The Naga political issue predates India’s independence from colonial rule. Historical records indicate that armed conflict between Indian security forces and the Naga people began in the 1950s. Similar to the Armed Forces Special Powers Ordinance of 1942—a colonial-era law granting extensive powers to suppress the Quit India Movement—independent India introduced the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in 1958. The Naga people have consistently opposed AFSPA, demanding its complete repeal.
On November 19, the Ao Senden appealed to the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs during his visit to Mokokchung, urging him to repeal AFSPA in the district. This appeal is the latest in a series of demands by the Naga people for the Act’s removal.
It is an undeniable fact that the Naga people were divided by an international boundary without their knowledge or consent. This division explains their opposition to the fencing of the India-Myanmar border, as expressed by the Ao Senden in their plea to the Union Minister. They also urged the Indian government to reinstate the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which had allowed cross-border movement for communities living along the boundary. It is ironic that the government of India enforces a law like AFSPA, which the Naga people vehemently oppose, while dismantling a regime like the FMR, which they strongly support.
Within India, the Naga people are scattered across Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam. In the latter three states, they remain minorities with limited political influence to address the Naga issue in their respective state legislative assemblies. Decades of armed conflict have led to conflict fatigue among the Naga people, resulting in emotional, mental, and psychological exhaustion. This fatigue often leads to diminished empathy, engagement, and motivation to resolve the conflict, even as it remains unresolved. Emotional numbness, apathy, burnout, and desensitization—frequently observed on social media—are clear symptoms of this conflict fatigue.
The Naga political issue is not confined to Nagaland state; it encompasses all Nagas. Treating it as a Nagaland state-specific matter would be a fundamental mistake. If the issue were merely about Nagaland state, the 16-point agreement that led to the state’s creation should have resolved it. The most viable and honorable path forward is for all Nagas to unite and collectively seek an amicable resolution to the political issue.