Nagaland has seen little or no communal tension in the past decades, and communal harmony and goodwill we see are evident communal harmony.
Share
Nagaland’s indigenous population is minuscule, and rapid demographic change is alarming
Last December, as the Christmas season drew nearer, we saw attacks on its celebrations and assaults on some Christians in some States—including Assam’s Nalbari district. Likewise, there have been numerous attacks on celebrants and disruptions of celebrations of other religions. Yet there are numerous instances of Indians living harmoniously with people of various religions, however much some forces attempt to re-script India’s long traditions of religious diversity and tolerance.
One such example was in Mokokchung town, as per a report in a local newspaper dated January 2, 2026. In the doom and gloom of reports of assaults on Christians and attacks on Christmas celebrations in several States, Nagaland woke up to the exemplary news of Mokokchung’s Marwari Samaj providing a free New Year’s Day lunch for nearly 3,000 attendees at a major Baptist church celebration on January 1, 2026.
This gesture of communal harmony and goodwill is evident interfaith solidarity, reinforcing, underscoring, and strengthening the long-standing tradition of peaceful coexistence and mutual respect among the citizens of this district headquarters. It is not for nothing that Mokokchung is called Nagaland’s cultural centre. Notably, Christianity and modern education in the State were first introduced in the 19th century in this district.
Besides Mokokchung district, all of Nagaland has seen little or no communal tension in the past decades. This is not to say that there was never any communal discord in Nagaland, because tribalism persists here, but the concomitant violence seen earlier has been replaced by dialogue, interfaith interactions, and the firm hand of the law. The last communal discord, if memory serves well, probably reared its ugly head in the 1970s.
The people and the Government know that communal harmony is crucial, despite ubiquitous racism, especially because our non-local populace is the mainstay of our economy. Obviously, this is not an ideal reality for Nagas, but we have learnt to live with it and adapt to evolving economic development. Since the 1980s, there has been increasing worry and pessimism about growing illegal migration, as in the rest of the Northeast, especially because such illegal migrants are taking over and replacing non-Nagas across our economic spectrum.
This worry and pessimism have nothing to do with religion per se, but with the illegal status of these migrants, irrespective of their religion. In fact, the Indian Muslim community—most of who have been in Nagaland since before World War II—are in total agreement with Nagas on the issue.
Nagaland’s indigenous population is minuscule, and rapid demographic change is alarming. Besides, even before Independence, non-Nagas in Nagaland have always been extremely respectful of Naga sensitivities and have gone out of their way to prove their desire for peaceful and harmonious coexistence. They are also very aware of Article 371(A) and have rarely crossed the line; those who did were mostly Johnny-come-latelies who are ignorant of Nagaland’s political, economic, and cultural history, often in connivance with some corrupt officials.
Not many may know that some very early non-Naga settlers here had permission to purchase land. The Gorkha/Nepali community was allotted land in Kohima, Dimapur, and several other district headquarters after World War II by the British Government. These allotments still exist and are respected by the State Government and the people. Permissions to purchase land and land allotments to select non-Nagas, in recognition of services rendered in the fields of business, education and health, probably date back to the late 1800s. Their descendants continue this legacy, and Nagaland is the only home they know and love.
For instance, descendants of old settlers inform us that the oldest mosque in Dimapur, built around 1885, is located at present-day Purana Bazaar; however, the original structure was pulled down and replaced by a new one. Another old mosque at Hazi Park was built in 1906, and its original structure still stands. It is also true that many descendants of early settlers have migrated to other States and countries, mainly due to excessive extortions and demands for ‘donations’ by various quarters. In the process, illegal migrants saw the vacuum as an opportunity and seized it.
The repercussions of this unhappy development are already tangible in our politics, economy, social relations and communal landscape, and Nagaland will suffer even more severely in the future. Unfortunately, while past and present Nagaland Governments claim zero tolerance for communal disharmony, they have failed to show the political will to curb and contain illegal migration, extortions, and the erosion of our economic life.
Inarguably, these are not the only factors behind our underdeveloped economy, but there appear to be no serious attempts by the Government to address and redress the underlying causes of this underdevelopment. Evidently, business summits and merely welcoming investors or investments will not cure our economic maladies. Moreover, while the Naga political issue still persists, existential issues also urgently need solutions.
In Nagaland, it is not only during festivals that such harmony and solidarity are displayed, but also during times of distress. People from all Indian States living here, irrespective of their religious affiliations, work together throughout the year during crises such as fires, floods, accidents and medical emergencies. Hence, communal harmony and solidarity always need to be amplified and exemplified because, with all the existential threats we face, peace, cooperation, support, solidarity, harmony and goodwill among citizens—vital components of national security—are crucial across the nation.
At the end of the day, religious diversity is no reason for societal disorder or disruptions that threaten human safety and security. Like it or not, people need each other, because when calamities and tragedies strike, they do not recognise or care about race, religion, history, politics, ideology, culture, pride, or prejudice. Warts and all, Nagaland remains an emulative paradigm of a peaceful mini India.
Monalisa Changkija
(The Columnist is a Dimapur-based veteran journalist, poet and former Editor of Nagaland Page. Published in the January 12, 2026 issue of North East Now)