16 NPGs, 34 Tribal Hohos and FNR agree: “Nagas are one”
Ungma village in Mokokchung district, in a historic moment, observed a sacred genna, Süngkhüm Shipang, with the closure of the village gates on August 22 and 23, as the Ao Senden hosted the 15th meeting of the Council of Naga Cooperation and Relationship (CNCR) on Saturday, August 23, 2025 in the village.
The CNCR meeting brought together representatives of 16 Naga Political Groups (NPGs), 34 Tribal Hohos from across Naga areas, and the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR). The genna symbolized Ungma’s sacred and communal commitment to this historic convergence.
According to the Ungma Statement issued by the FNR, the assembly, held “in continuity with the January 14, 2025 Treatise, followed by affirmations and resolutions made throughout 2025,” reiterated a unified call that all NPGs, with the support of the Tribe Hohos, must converge at a common ground to pursue a shared political vision on the basis of the Naga people’s historical and political rights.
The statement read: “This convergence must be undertaken without preconditions, without the burden of rationalized narratives that fragment our unity… The CNCR stands as a platform of moral clarity and responsibility, where no group will undermine the oath taken today in the name of the Naga people before God. This declaration is a covenant, not a mere procedural outcome… Therefore today we confess and declare that Nagas are one. God be our help!”
Explaining the significance of the 15th meeting, FNR Convenor Rev Dr Wati Aier said, “This is the 15th time we are meeting since January. What we decided last month in Kohima, hosted by Angami Public Organization, it came out positively. Naga political groups were much more open to changes and in admitting their own mistake. In the past it never happened. Today, we have pushed that a little further. Today, almost all the speakers spoke about, Let’s stop wasting time. Let’s come to a resolute solution.”
When asked how the FNR aims to bridge the ideological divide regarding the political groups’ stance on the Indian Constitution, Aier responded, “FNR is saying, don’t talk about the Framework Agreement or even the Agreed Position. Let’s not talk about it. We need to go beyond Framework Agreement and Agreed Position. Let us not talk about these past things. The Naga Political group, the tribal hohos, we have made it clear to all those who have come and to all those who are going- let’s not talk about Agreed position or Framework- We have to go beyond.”
“They also agreed today that there cannot be two agreements- we are one people. This was an improvement. They themselves said, there cannot be two agreements because we are one people – That is one way to look forward,” FNR member Dr Visier Sanyü observed.
Rev Dr Ellen Konyak Jamir of the FNR added, “What’s really significant about today is we are able to have all the different groups together. In recent times, we also have the support of Naga tribe hohos and that’s really remarkable.”
Dr Sanyü further noted, “Today, we also had the largest group gathering – 34 tribes and 16 NPGs, we never had that.”
Isak Sumi, Convenor of the WC NNPGs, remarked, “In our journey for common hope, Ungma being one of the historical villages as in the past, today and even in the future, they have truly demonstrated the spirit of pioneers. So, we are grateful and thankful to the Ungma Village and the Ao Senden, and it is our hope they will continue to be the torchbearers.”
He added, “It is a landmark session. Even though we have been having our 14th or 15th meetings, today is a significant day… the participation from the tribals, the graciousness, the manner in which the Ungma Village and the Ao Senden hosted this is quite impressive, beyond expression, and we are thankful to them. I hope this day will be recorded in the Naga history.”
