Nagas from across the “land of the Nagas” converged at Kütsapo village in Phek district of Nagaland state and adopted a proclamation known as the Kutsapo Proclamation. The event was jointly organised by Naga Shisho Hoho and Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) from February 16-18, 2024, under ‘Nurturing Naga Peoplehood’ with the theme ‘Liberating the Naga Spirit’.
Nagas from160 prayer centres, churches, various Naga cultural bodies, gaon boras, Naga political groups, civil society organisations, state and public leaders and citizens participated in the three-day event to pray and “listen to the voice of God”, according to the organisers.
“We acknowledge and confess that Nagas have disobeyed God, individually and collectively. Our story points to structural realities of hate and rage, of pride and exclusion, of justification and isolation, and of self-preservation and rejection. For this, we repent before God and submit to His will,” the organizers further said.
At this determining moment, Kütsapo village, known for its unyielding defense of Naga history, has become the occasion for renewal of faith in God, they said. There will be no forward journey out of the darkness of faith for the Nagas without a people willing to live and work together out of this present condition, the organizers further said. The passing into liberation begins with humans. This forward journey involves all people who make up the Naga nation — a journey all-encompassing where no one is left out, they added.
To this end, the Kütsapo gathering proclaimed that they “acknowledge the wounded Naga nation is sick and stuck as it cries for liberation. Recognising that liberation always begins from within, we commit to discerning and correcting ourselves from within in order to mend divisions and nurture a renewed, healthy, and intact Naga peoplehood”.
Another point of the proclamation said, “We uphold the ‘Covenant of Reconciliation’ signed on June 13, 2009, through which violence ceased among the Naga political groups. We will continue to uphold this in words and actions. With this common sense of belonging, the Naga public calls on the Naga political groups to sincerely find ways to enter into genuine relationships of cooperation”.
The third point of the proclamation said, for peace and harmony to prevail, and in order to transform to being self-determining people of free will, “we call upon the Government of India to revoke building fences that separates the people of same cultural groups. We further urge the Government of India to peacefully consummate the Naga political issue with dignity and respect that is founded on Naga historical and political rights”.
The gathering then made an appeal to all the churches across “Naga-Land” to humbly pray for peaceful resolution, reconciliation and unity, and the rebuilding of the “Naga homeland”.
The organisers then said that, towards regenerating cultural values, “our appeal is holistic in nature that values reconnecting with our deep cultural values, the land, and our way of life”.
They added by saying, “We recognise how structural violence has institutionalised many conditions leading to corruption and impunity which are eroding our quality of life. We can become whole again by uniting to bring healing through a shared vision of Naga peoplehood”.
