chakhesang Region in an ambush carried out by the Naga Army. Every wounded captive was administered first aid and treated with humanity.

6. Two Indian Para Military (Assam Rifles) personnel, captured on 15 March 1987 by the Naga Army at Kachouphung in the Wung Tangkhul Region, were freed unharmed.

7. On 23 April 1987, the Naga Army carried out an attack on the Indian Para Military post at Kachouphung in the Wung Tangkhul Region and captured thirty personnel, but all of them were released unharmed.

8. On 9 July 1987, the Naga Army surrounded and stormed the headquarters of the notorious 21st Company of the 3rd Assam Rifles (Indian Paramilitary) at Oinam in the Shepoumaramth Region. Nine resisting Indian quarter-guards were killed in the battle, but the rest disarmed campers were let go unharassed. The full arsenal of the company (about sixty self-loading rifles, twenty-three Sten Carbines, ten LMGs, two two-inch mortars, three hundred hand-grenades, and thirty-four thousand live ammunitions) was captured.

9. The Naga Army released eight captured Indian Paramilitary (VVF) after disarming them in the northern part of Zomiland (the so-called Churachandpur district) on 9 January 1993 after confiscating fifteen rifles, one signal pistol and thousands of ammunition rounds from them.

10. On 17 January 1993, the Naga Army stormed and disarmed a platoon post of the 8th Battalion Manipur Rifles at Tengnoupal in the Khurmi Region. With the exception of Post Commander Mukta Singh and his concubine who lost their lives while attempting to flee from the camp, all the personnel were disarmed and left behind unharmed.

11. Fifty armed police (NAP) personnel, captured and disarmed by the Naga Army at Pughoboto in the Sumi Region on 10 July 1993, were released unharmed.

12. The Naga Army attacked a police camp and captured thirty-three rifles, one LMG, one revolver, and one thousand two hundred rounds of ammunition at Zunheboto town in the Sumi Region, but all the prisoners were released unharmed on 31 August 1993.

13. The Naga Army overran an entire company of the armed police (NAP) and captured its whole armory consisting of seven LMGs, forty-eight rifles, twelve Sten Carbines, two 2-inch mortars and one hundred and fifty hand-grenades at New Beisumpui village in the Zeliangrong Region on 12 September 1993, but all the 150 prisoners (including the Assistant Commandant) were released unharmed.

14. The Naga Army captured one rifle and one LMG from the Litan Camp of the Manipur Rifles in the Wung Tangkhul Region on 10 October 1993. The disarmed personnel were then made to go in peace.

15. The Naga Army captured one LMG, three rifles, one Sten Carbine with five magazines and two rifles from a road patrolling party of Manipur Rifles, but all the personnel were released unharmed on 25 September 1994 at Laikhullel village in the Shepoumaramth Region.

16. The Naga Army released all the personnel of Manipur Rifles team unharmed on 26 September 1994 inside Nagalim after confiscating one LMG, one Sten Carbine with five magazines and two rifles from them.

17. The Naga Army overran a police headquarters at Tamenglong town in the Zeliangrong Region on 5 November 1994 and captured forty-two rifles, two Sten Carbines, and thousands of ammunition rounds. Here too, all the prisoners were released unharmed.

18. The Naga Army commandos overran the entire 8th Bn of the State armed police at Hoshepu in the Sumi Region and captured two LMGs with two spare barrels and six hundred rounds of ammunition, five Sten Carbines with thirty magazines and one thousand six hundred rounds of ammunition, twenty-three rifles, one pistol, eighteen H.E. Bombs, one 2-inch mortar, one wireless set, two VHF wireless sets, eighteen para illuminating bombs, and one thousand seven hundred rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. All the prisoners were released unharmed.

19. The Naga Army overran a police party guarding the United Commercial Bank at Kohima town in the Angami Region on 21 May 1995 and captured two Sten Carbines, one rifle, forty rounds of 9 mm and five rounds of 7.62 mm. No one was made to get hurt and all of them were released.

And, yes, there is no record of Indian army personnel or their relatives being taken hostage for ransom. Not a single Indian woman has ever been raped by the Naga Army personnel. Not a single bullet has been fired against the Indian and Burmese troops inside their countries. Till date, our military activities are constrained to the defensive role only. Then, is it for reason of upholding our integrity and restrain in the face of Indian and Burmese constant provocation or diverting international attention from the mounting crimes of their “STATE TERRORISM” that the Nagas are being branded with all these names? Now things are transparent in their true perspective for the whole world to witness. The containment policy of India in Nagalim, Assam, Bodoland, Kangleipak, Kashmir, Khalistan and in other troubled-spots has merited her nothing but poor human rights record at home and tarnished image and sagging popularity abroad.

On the other hand, the proud defenders of Free Nagalim are growing from strength to strength. The just cause of the Naga people and their solidarity with other oppressed nations and peoples have earned them increasing recognition and appreciation from the world over. The United Nations Organization has been unfailingly permitting the Naga organizations to view their grievances every year since 1993. Also, the Naga Nation is one of the active members of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization. The issue of justice for the Naga people is being actively discussed around the world by members of human rights groups and organizations such as the Society for Threatened Peoples (Germany), Cultural Survival (Canada), Baptist World Alliance, Gavel Memorial Peace Fund (USA), the Indigenous Council (The Netherlands), European Alliance (Belgium), Support Group for Indigenous Peoples (Belgium), doCip (Switzerland), Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR, Japan), Asian Indigenous Peoples Pact, International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (Denmark, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland), Fourth World Center (USA), Friends World Committee for Consultation (Quaker, Switzerland), and the European Parliament. Besides, there are host of intellectuals and friends who are strongly supporting the Naga people’s struggle for self-determination.

More than a year had passed since the signing of the ceasefire agreement between the Government of India and the NSCN. The basic objective of the cease-fire was to facilitate meaningful political dialogues for solving the 50-year-old military confrontation between India and Nagalim that which had claimed thousands of lives. The following terms of commitment were accepted by the two countries which were simple and free from being equivocal:

• The talks shall be unconditional from both sides;
• At the highest level; that is, at the Prime Ministers’ level; and
• The venue of the talks shall be anywhere in the world, outside India.

The necessary preparations being worked out between the two nations, the prime ministers of India and the Collective Leadership of the NSCN met three times in Zurich and Paris. Messrs. Narasimha Rao, Deve Gowda, and Atal Behari Vajpayee were the three sitting prime ministers of India that held talks with the NSCN Collective Leadership. Prime Minister I.K. Gujral announced in the Indian Parliament that a peaceful solution to the Indo-Naga problem would be sought and the same was repeated during his independence speech in 1997. The Naga people praise these Indian leaders for their wisdom.

In addition to the prime ministers’ level talks, representatives of the Indian Government and the NSCN held talks in Amsterdam, Bangkok, Geneva, New York, Paris, and Zurich. In all these discussions, as per the assurances given by the Indian prime ministers, there was no serious hitch as to hamper the process thus far.

However, much to the dismay of all the peace-lovers, a few individuals in the Indian Home Ministry and certain puppets are busy creating situations that continue to seriously tarnish the image of the Indian leaders and the commitment they have given to the peace process. These vested interests are leaving no stone unturned to sabotage the ongoing peace process so that they can fish in troubled waters to satisfy their personal greed and confounded whims.

The NSCN, in reciprocation to the sincere commitments given by the Indian prime ministers to the peace process, has given its promise to find an amicable solution to the conflict and is hitherto wholeheartedly committed to it. In this given spirit of unreserved dedication to peaceful solution of the Indo-Naga political problem, it is of deep anguish to the Naga people that India and her stooges have kidnapped and murdered hundreds of Nagas with impunity during the ceasefire period (cf. PRESS RELEASE. 15 December 1998. OPIS. Prime Minister’s Office. Government of the People’s Republic of Nagaland).

Since the cease-fire was announced at The Hague by NSCN Chairman Isak Chishi Swu and that which came in to effect on 1 August 1997, the Government of the People’s Republic of Nagaland has issued a strict order to its soldiers that, whatever might be the nature of provocation, it would be a crime to go for violent retaliation against any personnel of the Indian Army and their stooges. And, sure enough, in spite of the numerous provocation, there is not a single incident where the Naga Army injured or killed even one Indian Army personnel. In this context, it is rather ridiculous that the Indian Army and its stooges are shouting at the top of their voices that the NSCN is violating the cease-fire. India must know that indulging in cheap propaganda will only harm her image. Accusing the NSCN of violating the cease-fire is baseless and ridiculous, inasmuch as it is nothing more than a thief calling a priest a thief.

The Indian Government humiliated and insulted the Naga people by forcibly installing a puppet government in the so-called Nagaland State in February 1998. These unmandated puppets, through diverting funds meant for developmental activities, have bribed certain Indian army officers and bureaucrats and they together are doing their best to sabotage the on-going peace process. The Indian Government’s support to this puppet government is its Achilles’ heel and is bound to create dangerous problem.

Also, the Indian Government is intentionally delaying the meeting of the Monitoring Cell so that ceasefire violations and human rights abuses by its armed forces are not taken up for discussion. This kind of double-standard policy remains denounced everywhere.

It will be prudent for the Indian leadership to advice its military officers and bureaucrats to shun their love of violence, for violence begets violence. Or is this the way India loves commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by butchering the Nagas in peace-time? If it is so, than the Naga people do not think there can be a solution to the problem. On the part of the Naga people, the longing for amicable settlement is deep and strong enough to withstand pressures as far as human endurance can tolerate. This act of equanimity the Nagas are displaying deserves appreciation from one and all.

The Nagas feel that the moment is here for all the concerned to look around and learn things from others. It is high time that we all work sincerely for the truth to triumph. Let us usher in true peace through genuine commitment to the cause. Here lies the invaluable wisdom between the two parties.