Differences and Implications of a Declared Independence and Granted Independence

By Kaka D. Iralu, Nagaland Post | April 20, 2016

In the context of a people and a country, the declaration of a people’s independence by the people themselves, is an act of honor and dignity. On the other hand, for a country to be granted her independence by another country is an act of dishonor and indignity. The later form of getting independence from another country implies subject hood to another power within one’s own territory. Such an act indicates defeat and surrender of one’s own country to another country.

In the case of Nagas, they themselves, declared their independence on 14th August 1947 because they had never been officially under anybody else’s rule by treaty or surrender. This was clearly stated even in the British Colonial records where it is mentioned: “No written treaties or agreements have been made with any of the Naga tribes.” (C.V. Aitchinson in “Treaties Engagements and Sanads,” Vol. X11 p. 91, 1931.)

However, in the case of India, they were granted their independence on 15th August 1947 by an act of the British Parliament which was passed on July 18, 1947. This Act was called The Indian Independence Act of 1947. (Burma was also granted her independence later in the same manner.) In the case of India, this humiliating act of being granted Independence by another country became a sad reality, because beginning from 1661 (Surrender of Bombay to the English), to August 15, 1947; India became a conquered territory for over 200 years by many foreign powers like the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and finally the British.

On the other hand, in the case of the Nagas, though Nagas have never had a King or an army to defend their territories, every Naga village had resiliently defended their own territories against foreign kingdoms and powers like the Metei, Kachari, Tripuri and Ahom kingdoms from ancient times to the end of the 19th century. As for the British, they defied that Imperial power for 115 years from 1832 to 1947. In this protracted Anglo-Naga war too, the British were able to run their writ on only 30% of Naga territories. The rest of the Naga territories remained unconquered and UN-surrendered till 1947.

In the light of all these historical facts, the question of Nagas asking or being granted independence by either India or Burma does not arise at all. After all, how can a CONQUERED NATION grant independence to an UNCONQUERED NATION? The real question is rather the question of: Whether the formerly conquered nations will recognize the independence declaration of the higher unconquered nation?

As for the other nations of the world, Nagas want them to know that the declaration of Naga independence on Aug 14, 1947 is as valid as the declaration of their own independence in their own respective dates. This is so, because Nagas did not declare their independence over anybody else’s lands but over their own ancestral lands. This Naga right is inalienable and unquestionable because they have occupied and defended their territories for all the centuries of common human history. Further, this act of the declaration of Naga Independence was also sent to the United Nations Headquarters on 14th August 1947 itself. Therefore, no law under heaven can ever challenge or nullify the Naga act of declaring their Independence on 14th August 1947.

On the other hand, the granting of India and Burma’s independence over EVEN Naga territories by the departing British Colonial power and the subsequent forceful occupation of these Naga territories by India and Burma is an act that violates all international laws and norms. In this context, let it be known to the world that the Naga National Council (NNC) had-through six memorandums to the departing British Government and ten memorandums to the incoming Indian Government-informed them that Nagas would not join either the Indian or Burmese unions. These memorandums were submitted before the transfer of power took place on 15th August 1947. Therefore, on our part, we challenge both the Indian Government and the Burmese government to furnish any documents through which the British Government had officially transferred custody over Naga lands to their governments.

In the inability to furnish any such documents, the Indo-Naga-Burmese conflict will soon come into an International Court of Law for arbitration and adjudgement of justice. Nagas on their part will never be intimidated by any political power under heaven to surrender their inalienable right of independence over their own lands.

Let God, history and the international community of nations pass their verdict as to whether Naga declaration of Independence on 14th August is valid or not.