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

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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