The Bible Society of India (BSI) has suspended all future publication of the Sümi Bible with immediate effect amid an ongoing legal dispute over the “Sümi Naga Re-edited 2025” edition, while clarifying that it neither translated nor independently introduced any of the disputed terminology in the publication.
In a statement issued following the litigation, BSI said the suspension was a consequence of the ongoing court proceedings and should not be interpreted as an admission of fault. The organisation said it was “deeply pained” by what it described as defamation and reputational damage caused by the controversy, stating that it has served the Church and Christian community for more than 215 years since its establishment in 1811.
The controversy reached the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court after a writ petition was filed by 1,065 members of the Sümi community challenging the publication of the revised Bible. The petitioners have alleged that the edition contains unauthorised linguistic, theological and grammatical changes that have caused confusion within the community. The court has issued notices to the Union of India, Government of Nagaland, BSI and other respondents, with the next hearing scheduled for September 7.
READ | High Court issues notice to Centre, Nagaland govt, BSI on Sumi Naga Bible petition
Clarifying its involvement, BSI said the re-editing project was initiated after a formal request from the Sümi Baptist Convention (SBC) in 2013. The organisation stated that the project was completed in 2025 after following established editorial procedures, including proofreading, corrections and approval by editors representing the translators and the SBC before printing.
BSI said the printed copies of the 2025 edition were delivered to the SBC and remain under the sole custody and ownership of the convention. It added that any decision regarding the use, withdrawal, recall, distribution or non-use of the edition rests entirely with the churches and their apex bodies and not with BSI.
“Any decision regarding the use, withdrawal, recall, distribution or non-use of the 2025 edition of the Sümi Bible rests entirely with the churches and their respective apex bodies. Such decisions do not fall within the authority or responsibility of the Bible Society of India,” the organisation stated.
BSI also said its silence during the dispute should not be construed as an admission of wrongdoing, asserting that it has always sought to promote peace, reconciliation and harmony within the Christian community.
The organisation said the clarification was issued reluctantly in view of the litigation initiated by advocate Surjya Das of the Calcutta High Court, reportedly engaged by Kahuto Chishi on behalf of the Society for Sümi Language Preservation.
The BSI said it remains committed to making the Holy Bible available in people’s mother tongues and highlighted its long association with the Sümi Christian community. It noted that it published the Gospel of Mark in Sümi in 1928, the New Testament in 1944 and the complete Bible in 1972, followed by subsequent revisions.
Expressing hope for an amicable resolution, BSI said it looked forward to resuming its ministry among Sümi churches once a mutually acceptable settlement was reached “in a spirit of Christian love, unity and forgiveness.”
The legal challenge was initiated by the Society for Sümi Language Preservation, which has objected to changes made in key words and expressions in the revised edition, alleging that they departed from accepted Sümi linguistic usage.
