At a time when legal access in India remains heavily skewed against rural and marginalised populations, Nagaland Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio has once again pushed for a separate high court for the state, while urging a more inclusive legal system that acknowledges the reality of indigenous communities and their customary practices.
Speaking at a tree plantation program organised by the High Court Bar Association at the upcoming high court complex in Meriema on Saturday, Rio said that while formal institutions of justice are vital, they must not override the existing traditional justice systems that are “quick, cost-effective, and rooted in community harmony.”
He said that customary law, protected under Article 371 of the Constitution, continues to play a vital role in Nagaland’s legal framework and should be respected alongside modern jurisprudence.
“If we look only at the courts, many of our farmers and villagers in rural areas will not be able to afford legal processes. They might give up their rights altogether,” Rio said.
Rio’s speech, delivered against the backdrop of the still-pending demand for a full-fledged high court in Nagaland, also took aim at the central government’s inaction. The state currently hosts only the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court.
According to the chief minister, Nagaland has already spent over ¹ 214 crore of its own limited resources to build the required infrastructure, including courtrooms, judges’ residences, and support facilities. But despite several appeals to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice and the Chief Justice of India, Rio said that the Centre has not released any grant for the project.
“To complete furnishing and staffing, we need another ¹ 300 crore,” he said.
But despite several appeals to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice and the Chief Justice of India, Rio said that the state has received no grant from the Centre.
“We will continue to press our demand for a separate,” he stated, urging the legal fraternity to uphold high standards of justice delivery within the state.
Rio’s remarks also reflect the broader constitutional and political complexity in Nagaland, where Article 371(A) grants special protections to customary law and practices of the Naga people. The chief minister framed customary institutions not as obsolete relics, but as living systems of justice that deserve parity within the state’s legal framework.
“When justice is delivered, peace and harmony follow. Injustice breeds division,” he said, calling for justice to be “done in spirit, not just in letter.”
(With inputs from PTI)