Along Longkumer
August 23, 2025 may go down as a historic day for the Naga people if we decide to move forward in unity. 16 Naga Political Groups (NPGs), 34 Naga Tribe Hohos from Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam came together at Ungma Village, Mokokchung District under the guidance of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) and hosted by the Ao Senden.
In brief, the Ungma Statement made a unified call that all NPGs, with the clear-cut support of the ‘tribe hohos’, will converge at a common ground to articulate and pursue a shared political vision on the basis of the Naga peoples’ historical and political rights.
Too often similar public resolve and commitments in the past have not been honored. Post the ‘Ungma Statement’ a few things must happen if we are serious about moving forward. The onus now lies on the signatories of the August 23 declaration to deliver.
PUBLIC SUPPORT, TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
1. Through a separate statement, the Nagaland Tribal Hohos Coordination Committee (NTHCC) has publicly endorsed the initiative of the FNR to bring all Naga Political Groups (NPGs) onto a single machang (common platform).
Similar public endorsement by tribal bodies from southern and eastern region of the Naga homeland must also be forthcoming. Past history of missed opportunities on the Naga issue must be avoided.
It is also important for the NPGs to state clearly in unambiguous terms its support for the Ungma Statement and the subsequent Zunheboto Resolution. The Naga people should be made aware of where the individual NPGs or groupings stand and to clear any doubts in the mind of the public.
Public support and written endorsement will validate participation and accountability. The point is that the Naga people will expect our leaders, whether from the tribal bodies or the NPGs, to be honest and transparent and in the process hold them to account.
DEFINING THE CNCR AND NAGA MACHANG
2. The FNR should start to define and clarify the contours of the Council of Naga Cooperation and Relationship (CNCR) and the Naga Machang. The composition and exact nature of their purpose and functioning should be clearly spelled out to avoid confusion and misunderstanding.
When the idea of the CNCR was first floated by the FNR, the impression one got was that the CNCR would be made up of the NPGs. To recall, on January 14, 2025, a meeting of the FNR and NPGs had resolved to implement the CNCR. It was reported that the Naga tribe bodies later joined the CNCR as official participants during subsequent meetings.
Now as per the latest Zunheboto Resolution, the CNCR will include the Naga tribe hohos and civil society while the NPGs will come under the ‘Naga Machang’. To my observation, based on the FNR statement dated September 27 2025, the CNCR and ‘Naga Machang’ are two separate things, though it may be organically linked.
Also with the CNCR and ‘Naga Machang’ coming into existence, where does the FNR fit in? Will it be part of the CNCR or function independently as a separate entity facilitating both the two? I am sure the FNR will make things clear for the Naga public on the way forward.
MAKING THE PROCESS WORK AND LEARNING FROM FAILURES
3. But more important will be to decide if the CNCR and Naga Machang will go ahead irrespective of some NPGs or tribal hohos declining to participate in it. The FNR should note this aspect and take a clear position if any group or region can VETO the roadmap as laid down in the Ungma Statement and the expression of support for unity and solution made in the meetings at Jotsoma and Zunheboto.
Remember that numerous agreements and statements under the FNR have been held up in the past because there could be no meeting point, especially among the Naga leaders.
The obvious question for many watchers is whether the recent public declarations at Jotsoma, Ungma and Zunheboto will be different or end up as statements of intent only, like in the past.
The silver lining this time is the ‘Ungma Statement’ has been endorsed by the Nagaland based tribal hohos (excluding the ENPO) as well as the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), which is represented by the Ministers, Members of Parliament, Advisors, MLAs and chaired by the Chief Minister of Nagaland.
Hopefully this will make the difference for the FNR to be resolute in pursuing the matter till the finish line.
A NEW PARADIGM OF ‘CONVERGENCE AND A SHARED POLITICAL VISION’
4. If Nagas are at all serious and genuinely interested in moving forward, our approach to conclude political negotiations must see a paradigm shift from the old way of doing things.
As reported in The Morung Express, during the Zunheboto event on September 27, one of the public leaders, Hetoho S. Zhimomi, President of Sumi Kukami Hoho (Village Chiefs) made an excellent point, calling upon the Government of India (GoI) to engage with the Nagas as a unified entity, rather than dealing with different groups separately.
But are Nagas prepared and willing to work collectively? Can the CNCR and ‘Naga Machang’ become the meeting point for Nagas to engage with the GoI?
It will indeed be groundbreaking if henceforth official level talks are held not with individual NPGs but through the CNCR and Naga Machang platform. Such an approach is not to sideline the NPGs but rather to strengthen their position in finalizing a mutually acceptable honorable solution with India.
Also post the Ungma declaration it does not make sense for the NPGs to have separate parleys with the GoI as the letter and spirit of the August 23 2025 statement clearly mentions ‘convergence and a shared political vision’. We should not go back on this public commitment.
THE REAL SOLUTION LIES IN COMING TOGETHER
5. Lastly, the attempt, as reported in the media, to work out a common draft of the Framework Agreement and Agreed Position is probably not going to work. The NSCN (IM) refuses to acknowledge the Agreed Position. The Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (WC, NNPGs) on its part has asserted the superiority of the ‘Agreed Position’ over the 'Framework Agreement’.
Given this logjam, the focus should shift to the ‘convergence’ of the NPGs under the banner of the Naga flag, a unifying political symbol of Naga nationalism. Once this meeting point is achieved, a unified Naga Peace Accord on the basis of the Naga peoples’ historical and political rights can be worked out.
The real solution is in coming together. The more important thing is to negotiate from a position of strength and having the bargaining power. An honorable solution with shared sovereignty, integration, flag, yehzabo (constitution), free movement regime etc could be possible if Nagas unite and speak with one voice. This is a time of reckoning for the Nagas. Can we reclaim our voice?
(The writer is a former Editor. A strong believer in safeguarding our God given freedoms, his current interest is storytelling through song writing and music)
