Referendum or popular consultation

Naga Plebiscite, 1951

The NNC organized an unrecognized plebiscite reporting overwhelming support for independence, using a method later questioned by scholars.

What happened

On 16 May 1951, the NNC conducted a plebiscite on Naga independence, organized through thumb impressions and signed affirmations rather than a secret ballot; the NNC reported over 99.9% support. No state or international body has recognized this result, and subsequent scholarship has questioned both the figure and the exercise's procedural integrity.[1]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: On 16 May 1951, the Naga National Council conducted a plebiscite on Naga independence from India, organized through thumb impressions and signed affirmations collected by NNC volunteers rather than a secret ballot; the NNC reported a result of over 99.9% in favour of independence. No state or international body has recognized this result, and subsequent scholarship has questioned both the reported figure and the exercise's procedural integrity; this bundle presents the plebiscite's conduct and lack of recognition as established, without adjudicating the contested validity of its reported result.

    • Naga Plebiscite (Wikipedia) link, Plebiscite conduct and recognition sections. Source record

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