In what has been described as a “Winning Day” for the Nagas, leaders of 16 Naga Political Groups (NPGs), 34 Tribal Hohos and the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) on August 23, converged at Rural Assembly Hall, Ungma village under the aegis of Council of Naga Cooperation and Relationship (CNCR) to reaffirm unity and a shared political vision of the Naga people.
The gathering was solemnly welcomed by Ungma Village Council and its citizens, who declared a sacred genna- Sungkham Shipang- by closing the village gate on August 22 and 23, thereby signifying and affirming the village’s sacred and communal commitment to the convergence. According to the “Ungma Statement” issued by FNR convenor Rev. Dr. Wati Aier, the meeting- attended by representatives of NPGs, tribal hohos from all Naga areas, and FNR- was held in continuity with the January 14, 2025 Treatise and subsequent affirmations made during the year.
The assembly reiterated an earnest and unified call that all Naga Political Groups, with the clear-cut support of the tribe hohos, will converge at a “Common Ground” to articulate and pursue a shared political vision based on the Naga people’s historical and political rights.
“This vision is not merely inherited but is continually affirmed through our collective memory, struggle, and aspiration,” the statement read. The statement also stressed that such convergence must be undertaken “without preconditions and without the burden of rationalized narratives that fragment unity.” It asserted that the path towards the future must be unobstructed, one that is a tangible horizon shaped by the courage to reconcile, the wisdom to listen, and the will to act. CNCR, it said, stands as a platform of moral clarity and responsibility, where “no group will undermine the oath taken today in the name of the Naga people before God.”
Declaring the outcome as “a covenant, not a mere procedural outcome,” the statement said the people’s collective voice had decisively chosen to rise above fragmentation and division by embracing forgiveness and healing to honour the sacrifices of past generations and to walk together toward a future defined by dignity, justice and peace.
It added that the unity expressed at Ungma was based on firm conviction, forged in shared suffering and sustained by the hope of collective flourishing.
“Therefore, on this day, Saturday, August 23, 2025, at Ungma Village, Nagaland, we, the representatives of the NPGs, Tribal Hohos and the FNR, declare this statement as a binding affirmation of our shared commitment to the dignified wholeness of the Naga people,” the declaration stated.
It further affirmed: “Let this be remembered as the day the Naga people chose convergence over fragmentation, vision over rhetoric, and future over fear. Therefore, today we confess and declare that Nagas are one. God be our help!”
Earlier, Rev. Wati also unveiled a monolith– ‘Naga Reconciliation Testament’.
Ao Senden: In his address as the host, Ao Senden president Marsanen Imsong expressed gratitude to the FNR for its unwavering dedication over the past 18 years, describing its efforts as a blessing that paved the way for the present convergence.
He said true reconciliation was the greatest victory the Nagas could claim, not through speeches or laws, but in the “quiet, aching centre of the human heart”—a choice that called for courage, and one that must be made now.
Imsong reminded that thousands of lives, decades of prayers, and generations of hope had been invested in the pursuit of unity and a brighter future. While the weight of the past remained real, he said, the future awaited a decisive step from brokenness towards healing.
Stating that Nagas stood “at the hinge of history,” he cautioned that the burden could not be borne by anyone else. “We will either bend beneath heavy history or rise to a destiny born of courage, compassion, and shared humanity,” he asserted.
Calling on Naga leaders to recognise the power of words, Imsong cited Proverbs 18:21: “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” He urged leaders to let their speeches and writings be guided by the singular goal of reconciliation and unity of the Naga people.
He stressed that history would not remember leaders for their tenure or titles, but for whether they left behind a legacy of conflict or a foundation of unity. The cry of the people, he added, was “clear and loud”—they were waiting for humility, wisdom, and courage from their leaders.
“Let this be our pledge today: to walk out not as representatives of separate groups, but as architects of a common destiny,” Imsong declared. Reaffirming Ao Senden’s readiness to walk the path of reconciliation with the NPGs, he said the cause of the people must prevail over every disagreement.
Also addressing the gathering, Imtidongba Jamir, Tatar of Tambuti Ungma Kosasanger Puso Menden, welcomed the leaders and delegates on behalf of the village.
He described the FNR as a “ray of hope” since its formation in 2008, saying it had reminded Nagas of their common identity and destiny. Citing Psalm 133:1, he said unity was the greatest strength of the Naga people and urged all to stand together for reconciliation and peace.
There was also open discussion session which was moderated by Rev. Dr. Wati Aier while Dr. Visier Sanyü presented ‘a synthesis’ and declaration of ‘Ungma Statement’ by FNR convenor.
The programme was chaired by FNR member Rev. Dr. Ellen Konyak Jamir, prayer of blessings by ABAM executive secretary Rev. Temsu Jamir and benediction by associated women pastor of Ungma Baptist Church Rev. Talijungla Longkumer.
Move beyond Framework Agreement, Agreed Position: FNR
Correspondent
MOKOKCHUNG, AUG 23 (NPN): Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) convenor Rev. Dr. Wati Aier on Saturday underlined that the Forum was clear not to dwell on past agreements such as the Framework Agreement (FA) or Agreed Position (AP), but to move beyond them. He said this was the message conveyed to both Naga Political Groups (NPGs) and tribal hohos, and one that the public must also clearly understand.
Addressing the media after the 15th meeting of the FNR at Ungma, Dr. Wati said the process gained momentum from the Kohima meeting hosted by the Angami Public Organization on July 24, 2025, where NPGs were much more open to changes and admitting their own mistakes, which was never so in the past.
The August 23 meeting, he said, pushed that development a little further, with all speakers urging that time not be wasted but a resolute decision taken.
The Ungma Statement, he added, was a reiteration of what was presented to the NPGs, to which none raised objections.
Dr. Wati maintained that comparisons between FA and AP were politicized and counterproductive. “We need to go beyond FA and AP, and that is what the public ought to understand,” he stressed.
Supplementing him, FNR member Dr. Visier Sanyü said NPGs themselves had affirmed that “there cannot be two agreements” and that Nagas were “one people.”
He noted that the Ungma gathering was the largest so far with participation of NPGs and tribal bodies, including those from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur.
Dr. Wati further said the outcome was positive as NPGs agreed to work out modalities with tribal hohos on how the latter could extend support.
Rev Dr. Ellen Konyak Jamir, also an FNR member, added that a significant aspect of the August 23 meeting was the coming together of different groups and, more recently, the remarkable support from apex Naga tribal bodies.