On August 14, 2022, the Naga people in the Naga homeland, as well as Nagas around the world, will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Declaration of Naga Independence of August 14, 1947. The declaration of Naga independence from British colonial rule was often described as a complex process, and the Naga homeland is still under the control and administration of India and Myanmar.
Despite the Naga people declaring independence 75 years ago, the future of the Naga people remained unresolved even in 2022. The Naga nationalist group continued to have their own parallel government, which began with the formation of the People’s Sovereign Republic of Free Nagaland in 1954, the Naga Central Government in 1956, which was later renamed the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) in 1959, and it also went on to establish the Government of the People’s Republic of Nagalim (Nagaland) after a split in the Naga National Council (NNC).
What began with the submission of the Naga national political memorandum to the Simon Commission of the British parliament in 1929, it is not incorrect to say that the submission guided the Nagas further with the vision of a Naga nation after the British departure from the region. The Naga people made two major decisions: the declaration of Naga independence in 1947 and the Naga Plebiscite in 1951, in which they overwhelmingly voted for Naga’s sovereign identity. The result of these efforts is a remarkable document that is still a source of inspiration for many Nagas and a source of contention for India and Myanmar to this day.
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Author’s Disclosure Statement: Augustine R. does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article/opinion.
Featured Image: Leaders of all the 20 Naga ethnic groups in Southern Naga Homeland (which is part of the present-day state of Manipur), all the Naga Frontal Organisations, Naga women groups, and Naga student bodies attended the Naga Independence Day celebration in Tahamzam (Senapati) in 2019 / Photo: The Indian Express
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