Kohima: The Naga People’s Front launched a sharp rebuke on Monday against veteran leader Dr. SC Jamir and the Concerned Naga Forum of Nagaland. Both parties recently attacked the state government over its handling of the ongoing Naga political dispute. The NPF dismissed these claims as contradictory and dangerous to the peace process. It called the attacks an effort to derail work toward a final settlement.
Dr. Jamir told an audience in Dimapur on September 12 that governance in the state had collapsed. He claimed the administration was non-existent and fueled by a Sabotage Club that favors specific underground groups. The NPF fired back. It labeled the demand for President’s Rule undemocratic. The party argued that history proves direct rule never stabilized the region. It views these comments as an insult to the voters. The NPF maintains that administration and development projects continue to function across the state.
Regarding allegations that Chief Minister Dr. Neiphiu Rio shows favoritism, the party called the claims irresponsible and baseless. It explained the current approach of equi-closeness, which aims to bring all factions together. The NPF statement noted: "The delay in solution is due to pending complex issues between Naga groups and GoI, not due to any club in Nagaland."
The party also defended the Political Affairs Committee against questions raised by the CNFN on September 7. The NPF insists the committee acts only as a facilitator. It points to a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, where Shah provided a positive assurance for a ministerial-level team. The NPF wants to move negotiations away from the bureaucratic level to speed up the process. It is currently pushing for an early, honourable, inclusive, and acceptable solution for the people.
Updated at 15th September 2026 at 9:47am
The NPF clarified that its current policy is built on equi-closeness to all sections of Naga society, moving away from the equi-distance approach championed by the Jamir era. The party warned that using labels like Sabotage or Status Quo Club to describe fellow Nagas only deepens existing divisions at a time when unity remains vital.
Regarding the stalled peace process, the NPF blamed the loss of momentum on the departure of former interlocutor RN Ravi. It claims negotiations were pushed into a bureaucratic bottleneck after he left, leaving civil society, tribal hohos, and intellectuals without confidence in the current format. The party maintains that shifting the dialogue to a ministerial level is not a request for new negotiations, but a call for the political mandate required to finalize agreements already on the table.
The NPF also took a swipe at the CNFN, accusing the group of trying to keep the talks in limbo by opposing a political-level interlocutor. It dismissed the forum’s criticisms as a myopic attempt to confuse the public, stating that the people want a concrete result rather than semantics and blame games.
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