SELF-DETERMINATION OF NAGALIM

SELF-DETERMINATION OF NAGALIM

It was Lord Nazir Ahmed who proposed a support statement in relation to the historic 1997 Indo-Naga peace process inside the British Houses of Parliament on 25 July 2007 and, after a brief commotion following a competition among the members present to second the proposal, the British Parliamentarians for National Self Determination (PNSD) unanimously adopted it. The PNSD Secretariat sent the document to the Indian government the next day through its embassy in London. Besides requesting India and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim to extend the current ceasefire and take forward the political talks, the statement appreciated the Indian and Naga leaders for resorting to dialogue to settle their decades old conflict amicably.

It is good to know that a certain Mr Vizosielhou Nagi has expressed his gratitude to the PNSD for officially recognizing the God-given right of the Naga people to self-determination.
The main purpose of the UN is to “develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace”. The principle of self-determination expresses the entitlement of each nation to its own nation state. Article 1 of the UN Charter states that “all peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development”, and that every UN member “shall promote the realization of the right of self-determination, and shall respect that right”.

Israel was formed under the right to self-determination as per the UN Charter, and still rightly gives this principle in its defence against anti-Zionist criticisms that argue that Israel is not a legitimate state within the international community. The people of Kosovo are currently trying to seek sovereignty from the Serbs on the grounds of self-determination. Also, the Kashmiris, Kurds, Sikhs, etc. are presently struggling to get full sovereignty on the unshakable belief to their right to self-determination. Hence, some persons are exposing their lack of knowledge by wrongly saying that Nagas want sovereignty and not self-determination.

The Naga Support Group (UK) has received messages of appreciation for its fruitful interaction with the PNSD. Unfortunately, we are also seeing that some elements are showing their frustration over the formation of the PNSD and its support to Kashmir, Khalistan, Nagalim, etc. The fact that the PNSD has received such unfriendly reactions from India and its agents is unfortunate; for the diatribe comes despite the fact that the PNSD represents stateless nations such as Kosovo, Kurdistan, etc. Nonetheless, the PNSD will always give each of these subjugated nations a voice and common platform to take their plight to the British Parliament and far beyond.

KUKNALIM

Professor Timothy Kaping,
President, Naga Support Group (UK)
28 July 2007