The Church and Peace Process in Nagaland (India)

Abstract

The Naga insurgency, widely recognized as the longest asymmetric conflict in independent India, has had far-reaching effects on Naga society and altered the state’s politics. While the church in Nagaland has sought to bring different warring factions to a common platform and arrive at a "fair" and "honorable" solution to the Naga crisis, fundamental disagreements have clouded the peace process. Despite the signing of the Framework Agreement (2015) between the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) and the Government of India, occasional incidence of violence continues to rock the state. The society in Nagaland stands fractured with its identity at crossroads. Considering the fact that the church has been an intrinsic element of Naga identity and is widely revered as an institution, this article explores the role of the church and reflects on its limitations in the reconciliation and peace processes in Nagaland. This paper comes to the conclusion that despite the church’s best efforts, finding a political solution to the Indo-Naga conflict will remain elusive due to the irreconcilable goals of various warring groups and the profound malaise that has crept into Naga society. The role of the church in the Indo-Naga war will, at best, be that of a moral force.