BBC’s reporting on Naga Homeland criticized for reinforcing colonial narratives

The Naga International Support Center (NISC), a human rights organization advocating for the rights and sovereignty of the Naga people, has strongly criticized the BBC’s recent coverage titled “Indian tribes seek to bring back ancestral skulls from UK.”

The NISC argued that the BBC’s reporting goes beyond journalistic oversight and demonstrates a broader failure to address Britain’s colonial legacy. “In an era where colonial accountability dominates global discourse, the BBC’s reporting on the Naga people represents more than mere oversight – it exemplifies institutional amnesia that perpetuates colonial injustice,” the statement read. According to NISC, the BBC not only misrepresented the Naga Homeland as part of India but also actively erased Naga sovereignty, a sovereignty that predated both British colonialism and Indian independence.

The organization stressed that the historical record is clear. “From 1830 to 1947, Britain exercised direct colonial control over the Naga Homeland. This period marked not the beginning of Naga identity, but merely an interruption of centuries of sovereign existence.” The Naga people, the NISC continues, maintained their distinct civilization – with unique governmental systems, cultural practices, and territorial integrity – long before European powers drew arbitrary borders across Asia.

The statement highlighted several key historical events that demand international attention, including:

· The Naga Nation’s declaration of independence, formally communicated to the United Nations, British Government, and India on August 14, 1947 – a full day before India’s independence.

· Britain’s silence on this declaration, despite its colonial responsibility.

· The absence of any legal instrument transferring the Naga Homeland to Indian control.

· The betrayal of Mahatma Gandhi’s promise: “If you don’t want to join India, I shall be the first to defend you.”

The NISC pointed to a key question raised by the NSCN: Where is the legal documentation of Britain’s transfer of the Naga Homeland to India?

“This isn’t merely a technical oversight – it represents a fundamental challenge to the legitimacy of current territorial arrangements,” the statement asserted.

The NISC emphasized that contemporary international law recognizes colonization as a crime against humanity. However, according to NISC, “Britain’s abandonment of its colonial responsibilities and India’s subsequent actions has created a legal paradox: a sovereign people whose right to self-determination was first suppressed by colonial power, then denied by post-colonial convenience.”

In its critique, the NISC accused the BBC of media complicity in maintaining colonial narratives. As a public broadcaster funded by British citizens, the BBC, the statement argued, has a special responsibility to address these issues. NISC demanded that the BBC:

· Launch an independent investigation into the legal status of the Naga Homeland’s transfer to India.

· Produce a comprehensive documentary on Britain’s colonial legacy in Nagalim.

· Issue a formal editorial review of its coverage policies regarding historically colonized nations.

· Establish a dedicated desk for post-colonial accountability reporting.

The NISC also laid out several demands. It demanded the British Government to publicly clarify the legal status of the Naga Homeland’s transfer to India. It demanded that the BBC acknowledge its role in perpetuating colonial narratives and commit to corrective action. International bodies, particularly the UN and UNPO, must investigate this ongoing denial of self-determination, it said, adding, academic institutions must prioritize research into this critical gap in post-colonial accountability.

“This is not merely about historical correction – it’s about contemporary justice,” it added. According to NISC, the Naga people’s struggle represents a critical test case for international law’s ability to address colonial legacies. “As climate change and global political realignments force a reconsideration of traditional power structures, the Naga question becomes increasingly relevant to global stability and justice,” it stated.

The NISC called upon journalists, academics, legal experts, and human rights advocates to examine this case as a matter of urgency. “The silence around the Naga question is not neutral – it is complicity in ongoing injustice,” it added.

MT