Throughout the Indo-Naga conflicts, there have been numerous examples of how the same events and negotiations can be interpreted in vastly different ways by India and their supporters on the one hand, and the Naga people and their supporters on the other. Each side is adamant about the veracity of its own story and is quick to dismiss contested versions as myths, propaganda, or lies. The conflict continues, and since 1947 both India and the Naga people have very different readings of conflict/history; for instance, even in the case of the Akbar-Naga agreement of 1947, there was a great misunderstanding about ‘clause nine’ of the agreement, and the different interpretation (understanding) continued even to this day, particularly in the interpretation of the 2015 Indo-Naga Framework Agreement, which explains why the historical Indo-Naga conflict persists after more than seven decades. As a result, it is not incorrect to say the Indo-Naga conflict resolution approach has become one of the most mishandled approaches to resolving conflict.
Mahatma Gandhi, revered as the Father of the Indian Nation, has emerged as one of the most important icons in the Indo-Naga conflict among the Naga people as a result of his “Nagas have every right to be independent……” statement to the Naga delegation during July 19, 1947, meeting led by A.Z. Phizo of the Naga National Council (NNC) in his Bhangi colony, New Delhi. However, this interpretation and understanding had also entered as a controversial statement as claimed by the Naga leaders, as no Indian leader close to the Mahatma ever confirmed the reported statement of Gandhi, and to make the issue more contradictory, it was said that Pyarelal Nayar, Gandhi’s secretary, later denied the Naga leaders’ contention about the statement. Against this backdrop, it will examine the veracity of Gandhi’s contested statement to the Naga delegation as per a letter/memorandum sent (Declassified file under no.37/58, Office of the Secretary to the President of India) by A.Z Phizo, President of the Naga National Council (NNC), to the President of the Republic of India on November 1, 1957, and subsequent communications in relation to the letter.
Back to the Core
A.Z. Phizo, President of the Naga National Council (NNC), stated in a letter to the President of the Republic of India on November 1, 1957 (Refer: Dy. No.404-0/58 – Letter received by the Office of the Secretary to the President on February 6, 1958 – Declassified), that on July 19, 1947, a “meeting with Mahatma Gandhi was the first instance in the entire history of the Naga people and the Indians also for a Naga representative body to meet an Indian representative in the soil of India for political understanding.” The delegation further informed Gandhi of the decision (by the British subject Nagas) to declare independence. During the meeting, Gandhi assured the delegation that the Indian government would not use force against the Nagas and promised to visit Naga territory if India used force. In the letter, Phizo stated unequivocally what Gandhi had stated:
“Nagas have every right to become independent. We did not want to live under the domination of the British and they are now leaving us. I want you to feel that India is yours, that this city of Delhi is yours. I feel that Naga Hills is mine just as much as it is yours. But if you say it is not mine: the matter must stop here.”
“I believe in the brotherhood of man but I do not believe in force and forced unions. If you do not wish to join the Union of India nobody will force you to do that. THE CONGRESS GOVERNMENT WILL NOT DO THAT.”
The Naga delegation informed Gandhi that the “Governor of Assam, Sir Akbar Hydari, threatened to use force to compel the Nagas to join the Indian Union, and a Governor is always under instruction.” On that, Gandhi responded, “Sir Akbar is wrong. He cannot do that. The Government of India will not do that. Congress Government cannot do that.”
Gandhi further went on to respond “Please believe me. I will sacrifice my life for you. I will come to Naga Hills; I will ask them to shoot me first before one Naga is shot.”
And Phizo confirmed in the letter that this historic Gandhi-Naga delegation meeting “interview script is preserved” in the Delhi Town Hall along with Gandhi’s other works.
While, on the other side of the fence, upon receipt of Phizo’s letter/memorandum, the General Section in the Office of the Secretary to the President of India was directed, per a declassified file under no.37/58 labelled ‘Secret,’ to examine the claims made by Phizo in the letter regarding the possible meeting and the details of what had transpired between the Naga delegation and Mahatma Gandhi on July 19, 1947.
Following the directive, Vishwanath Verma of the Office of the Secretary to the President of India sent a letter labelled ‘Confidential’ to Pyarelal Nayar, late Gandhi’s secretary, on February 26, 1958, stating that the President wishes to know his opinion on the excerpts (Refer: declassified file under no.37/58 labelled ‘Secret’) of Phizo claims in the letter. On the same day, Pyarelal Nayar sent the President a copy of the 2-page reports of Gandhi’s interview with the Naga delegation as recorded by Sushila (Dr Sushila Nayar, in some other correspondence). The following are some excerpts from Gandhi’s remarks to the Naga delegation, as recorded in the enclosed copy:
“You will be independent from the 16th of August. I was independent when the whole of India was under the British heal. Why 16th of August? You can be independent today and if you have non-violence in common with me, no one can deprive of independence.”
To the statement of the Naga delegation, “Government said if we become independent, military sanctions will be applied against us.” To which Gandhi responded, “The Government is wrong.”
Further, on the subject of isolation, Gandhi stated, “You cannot be in complete isolation,” to which the Naga delegation responded, “We do not talk of isolation.” Gandhi replied, “Then no army will deprive of your freedom — your lungs. Those days are gone. You are of Asia. British kept India and Nagas under their heal with its military. You are quite safe in Naga hills.”
Gandhi then raised a question to the Naga delegation, “On one side of Naga Hills is Burma, on the other India. You can be friends with one or the other or both” to which the Naga delegation responded, “We will be friends with all.” In response, Gandhi stated, “Then you are safe. So far as India is concerned, India has bled for her own freedom. Is she going to deprive others of their freedom? Personally I believe you all belong to me, to India. But if you say you won’t, no one can force you.”
Following Gandhi’s statement, the Naga delegation asked, “You mean to say, Government of India won’t force us to join India? To which Gandhi responded, “No, not if I am alive. I will go to Naga Hills and say that you will shoot me before you shoot a single Naga.”
The Unseen Question?
Both the above-quoted statement, as highlighted by A.Z. Phizo in his letter to the President of India, and Mahatma Gandhi’s statement provided by Pyarelal to the President of India on February 28, 1958, are cited as evidence in the Office of the Secretary to the President declassified file No 37/58, labelled ‘Secret.’ If one were to argue about the differences between Mahatma Gandhi’s statement as written by Phizo in the letter and the statement of record as produced by Pyarelal Nayar, the argument could go on indefinitely, but the goal of the perspective is to raise an unseen question about the legitimacy of both parties’ claims and to see if there is any common meeting point in the two different recorded statements.
Based on the statements provided by both parties, it is possible to conclude that the exact quote of Gandhi’s statement provided by Phizo does not correspond to the disclosed record of the Gandhi-Naga delegation meeting produced by Pyarelal Nayar. In such circumstances, it is undoubtedly a question mark, and there is no doubt that it could be interpreted as ‘claims’ by Phizo or the Naga delegation. Furthermore, in a ‘secret’ labelled response letter (Declassified file under no.37/58, Office of the Secretary to the President of India) to the President of India, S. Fazl Ali, the Governor of Assam in 1958, noted or simply dismissed the fact that “the letter does not bear the actual signature of Phizo, which suggests that it was not sent by him but by someone else in his name.”
On the other hand, if one were to agree with S. Fazl Ali’s observation of Phizo’s letter, there is an equally interesting question mark over the disclosed record by Pyarelal Nayar because Pyarelal Nayar had written it as “interview in July (18th or 19th) 1947” in his correspondence to the President of India, and the produced recorded statement by Sushila was simply written as “Bapu’s interview with the Nagas (July, 1947).” It definitely calls into question the veracity of the recorded statement because Pyarelal Nayar appears unsure about the meeting date. In contrast, Phizo in his letter to the President of India had categorically stated on July 19, 1947. Another reason Pyarelal Nayar may have been confused about the date of the Gandhi-Naga delegation meeting is that Vishwanath Verma of the Office of the Secretary to the President of India had sent only an excerpt (declassified file under no.37/58 labelled ‘Secret’ Addl. No:700-0/58, dated February 26, 1958) of Gandhi’s statement from Phizo’s memorandum for him to observe in his record, rather than the entire letter of Phizo. Therefore, with an uncertain date or a recorded statement without a date, the veracity of the recorded documents provided by Pyarelal Nayar to Dr Rajendra Prasad, President of India, is definitely called into question as well.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that the veracity of Gandhi’s statement during the Gandhi-Naga Delegation meeting in 1947 will continue to spark debate or argument in the future as long as the Indo-Naga conflict exists; however, despite significant doubt over the recorded statement produced by Pyarelal Nayar, Gandhi’s secretary, and the Phizo’s letter to the President of India, one of the critical common central meeting points which can be understood clearly is that no one will force anyone to join India if they do not want to. As a result, in the absence of leaders with political will and domestic support to take risks to advocate for conflict resolution, the Indo-Naga conflict may worsen due to both parties’ adamant stance.
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Author’s Disclosure Statement: Augustine R. is an independent researcher on the India-Naga-Myanmar political issue, as well as on broader global security and strategic issues, and does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article/opinion.
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