How Naga CSOs and Christian forums support the FNR for the Naga Reconciliation process can be seen as a renewed hope of Naga unity

On Saturday, October 8, 2022, the Naga people experienced renewed hope for their common journey when the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) issued a meeting release stating that “Naga apex organizations and the Church came together with a realization that the Naga people must change by acting in hope and acknowledging one another as people of common belonging in the moment for the future.”

The idea for these meetings was initiated by FNR, and the participating Naga Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Church Forums expressed their support for the “September Joint Accordant,” which was facilitated by FNR and signed on September 14, 2022, by the National Socialist Council of Nagalim/Government of the People’s Republic of Nagalim (NSCN/GPRN) and the Working Committee of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs).

The Naga people are possibly experiencing one of the lowest points of unity, where many Naga CSOs and Naga Nationalist Organizations (NNOs) all making the same journey had taken different routes, and it almost felt like a renewed hope, which is remarkable given that until relatively recently, different Naga organizations coming together and talking at the same table was unlikely.

Despite the fact that few other NNOs, particularly the Naga National Council (NNC), did not participate in the recently FNR-initiated “September Joint Accordant,” three aspects can be understood from both the September and October releases: participants must have felt a sense of camaraderie, the valorization of togetherness/unity, and the feeling that the journey is just as important as the destination.

Why the Nagas are divided

To understand why so many Nagas saw the recent FNR initiative as a source of renewed hope, consider the differences and some of the major incidents that have occurred since the formation of the NNC in 1946, including the 9-Point Hydari Agreement (1947), the 16 Point Agreement (1960), formation of Nagaland state (1963), the Shillong Accord (1975), the split in the NNC (1980, 1990), the split in the NSCN (1988), the NSCN-K internal issue/split (2010, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2020), the NSCN-IM internal issue/split (2007, 2019), the Naga Hoho internal crisis (since 2008), the difference on the Atlanta Meet (2013), the formation of Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC, 2013), the Indo-Naga Framework Agreement (2015), the formation of the Working Committee of the Naga National Political Groups – NNPGs (2016), the Agreed Position (2017), WC, NNPGs/NSCN/GPRN (K) internal issue (2020) and the WC, NNPGs/NSCN (R) internal issue/split(2021).

The Reconciliation Initiative

The disparity persists to this day, but the most notable feature of the recent FNR-initiated meet was the sense of camaraderie and unity it inspired. It did, however, bring together some NNOs and CSOs as a realization of shared belonging and journey. Therefore, it would not be incorrect to compare the recently renewed hope for Naga unity to the Naga Political Groups Reconciliation meeting organized by the Quakers, American Baptist Churches and FNR in Chiangmai (Thailand, 2008), Covenant of Reconciliation (Facilitated by FNR, Thailand, 2009) as well as to the High-Level Reconciliation Meet (The Naga Concordant, 2011), especially after the “September Joint Accordance” was widely considered a “defining moment for Nagas in 2022.”

True Naga reconciliation and understanding can be expected only if both NNOs and Naga CSOs initiate such a reconciliation process. The recent steps taken by NSCN and NNPGs to come to a meeting point to sort out their differences were a great accomplishment on the initiative of the FNR. However, we see no movement from Naga CSOs in that direction. After Naga Hoho was disassociated by many Naga unions/organizations, it appears that the Naga CSOs have not met until today. The risk is that a minor achievement among the NNOs can be easily annihilated/destroyed by the negative air emitted by division among the Naga CSOs, especially if there is mistrust/distrust within the CSOs setup.

No one expected miracles or transformations to occur in the Naga unity overnight. Furthermore, while the desire to be united was a strong motivator for every Naga individual, the final decision to unite or not to unite appears to have always been directed by the respective Naga organizations/unions by viewing through local rather than broader Naga lenses. Today, the Naga reconciliation journey is “a long line of reconciliation process ahead,” and if Naga National Organizations commit to the process and Naga Civil Society Organizations are ready to describe themselves as such – can help us better understand this moment in history and the shared experience.