Nagaland Statehood Day

GS Paper II Polity

Context: In 2023, Nagaland is celebrating its 61st Statehood Day. The Prime Minister has greeted the people of Nagaland on their Statehood Day.

About Nagaland

Nagaland was formally recognized as a separate state on 1st December, 1963, with Kohima being declared as its capital.
The State of Nagaland Act, 1962, was enacted by the Parliament to give Nagaland statehood.

After India became independent in 1947, the Naga territory initially remained a part of Assam.
However, a strong nationalist movement began seeking a political union of the Naga tribes, and extremists demanded outright secession from the Indian union.
This movement led to a number of violent incidents, and in 1955 the Indian army was called in to restore order.
- In 1963, the Naga people agreed to form a state part of an independent India.

Naga Issue:

The major demand of Naga groups has been a Greater Nagalim (sovereign statehood) which includes redrawing of boundaries to bring all Naga-inhabited areas in the Northeast under one administrative umbrella.
- It includes various parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam, and Myanmar as well.

Naga Peace Accord:

1997: The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) signed a ceasefire agreement with the government in 1997. According to it, the government would not push for counter-insurgency operations against the NSCN, while the rebels won’t target armed forces.
2015: On August 3, 2015, the Naga Peace Accord was signed with the Centre (Government of India), to end the insurgency in Nagaland.

Hornbill Festival

Conceptualized in the year 2000, the Hornbill Festival is a ten-day annual tourism promotional event organized by the State Government.
Aim: To showcase Nagaland’s rich and traditional cultural heritage in all its ethnicity, diversity, and grandeur..
Official Partners: Germany, the United States, and Colombia are official partners in 2023
It is known as the ‘festival of festivals’.
It is also a tribute to the Hornbill bird, which is admired and revered by Nagas for its alertness and grandeur.

- The Great Indian Hornbill, a member of the hornbill family, is found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
- It is the official state bird of Kerala and Arunachal Pradesh.

- IUCN: Near Threatened.
- CITES: Appendix I
- Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

- Hunting: It poses another substantial threat to the species as it displays predictable behavior when regularly visiting the same feeding sites and is easily targeted by local hunters.

News Source: HT