The Rising People's Party (RPP) officially merged with the Naga People's Front (NPF) during a programme held on Saturday at the NPF Central Office in Kohima
KOHIMA — The Rising People's Party (RPP) officially merged with the Naga People's Front (NPF) during a programme held on Saturday at the NPF Central Office in Kohima.
Addressing the gathering, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who is also the president of NPF, said that the occasion marked not merely the merger of two political organisations but the coming together of "people, ideas, experiences and aspirations."
He said the merger sends a strong message that "when the larger interests of the people are at stake, we must have the courage and wisdom to rise above individual differences and come together."
He noted that the state has an opposition-less government, with all elected members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) agreeing to work together in a spirit of unity for the greater cause of resolving the Naga political issue. This, he said, ‘is not merely a political arrangement but carries a deeper message about the need to stand together on the most important issue concerning the future and destiny of the Naga people.
‘Naga political issue remains top priority’
Rio reaffirmed that the NPF's primary political objective is to facilitate an early resolution of the Indo-Naga political conflict, and that the party would continue to work sincerely towards achieving the Naga people's collective aspirations for an inclusive, honourable, and acceptable political solution.
Maintaining that the Naga political issue is also the foremost agenda of the People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) government, he called upon all sections of Naga society to unite at ‘this critical juncture’. He also expressed the need to convey the message of unity to all Naga communities, negotiating parties, government of India, and to the world.
While lamenting the division among the Nagas, not only due to differing opinions and organisations but also by geography and "man-made boundaries”, he said history cannot be erased and the strong desire and aspiration of the Naga people to come together as one family under one administrative umbrella has always been there.
He went to express the need to working tirelessly towards ‘emotional integration’ if ‘physical integration’ of Naga people cannot be achieved immediately under the prevailing circumstances.
Also read: Nagaland politics: RPP set to merge with NPF
“We must bring our people closer and build bridges between Naga communities,” he said, while maintaining that the NPF has a very important role to play in this.
“Our vision cannot be restricted by political or administrative boundaries,” he said, expressing the intent to expand the party in other states and Naga-inhabited areas.
While reiterating the NPF's commitment to its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying the partnership is guided by the shared objective of achieving an early political solution while accelerating development, he said the regional party remains unequivocal in safeguarding the identity, traditions and values of the Naga people.
Government's vision
The CM also said that the government cannot lose sight of the people's everyday needs.
‘Peace and development must go hand in hand, and the pursuit of all-round development and accelerated progress remains our foremost priority,’ he said.
The government's vision is clear: better roads, improved connectivity, reliable infrastructure, enhanced digital access, quality education, accessible healthcare, and meaningful employment opportunities for the youth, he added.
Joining NPF is a privilege — Joel Naga
Joel Naga, president of the now-defunct RPP, described the merger of the two political parties as a “going home moment”, saying that the decision was taken because the NPF has been upholding “Nagaism” since its inception, an ideology coined and espoused by CM Rio, which emphasises Naga identity, tradition and unity.
Citing the NPF’s clarion call made after merging with the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) last year, requesting all like-minded parties and individuals to join the party, Joel said the RPP concluded that it was the right time to strengthen the regional party under the leadership of the chief minister and his vision of Nagaism, as the two parties ‘share the same ideological outlook’.
On behalf of his colleagues, he pledged full commitment to Rio's dynamic leadership, assuring to abide by the party principles and discipline.
He described the NPF as "not merely a political party, but a Naga institution and the edifice upon which Naga unity will be built and aspirations fulfilled.
Joining the NPF is a privilege, not a right, he said, while expressing gratefulness to be a part of the party.
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Achumbemo Kikon criticises elders' narrative
Also speaking at event, NPF Secretary General Achumbemo Kikon opined that some senior leaders are misleading the younger generation on the Naga political issue.
While expressing gratitude to Naga freedom fighters for their continued pursuit of the Naga cause, Kikon, who is also an Advisor to CM, said that ‘clarity in our effort to find an acceptable and inclusive outcome to the Naga political issue seems to be lacking’.
Pointing out that the NLA has adopted resolutions supporting Naga integration on six occasions—in 1964, 1970, 1994, 2003, 2015 and 2018—he said S.C. Jamir was the Deputy CM in the United Democratic Front government in 1977 and later as Chief Minister in 1994, during which the Assembly adopted the resolution on Naga integration.
"Today, looking at the narrative of some elders, including S.C. Jamir; they seem to have diverted from the principles they once stood (for) when they were in the party," Kikon stated.
"Our elders today cannot afford to mislead young Naga minds," he said, while urging the NPF party workers to study Naga history and have clarity as they represent the Naga people.
He said that it is the duty of the NPF to educate youngsters about Nagas and that the party represents Nagas across the entire Naga homeland. He added that the Naga people have the right to live together under one administrative arrangement.
Responding to a recent statement by the state BJP president that regional parties have "no agenda," Kikon argued that regional parties have played a vital role in protecting Naga rights.
He also reminded the BJP that regional party had contributed significantly to its political growth in the state.
President Emeritus Chingwang Konyak, who also serves as an adviser to the Chief Minister, delivered a brief address during the programme.
New office-bearers appointed
The NPF has appointed Joel Naga and Vitho Zao as Vice Presidents (Central Office Bearers), Amai Chingkhu as General Secretary (COB), Likhro Kreo as Secretary (COB), and Zhokhoi Chuzho as Vice President of the Central Youth Wing for the 2025–2030 tenure.