GNF defends Achumbemo Kikon; terms GB institution a ‘colonial construct’

The Global Naga Forum (GNF) has responded sharply to a recent statement by the Nagaland Gaon Burahs Federation (NGBF) that defended Gaonburahs and criticized NPF legislator Achumbemo Kikon for describing GBs as “mere appointees of the Home department” during the recently concluded Assembly session.
In a release from its media cell, GNF termed the Gaonburah institution as a “colonial construct” retained by postcolonial administrations and said it now presents “several ambiguities” in roles and functions.
GNF’s media cell pointed to inconsistencies in how Gaonburahs’ powers are applied and understood across rural and urban settings, citing tensions with Article 371A and the Nagaland Village and Area Council Act, 1978. The Forum urged the state government to undertake a comprehensive review of the relevant legal provisions to ensure clarity, consistency, and alignment with contemporary socio political realities of the Naga people.
Reiterating its commitment to Naga peoplehood, GNF said it supports the political and human rights of Nagas across all regions, not only those within Nagaland. The Forum said this commitment drives its engagement with governments, civil society organizations, Naga political groups, political parties, and leaders who back Naga unity and the common good.
GNF expressed regret that the NGBF’s recent release appeared to limit its political commitment to Nagas of Nagaland alone.
The Forum described the NGBF’s position as reflecting a “narrow vision” that accepts mutually exclusionary political entities and artificially separated territories -a division GNF traced to British colonial rule and its legacy in India’s handling of the Naga question.
The statement recalled that the Gaonburah institution was part of the British colonial system of control and was transferred to postcolonial nation states against the expressed wishes of many Nagas. GNF argued that today’s GB institution functions as an administrative tool of the Indian government and cautioned that Gaonburahs, as government functionaries, cannot claim sole moral or historical authority to speak for the entire Naga people.
On the broader political issue, GNF noted that the Government of India has acknowledged the Naga national cause as a political matter and that negotiations at the highest levels, including the Prime Minister’s Office, have yet to produce a final resolution. With Nagas living across four Indian states and in Myanmar, GNF insisted the political issue belongs to all Nagas collectively.
Defending Achumbemo Kikon, MLA the forum highlighted his long record of advocacy for Naga human and political rights dating back to his time with the Naga Students’ Federation. GNF called on Gaonburahs to adopt a wider, inclusive stance rather than attacking an elected representative.
The forum concluded by calling for reform of colonial era institutions, urging Gaonburahs to join a process of introspection and dialogue and advocating a leadership model rooted in indigenous values, democratic accountability, and genuine representation.