Nagaland State and the word "NAGA"

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

Nagaland State lies between 26’ 60' and 27’ 40' latitude North of Equator and between the Longitudinal lines 93’ 20'E and 95’ 15'E having an area of 18,400 square Kms. The State is situated in the North Eastern part of India. The State shares its boundary with Assam in north and west; Arunachal and Myanmar in East, and Manipur in South.

The Nagas belongs to Mongolian tribe and more than 50 Naga tribes are living in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, Arunachal and Myanmar.

THE WORD 'NAGA'

The Nagas did not call themselves as 'Nagas'. It was outsiders who give them the name 'NAGA'.
The name NAGA is believed to have been derived from following words.

i) NANGRA - a Kachari word which means, 'A YOUNG WARRIOR.
ii) NAGNA - a Sanskrit word, 'NAKED.
iii) NANGA - a Hindustani word, 'NAKED.
iv) NOGA - Assamese word, NAKED or NEWMAN.
v) NAGA - SNAKE OR KING SNAKES. Nagas are fond of eating Snakes
vi) NAG - Sanskrit word HILL & NAGA meaning, HILLMAN.
vii) NAKA - Burmese word, EARRING and people wears earring or Pierce
their EARLOBES are known as NAKAS. It later changed into English
phonetic, 'NAGA'.

The use of NAGA dated back to 150 AD, when Greek Scholar, Claudius Ptolemy referred in his writting, NAGA-LOGOI. The word mentioning NAGA can also be found in the history of the Kings of Assam written by the Assamese Borunjis, beginning from 13th century. It was long before the
Bangalees or Hindustani people came in contact with the Nagas.
Therefore, it is likely that the word NAGA had been given by the Assamese who are close to Nagas than any other people.

Many eminent Historians from Europe, China and Assam wrote about the Nagas where they referred the Nagas as people living in between Brahmaputra River and Chinwing River.

SOME IMPORTANT BOOKS ON NAGAS

i) A Corner in India - M.M CLARK, 19O7
ii) The Rengma Nagas - J.P MILLS, 1937
iii) The Ao Nagas - J.P MILLS 1926
iv) The Sema Nagas - J.H HUTTON, 1922
v) The Angami Nagas - J.H HUTTON 1921
vi) The Nagas - FRANCIS JENKINS, 1836
Vii) The Nagas: India’s problems or the World – Rev. Michael Scott
viii) Conflict in Nagaland – V.K ANAND
ix) Naga Hills and Manipur – B.C ALLEN 1905
x) The World of Nagas – M. RAMUNNY 1988

Formation of Nagaland State through 16th point agreement

Under the initiative of the Naga People's convention (NPC) the 16th point agreement was signed between GoI and NPC members in July 1960.

1. The Name: The Territories that were heretofore known as the Naga Hills Tuensang Area under the Naga Hills Tuensang Area Act, 1957, shall form a State within the Indian Union and be hereafter known as Nagaland.

2. The Ministry Incharge: The Nagaland shall be under the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India.

3. The Governor of Nagaland:

(a) The President of India shall appoint a Governor for Nagaland and he will be vested with executive powers of the Government of Nagaland. He will have his headquarter in Nagaland.
(b) His administrative Secretariat will be headed by the Chief Secretary, stationed at the headquarters with other Secretariat staff as necessary.
(c) The Governor shall have special responsibility with regard to law and order during transitional period and for so long as the law and order continues to remain disturbed on account of hostile activities. In exercising this special responsibility of the Governor will cease when normalcy return.

4. Council of Ministers: (a) There shall be Council of Ministers with Chief Minister at the head to assist and advise the Governor in exercise of his functions.
(b) The Council of Ministers shall be responsible to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly.

5. The Legislature: There shall be constituted Legislative Assembly consisting of elected and nominated members as may be necessary for representing different Tribes. (Further, a duly constituted body of experts may be formed to examine and determine the principles of representation on democratic basis).

6. Representation in the Parliament: Two elected members shall represent Nagaland in the Union Parliament, that is to say, one for Lok Sabha and the other for the Rajya Sabha.

7. Acts of Parliament: No Acts or Laws passed by the Parliament affecting the following provisions shall have legal force in Nagaland unless specifically applied to it by a majority vote of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
(a) The social and religious practices of the Nagas.
(b) Naga Customary law and procedure.
(c) Civil and Criminal justice system of the Nagas. The existing Laws relating to administration of civil and Criminal justice as provided in the Rules for the Administration of justice and police in the Naga Hills District shall continue to be in force.
(d) The ownership and transfer of land and its resources.

8. Local self Government: Each Tribe shall have the following units of rule making and administrative local bodies to deal with matters concerning the respective tribes and areas;
(a) The Village Councils
(b) The Range Councils
(c) The Tribal Councils
          These Councils will also deal with disputes and cases involving breaches of customary laws and usages.

9. Administration of justice:

(a) The existing system of administration of Civil and Criminal justice shall continue.
(b) Appellate Courts:
(i) The District Court-cum-Session Courts (for each district), High Courts and Supreme Court of India.
(ii) The Naga Tribunal (for the whole of the Nagaland) in respect of cases decided according to the Customary Law.

10. Administration of Tuensang District:

(a) The Governor shall carry on the administration of the Tuensang District for a period of 10 years untill such time when the Tribes in Tuensang District are capable of shouldering more responsibilities of the advance system of administration. The commencement of the 10 years period of administration will start simultaneously with the enforcement of detailed working of the Constitution in other parts of Nagaland. 

(b) Provided further that a regional Council shall be formed for Tuensang District by elected Representatives from all the Tribes in Tuensang District, and the Governor may nominate representatives to the Regional Council as well. The Deputy Commissioner will be the Ex-Officio Chairman of the Council. The Regional Council will elect members to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly to represent Tuensang District.
(c) Provided further that on the advice of the Regional Council, steps will be taken to start various Councils and Courts, in those areas where people feel themselves capable of establishing such institutions.
(d) Provided further that no Act or law passed by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly shall be applicable to Tuensang District unless specifically recommended by the Regional Council.
(e) Provided further that the Regional Council shall supervise and guide the working of various Councils and Tribal Courts within Tuensang District and wherever necessary, depute Local Officer to act as Chairman thereof.
(f) Provided further that Councils of such areas inhabited by a mixed population or which have not yet decided to which specific tribal Council to be affiliated to, shall be directly under the Regional Council for the time being. And at the end of 10 years, the situation will be reviewed and if the people so desired the period will be further extended.

11. Financial assistance from the Government of India: To supplement the revenue of Nagaland, there will be need for the Government of India to pay out of the Consolidated Fund of India.
(a) Lump sum to Nagaland and
(b) A grant-in-aid towards meeting the cost of administration. Detail proposals for grants shall be prepared and submitted.

12. Points to be placed on Record for further action: The inclusion of the Reserved Forests and the contiguous areas inhabitat and belongs to the Naga people. Necessary actions to be reffered under Provisions in articles 3 and 4 of the Constitution.

13. Consolidation of Contiguous Naga areas: Government of India though, couldn't make commitment at this stage, has put in record, that articles 3 and 4 of the Constitution shall be examined in future to enable for Nagas to live under one administration.

14. Formation of seperate Naga Regiment: In order that the Naga people can fulfil their desire of playing full role in the defence forces of India, the question of raising a seperate Naga Regiment shall be duly examined for action.

15. Transitional Period: 

(a) On reaching the political settlement with the Government of India, the GoI will prepare a bill for such amendment of the Constitution as may be necessary, in order to implement the discussions, the draft bill, before presentation to the Parliament will be shown to NPC.
(b) There shall be a constituted Interim Body with elected representatives from every Tribe to assist and advice the Governor in the administration of Nagaland during the transitional period. The tenure of the members of Interim Body will be 3 years, subjected to re-election.

16. Inner Line Regulation: The Rules embodied in the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, shall remain in force in Nagaland.

After the above agreement was signed, the 13th Constitutional Amendment bill was introduced in Parliament on 21st August 1962 and the special provision for Nagaland was incorporated under article 371(a) of the Constitution. Nagaland became 16th State under the union of India. The Nagaland State was formally inaugurated on 1st December 1963 at Kohima by His Excellency, Dr. S. Radhakhrisnan, the then President of India.

Indo-Naga conflict

The Britishers were the only Nation to rule the Nagas.
However, most of the Nagas' land were left untouched and unconquered.

1. The Nagas fought British troops from 1872 to 1879 when the later
invaded Nagas' land. It may be recalled that the long fought battles
between British troops and Nagas were considered to be among the
bloodiest battles in the history of the British Colonial regime.

2. In 1880, Peace agreement was made between the Nagas and the British
government. However, the Nagas refused to enter into any form of
treaty or written agreement with the British government, which will
tantamount to defeat or surrender. Nagas also mantained that Nagas
were never conquered nor subjected to any authority. Thefore the
gentlemen's agreement was reached between the Nagas and British
without putting it into written.

3. The turning point in Naga Political history was in 1918, when Naga
Club was formed. (Prior to this, there was no common platform for the
Nagas) On 10th Jan. 1929, during the (British Statutory Commission for
reformation of India) Simon Commission's visit to Nagaland, the Naga
Club submitted a Memorandum. In their Memorandum, the Nagas conveyed
their desire to be left alone to determine for themselves as in
ancient times.
Later, the British Parliament passed a resolution in which the Naga
hills were declared as excluded area.

4. When the withdrawal of British government from her South East Asian
Colonial Countries became imminent, the Naga National Council, (NNC)
the first Naga political body, was formed on 2nd February 1946.

5. In May 1947, the Indian National Congress delegation came to Kohima
and requested the Nagas to join Indian Union. The INC delegation also
offered autonomous State to the Nagas. However, the Naga leaders
refused to join Indian Union and conveyed to INC delegation that Nagas
were Independent Sovereign Nation since time immemorial and that Nagas
should be left alone as it is.

6. Then in July 1947, the NNC delegation was sent to Delhi to make
clear the stand of the Nagas. The delegation met Mahatma Gandhi on
19th July and explained the stand of the Nagas. The delegation also
told him the threat made by Indian leaders to use Military might
against them. To which Mahatma Gandhi said, "the Nagas have every
right to become Independent outside India. We do not want the British
and they are going, if you said you and your country does not belong
to India, then the matter ends there. Nobody will force you to join
Indian union and if India send its army to Nagaland to force you, I
will come there and ask the Indian forces to kill me first before they
kill any Naga."

7. On the eve of India's Independence, the NNC declared its
Independence on 14th August 1947. The declaration of Independence was
faxed to United Nations (UNO) and the acknowledgement letter was
received by the NNC.

8. In the meantime, the Indian leaders keep on claiming that only few
educated Nagas are rebelling against India. To prove the wish of the
Nagas, the NNC decided to conduct plecbisite in 1951. The NNC invited
delegation from UN and Indian government to witness the process.
Overwhelming, 99.99% of the Nagas voted for Sovereign Independent
Nagaland.

9. In 1954, the government of India started sending its troops to
Nagaland. The Indian armed forces started comitting atrocities against
the innocent villagers. The NNC leaders went underground and formed
the armed wing to defend themselves.

10. In 1962, the international cease-fire agreement was signed between
Government of India and Federal Government of Nagaland. However, it
was short-lived as the talk between FGN and GoI came to a deadlock.

11. Again in 1975, the 16 points agreement was signed at Shillong
(Shillong Accord) which led to split of NNC/FGN and formation of
NSCN/GPRN in 1980. Then in 1988, NSCN splitted into 2 groups. One
group led by Isak and Muivah (NSCN-IM) and other group led by Khaplang
(NSCN-K).

12. The cease-fire agreement between Government of India and NSCN-IM
was signed in 1997 and more than 70 round of talks were held till date
without any positive outcome. NSCN-K also signed cease-fire agreement
with GoI in 2001.

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