The Niki-led National Socialist Council of Nagaland/Government of the People’s Republic of Nagaland (NSCN/GPRN) has criticized recent legal and administrative measures, including a Nagaland state notification on vehicle regulations, calling them an infringement on religious identity and constitutional protections.
In a statement, the NSCN/GPRN (Niki) said, “Not a shocker that Indians laws have always contradicted itself as a self defeating mechanism; to beguile and trick its citizens. Indian Secularism is at best a farcical sham; Only pleasing on paper but in reality, it is infested with religious intolerance and jingoism.”
It also alleged repeated violations of Article 371A, stating that the provision is being overridden “on Religion, Resources, Customs, Language, etc.”
The statement came in response to a recent notification issued by the Nagaland government regarding motor vehicles, which bans the display of religion or NGO-based slogans, signage, stickers and other unauthorized identifiers on both private and public vehicles.
NSCN/GPRN said the practice of displaying church names and logos on vehicles has long been part of institutional identity in Nagaland.
It stated, “It has been a long-standing and accepted tradition for churches and church associations to display the names, logos, or signage of their respective institutions on vehicles belonging to them.” It added that church vehicles often serve important social, humanitarian, and community purposes, and that the display of church names or logos “has always been symbolic of identity and service, not religious coercion or propaganda.”
The group further described the notification as “an insidious notification” and claimed it could be misused by authorities. “This insidious notification is a subtle attempt to suppress the visible identity and presence of Christians and churches in public spaces under the guise of administrative regulation,” it said.
It also alleged possible harassment of church leaders, stating it “can be misused by Indian security and police as a pretext of being Unidentified to harrass Reverends, Pastors, Churches.”
Reasserting its position, NSCN/GPRN (Niki) said, “Nagaland has the God-given right to practice/profess our religion openly in public rather than timidly in the confines of our home. Therefore, NSCN/GPRN shall steadfastly defend Nagaland for Christ.”