I was born into a world where whispers of war and betrayal
were as common as the wind. My childhood was shaped by stories of heroes and
martyrs, of brothers who became enemies in a cause they once shared. I did not
understand the weight of those words then, but I carried them with me.
The struggle for Naga unity is not just a political process;
it is a deeply personal one. Just as our people have tried and failed to
reconcile, I, too, have wrestled with my own struggles, my own losses, and my
own longing for healing. Perhaps that is why this fight for unity feels so
personal to me. Because in many ways, it mirrors my own life.
The scars of our past run deep, but so does our longing for
unity. This is why the efforts of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR)
matter to me. It is not just about political agreements; it is about healing
the wounds that have shaped our lives.
For years, we watched our leaders shake hands, sign
agreements, and make solemn promises, only to see them collapse under old
rivalries and power struggles. Hope rose, only to be betrayed. But we have also
seen the resilience of a people who refuse to give up on each other.
The Covenant of Reconciliation (2009)
I was in high school when I first heard about the Covenant
of Reconciliation, the first initiative of FNR. It felt like hope of a new
dawn. For the first time, leaders who were once considered enemies, Isak Chishi
Swu of NSCN-IM, S.S. Khaplang of NSCN-K, and Brig.(Retd.) S. Singnya of
NNC/FGN, stood together and declared an end to inter-factional violence. They
did not just make a political agreement; they made a covenant before God.
Imagine Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2009—leaders who once shed
each other’s blood knelt and washed each other’s feet. It felt like a turning
point, a moment when decades of violence might finally end.
For a while, it seemed like things were changing. The
streets of Dimapur, Kohima, and other Naga towns felt less tense. We no longer
woke up to news of one faction assassinating members of another. For the first time
in years, there was a fragile peace. However, though the covenant brought
peace, it couldn’t unite the factions.
The Naga Concordant (2011)
The next remarkable effort of FNR towards Naga unity came
about when I was in college. Though the fratricidal killings stopped, the
divisions remained. The Naga Concordant, signed in 2011, was supposed to be the
next step, a commitment to work toward a single Naga National Government,
agreed upon in principle.
Unfortunately, the High-Level Commission that was supposed
to turn this vision into reality failed to function as intended. Also, despite
the Naga Concordant, new factions emerged due to leadership disputes and
ideological differences, further complicating the unification process.
All along, I was beginning to understand the complexities of
human nature. College was where I learned that even the closest of friendships
could break under the weight of misunderstandings. I had friends, brothers in
all but blood, who drifted apart because of ego, pride, stubbornness and
betrayal. We had promised each other that nothing would come between us. Yet,
we let it happen anyway.
Just like the Naga factions, we had all the right
intentions. We wanted unity, but we lacked the will to sacrifice for it and
sometimes selfishness took over. And so, the Naga Concordant faded into
history, just as some of my closest friendships faded into memory.
The Lenten Agreement (2014)
Then came the Lenten Agreement in 2014 which basically
reiterated what was agreed upon in the Naga concordant; formation of a unified
Naga National Government. By now, I was no longer just an observer of Naga
affairs; I had started advocating for our Naga rights, eager to be a part of
our nation building process. But I had also learned not to hope too much.
Once again, leaders signed. Once again, the FNR facilitated
discussions. And once again, we were told that unity was on the horizon. But
the horizon remained just that, something always out of reach. The Lenten
Agreement faltered partly due to the lack of a strong enforcement mechanism and
external influences, such as the GoI’s selective engagement with certain
factions while side-lining others, creating mistrust.
The Council of Naga Relationships and Co-operation (2025)
Now, in 2025, we are at another turning point. The FNR,
relentless in its pursuit of peace and unity, has proposed the materialisation
of the Council of Naga Relationships and Cooperation which was first agreed
upon in principle between the NSCN-IM and the 7NNPGs in 2022 in Kolkata. For the
first time, this initiative extends beyond political factions to include tribal
bodies and civil society, a move that could finally bring the broader Naga
society into the process.
If the Forum for Naga Reconciliation's initiative falters,
we may never have another opportunity of this magnitude. This moment is not
just a chance, it is a call to duty. We must rise above differences and rally
behind the FNR to transform the Council of Naga Relationships and Cooperation
into a lasting reality. Our collective future depends on it.
Reconciliation, whether at a societal level or in our
personal lives, is never easy. Losing my wife to cancer in 2021, I was left
with my personal, professional, and social life devastated. But life has given
me another chance to rebuild, not to restart but continue from where it went
wrong. The path forward remains uncertain, yet if my own journey has taught me
anything, it is this: we cannot allow our past to define our future.
The Covenant of Reconciliation showed us that peace is
possible. The Naga Concordant showed us that peace alone is not enough—we need
structural unity. The Lenten Agreement showed us that without enforcement,
agreements and commitments are just illusions.
Was Unity Ever Possible?
There was a time when I believed the answer was no. But
today, I realise that unity, whether in a nation, a family, or within one’s own
heart, is never found. It is built, day by day, through hard choices and painful
sacrifices.
If the Naga people want unity, we must do more than sign
agreements. We must be willing to give up our pride, to be held accountable, to
demand transparency from our leaders. We must choose unity, not just with
words, but with action.
I do not know if unity was ever truly possible, but I know
that without unity, our people will be forever negotiating from a position of
weakness. We will be just spectators in our own fate, watching as others decide
our future.
A Call to Action
One key reason why past efforts failed is the lack of public
accountability. To ensure accountability, a coalition of students, youth, civil
society, and tribal bodies could be established to track commitments, enforce
accountability and demand transparency.
Accountability cannot just exist on paper. Civil society
must be ready to withdraw cooperation from groups that prioritise personal
ambition over national unity. If any faction violates reconciliation and
Unification efforts, civil society must publicly withdraw support by,
•Denouncing
them in official statements.
•Refusing
to cooperate in political or economic dealings.
•Encouraging
Naga people to boycott any faction that obstructs unity.
If we, as a people, unite in this demand, we may finally
break free from the past and build a future that belongs to all Nagas. We
fought for our rights, for our identity, for our future, but what is a future
without unity? The path ahead is uncertain, but the choice is clear. Either we
stand together, or we fall apart.
