Songpi: In a major development in the Naga political landscape, a new political formation named the National Socialist Council of Nagaland / People’s Republic of Nagaland (NSCN/PRN) has officially declared its formation. The announcement was made through a formal press declaration bearing reference number NSCN/MIP/DECL/01/2026 dated 10th September 2026, signed by Joseph Naga, Secretary to NSCN/PRN. According to the declaration, the formation is in response to the clarion call of the Naga people and is guided by enduring aspirations for peace, unity, dignity and preservation of collective identity. The statement says that Nagas across tribes, communities and regions have converged to advance their historical and political movement under the aegis of NSCN/PRN, founded upon an unwavering commitment to safeguard the identity, historical rights, political aspirations and future of the Naga people through unity, cooperation, mutual respect and collective responsibility.
The newly formed NSCN/PRN has laid down five clear objectives as its guiding principles. First, safeguarding the identity, historical rights and political aspirations of the Naga people. Second, promoting unity, peace, reconciliation and mutual understanding across all strata of Naga society. Third, protecting Naga land, culture, traditions, customs and heritage. Fourth, amplifying the legitimate aspirations of the Naga people. And fifth, upholding justice, dignity, equality and welfare of both present and future generations and pursuing a peaceful and honourable political future founded upon mutual respect and understanding. The organization stated that these objectives will form the core of its political engagement and its appeal to the Naga people at large.
Tracing the historical context of the Naga political journey, the declaration noted that despite decades of intensive political engagement, negotiations, agreements, ceasefires and peace initiatives, core questions concerning the political aspirations and fundamental rights of the Naga people remain unresolved. The historical record demonstrates that the Naga people possessed distinct social, cultural, customary and political institutions long prior to the imposition of modern state boundaries. During the British colonial era, Naga areas were administered under special arrangements that explicitly recognized their distinct geopolitical circumstances. The declaration seeks to reaffirm this historical distinctiveness as the foundation of its present political stand.
The statement provided a detailed chronology of key historical events to justify its formation. In 1929, Naga representatives submitted a landmark memorandum to the Simon Commission, resolutely expressing their desire to be left to determine their own political future following the departure of the British. In June 1947, the Nine-Point Agreement was concluded between Naga representatives and the Governor of Assam, Sir Akbar Hydari, addressing the future political and administrative relationship of the Naga territories. On 14th August 1947, the Naga National Council declared independence, one day prior to India’s own declaration of independence. In 1951, the NNC conducted a historic plebiscite on Naga independence, where nationalists claimed overwhelming support for self-determination, though the Government of India did not recognize it as legally binding.
Continuing the historical timeline, the declaration recalled that in 1953, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India and Prime Minister U Nu of Burma held bilateral discussions and conducted a joint tour of the region, unilaterally finalizing the boundary demarcation between India and Burma. This arbitrary division, the statement said, was enacted without the knowledge or consent of the Naga people, resulting in the artificial separation of their homeland, families and communities across an international border. In 1958, the Government of India promulgated the Armed Forces Special Powers Ordinance, later enacted as AFSPA, under which Naga-inhabited areas were unilaterally declared as a disturbed area, granting sweeping operational authority and legal immunity to the armed forces to contain the Naga national movement. Subsequently, the 16-Point Agreement was concluded between the Government of India and the Naga People’s Convention, resulting in the formal establishment of the State of Nagaland.
The declaration further noted that in April 1964, a Peace Mission was established to facilitate dialogue between the Government of India and Naga representatives, leading to a ceasefire and suspension of military operations, but the initiative broke down and talks were officially discontinued in 1967. In June 1972, the Government of India unilaterally transferred the administration of Naga political affairs from the Ministry of External Affairs to the Ministry of Home Affairs, a critical shift that categorized the Indo-Naga political issue as an internal law-and-order matter rather than a distinct geopolitical affair, which the declaration says deeply dishonored historical understandings. In 1975, the Shillong Accord was signed between representatives of the Government of India and the Naga National Council. In 1980, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland was formed by Isak Chishi Swu, S.S. Khaplang and Thuingaleng Muivah, marking a new definitive phase in the Naga political movement.
Highlighting the recent peace processes, the NSCN/PRN statement recalled that in 1997, the NSCN-IM entered into a formal ceasefire agreement with the Government of India, initiating a high-level Prime Minister-level political dialogue based on three mutually agreed principles – talks without pre-conditions, talks at the highest political level, and talks held in a neutral third country, a historic process that has continued since then. In 2015, the Government of India and the NSCN-IM signed the Framework Agreement, marking a monumental milestone in the ongoing political dialogue. In 2017, the Government of India and the Working Committee of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) entered into an Agreed Position. And in February 2024, the Government of India announced its decision to discontinue the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the India-Myanmar border, a development carrying severe implications for communities divided by the international boundary.
In its present call, the NSCN/PRN said the Naga political question remains an issue of profound historical, political and national significance. It said lessons of history demonstrate that division, mistrust, personal ambitions and competing interests only weaken the collective capability of the Naga people to realize their legitimate aspirations. Therefore, the group called upon all Nagas to rise above internal divisions, prejudice, personal ambitions, ego and parochial interests. It called for unity without uniformity, cooperation without coercion, and dialogue without the surrender of collective identity. The group firmly believes that the future of the Naga people hinges upon mutual respect among all tribes, communities, political groups, churches, civil society organizations and sections of society.
The declaration emphasized that the path forward must be illuminated by wisdom, responsibility, deep-seated reconciliation and an unshakeable commitment to the peaceful pursuit of political rights. The Naga people must stand resolute, unified by clarity of purpose and a shared commitment to preserving identity, protecting heritage and securing a dignified future for generations yet to come. The statement said, “Our strength lies not in fragmentation, but in our unyielding unity. Our future depends not upon hostility, but upon wisdom, courage, and statesmanlike leadership.” It further added that aspirations must be pursued not through malice, but through steadfastness, justice, continuous dialogue and peaceful cooperation, signaling a non-violent and political approach.
In its final commitment, the NSCN/PRN solemnly reaffirmed its commitment to unity, peace, justice, dignity, identity, historical rights, collective responsibility and a peaceful and sustainable political future. It appealed to every single Naga across tribes, regions, borders, generations and communities to join hands in this common pursuit of peace, unity, dignity and absolute preservation of collective identity. The declaration concluded with its slogan “United in purpose, preserving our identity and future” and was signed by Joseph Naga, Secretary to NSCN/PRN. Political observers in Nagaland see the emergence of NSCN/PRN as a new attempt to unify divided Naga groups under one platform at a time when the Indo-Naga peace talks are at a crucial stage.
