At a time when tribal fault lines, village politics, and digital hostility increasingly shape public discourse in Nagaland, Naga People’s Front Secretary General and MLA Achumbemo Kikon on Thursday called upon Naga youth to widen their vision beyond village and tribal identities, asserting that the future of the Naga community depends on unity, intellectual growth, and responsibility.
Speaking as the Special Guest at the valedictory programme of the Lotha Students’ Union Conference in Wokha, Kikon said student platforms must evolve beyond ceremonial gatherings and serve as “intellectual spaces that inspire wisdom and impact society collectively.” Warning against superficial participation, he said such conferences must equip participants to return to their communities “with wisdom — the kind we do not get from the classroom.”
Invoking the history of the Naga political movement, Kikon reminded students that Naga unity itself was born from leaders who dared to think beyond tribal boundaries. “Had it not been for the Naga political movement pioneered by our forefathers, we would still be living as small communities — as Mao, as Lotha, as Ao, or as Rongmei — instead of as Nagas,” he said, recalling the journey from the 1918 Naga Club to the formation of the Naga National Council at Wokha in 1946.
He said it was striking that earlier generations, despite limited formal education, possessed the vision to build pan-Naga institutions, and challenged today’s educated youth to rise above “village politics and narrow tribal interests.” A divided society, he cautioned, could not sustain itself. “A divided house cannot stand,” he said, placing the responsibility of unity and reconciliation squarely on the younger generation.
Kikon also raised concerns over the conduct of educated youth on social media, noting that online behaviour now shapes public opinion and communal relations. “Are we spreading positivity and cooperation or hate and negativity?” he asked, urging students to engage responsibly and contribute to constructive discourse.
While calling for modernization, the MLA stressed that progress must not come at the cost of Naga cultural values. Respect for elders, mutual care, and collective responsibility, he said, were foundational to Naga society and must be consciously retrieved and practised.
On education, Kikon warned against what he described as a “half-educated society,” cautioning that dependence on shortcuts weakens intellectual capacity. “We must become avid and ferocious readers if we are to compete in a globalised world,” he said.
Concluding his address, Kikon said the survival of the Naga community depends on unity. “If the Naga community collapses, each tribe, each village, and each individual will collapse. What keeps us alive today is that we remain one Naga family,” he added.