NPF inaugurates Chümoukedima Division Office. Achumbemo Kikon and Zhaleo Rio address the gathering, highlighting party history, discipline, and unity.
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DIMAPUR — The Naga People’s Front (NPF) inaugurated its Chümoukedima Division Office at 7th Mile on Saturday, accompanied by the oath-taking of office-bearers.
The new office was formally opened by Achumbemo Kikon, NPF secretary general and MLA, stated an update.
Speaking at the function, Kikon said the opening of a political office represents discipline, responsibility and continuity rather than mere logistics.
“At home you may do and speak as you like. But once you enter an office, you are bound by the office environment and office discipline,” he said, adding that the party pledge drafted in 1968 continues to bind its office-bearers.
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Tracing the party’s origins to October 21, 1963, when it was founded as the Democratic Party of Nagaland (DPN) with the motto “Fide Non Armis” (By Faith, not Through Arms), Kikon said the motto has not changed in six decades and the cock symbol “continues to give hope” to the Naga people.
He recalled that in the first state elections of 1964, the party won 12 seats and later saw all its MLAs resign en masse following the signing of the first ceasefire between Naga underground groups and the Government of India on September 6, 1964.
“Such sacrifice is unheard of today,” he remarked, adding that the party was founded for the Naga cause and peace through political means.
Kikon said that the merger of two regional parties on October 21 last year to mark NPF’s 60 years exemplified the unity of the Nagas. He further said that under Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, the party has “gone the extra mile” to lead from the front in uniting Nagas across regions and opinions.
He asserted that although NPF is a regional party, it has also safeguarded the rights of non-Naga minorities living in the state over the years.
Calling for transparency and accountability, Kikon said, “Nagas are expecting much from NPF, so we should not fail them,” and cautioned functionaries not to misuse the “good office of the party” for personal purposes. He urged members to become assets to the organisation and to give their time so that the party can “grow from strength to strength”.
Referring to the priorities of the ruling coalition, Kikon said that the government’s 34 MLAs place resolution of the Naga political issue at the top, “without forgetting the development of the state”. He said the party must work collectively with responsibility and discipline to meet public expectations and maintain its political relevance.
Also speaking on the occasion, Zhaleo Rio said the opening of the Chümoukedima Division Office marked the successful completion of the NPF–NDPP merger at the grassroots level. He praised state leadership for expediting the process, noting that the division’s formation was necessary as the Chümoukedima–Dimapur belt constitutes a crucial political and demographic zone.
He remarked that unlike in other districts where merging units had clashed over appointments, the Dimapur area demonstrated greater political maturity. “Dimapur is the mini Nagaland,” he said, stressing that unity must begin where the Naga population converges.
Rio urged party workers to coordinate between division and assembly constituency levels, reminding them that they were unpaid political workers serving public welfare.
He said many Naga elders and intellectuals had welcomed the merger and that political actors must now set an example for Naga unity across the spectrum, including underground groups. He suggested that the division hold a follow-up meeting to discuss government policies and programmes, saying a party must function like a family—sharing views, accommodating differences and working with understanding.
Calling the day a milestone for the region, Rio thanked senior leaders for their efforts in concluding the merger process. “A new vehicle has been handed over,” he said. “It depends on how we drive and maintain it so that positive changes can follow.” He expressed hope that through the party’s platform, greater peace and Naga unity would be strengthened.