Nagaland Morung Lecture on hope andprogress for Nagas held in Kohima

The Morung Lecture, themed “In the Shifting World, How Do We Define Hope and Progress for the Nagas?”, was held on Saturday at Hotel 2K, Kohima. The event was organised by The Morung Express in collaboration with PenThrill Publication.
The lecture brought together prominent voices from various sectors to reflect on the social, cultural, and economic shifts shaping Naga society today.
Seno Tsuhah, chairperson of NENterprise (Chizami Weaves), highlighted the ongoing social transformations and challenges in the digital age. She expressed concerns over digital hegemony, cultural erosion, and language loss, noting that rapid mobile technology adoption has “deskilled many minds.” Tsuhah emphasised restoring indigenous values and ecological integrity and urged individuals to take responsibility for building balanced and sustainable communities.
Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), Social Concern secretary Dr. Villo Naleo, underlined the Church’s historic role in the Naga struggle and peacebuilding process.
Speaking on Naga identity, he highlighted the geopolitical dislocation of Nagas across India and Myanmar and growing divisions within the community due to tribalism and internal categorisations such as “forward and backward,” “Eastern and Central,” and “Tenyimi and others.” Naleo stressed that unity grounded in Christian faith is key, asserting that placing Christian identity above all other affiliations could help overcome disunity.
Additional commissioner of Central GST Sashi Wapang (IRS), provided a socio-economic perspective, noting that Nagas work one of the lowest average daily hours in India (around six hours) and that nearly 30% of the population consumes tobacco. He also highlighted the state’s high HIV prevalence and geological potential of around 600 million tonnes of oil deposits. Wapang urged effective utilisation of constitutional safeguards under Article 371A and emphasised the need to shift from a victim mentality to becoming active contributors to the state’s development, noting that 66% of the state’s budget is spent on salaries.
The lecture concluded with an interactive session where participants deliberated on the meaning of hope and progress in a rapidly changing world.