UKHRUL/KOHIMA: The Global Naga Forum (GNF) on Saturday issued a statement expressing concern over what it described as a deliberate narrowing and distortion of public discourse on the Naga political issue, warning that such a trajectory could undermine dialogue and consent-based resolution.
The GNF said recent public assertions by influential voices questioning the legitimacy of resistance and alternative political persuasions among the Nagas were unhealthy and dangerous. According to the GNF, these assertions go beyond critique of organisations or methods and instead seek to delegitimise certain Naga voices while elevating one worldview aligned with administrative convenience and state power.
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The GNF further stated that disagreement among Nagas is neither new nor a threat, but cautioned that shrinking political space to silence dissent could lead to the closure of the Naga political issue through exhaustion, intimidation and selective silence rather than dialogue.
Addressing claims that the NSCN-IM is responsible for delays in resolving the Naga political issue, the GNF said such assertions were misleading and incomplete. It noted that negotiations have continued for over two decades and argued that responsibility for delay cannot be placed solely on one party, particularly one without final authority to conclude or implement an agreement.
It also rejected the argument that resistance has become an obstacle to peace and normalcy, stating that peace without political resolution amounts to “quiet administration.” It reiterated that the foundational question of non-consensual political incorporation remains unresolved.
Responding to claims that NSCN-IM no longer represents the will of the Naga people, the GNF pointed out that no alternative political body chosen through collective Naga consent has been proposed, nor has any replacement interlocutor been constituted.
The statement further addressed arguments linking resistance to suffering and lack of development, stating that decades of militarisation and coercive governance preceded resistance, and that development cannot substitute for political resolution or dignity.
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On calls for closure in the name of the younger generation, the forum said closure without consent is erasure and warned that unresolved political questions do not disappear but resurface over time.
The GNF clarified that it does not defend any particular organisation but stands for political space, historical honesty and the right of Nagas to differ without intimidation. It rejected attempts to reduce the Naga political issue to an administrative matter or to declare unresolved questions settled through repetition.
It then said the credibility of Naga public life depends on truthful engagement and the preservation of space for dialogue, rather than silencing alternative political persuasions.