Kohima: Mokokchung marked 63 years of the Indo-Naga ceasefire on Sunday. Citizens gathered at the historic Khensa Peace Talk Camp to weigh the legacy of the 1964 agreement. The site hosted three rounds of peace talks in 1965. Tensions linger. The political settlement remains elusive.
Church leaders and representatives of the Naga national movement met to discuss the future. Rev P Longri Longchar recalled a past defined by bloodshed. He pushed for dialogue over violence. Takuyaba Longkumer of the Naga National Council insisted that the 1964 ceasefire serves as the core of their political position on sovereignty. He argued that only political dialogue can settle the matter.
Kezha Angami, the Kedahge of the Federal Government of Nagaland, stated that military force failed to solve the conflict. He urged for truth and cooperation while calling to strengthen traditional village institutions. Dr. Villo Naleo of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council spoke on the necessity of reconciliation. He noted, "Ceasefire must lead us to a just peace." Naleo rejected the idea that economic packages or time alone could fix the issue.
The event honored a major gift of land. Descendants of the Leubaza clan, specifically Mapukaba, Merenmayang, Temsunungba, and Pangertoshi Leubaza, donated their heritage land at Yimyu Tenem to the Naga people on September 6, 1964. Organizers reminded the crowd that the land was granted at the request of the Federal Government of Nagaland. The programme closed with the Naga Freedom Song, which students first performed at the 1965 talks.
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