A Time for Youth to Rise, Lead and Act
James Phanungkiu
Chümoukedima
The present generation of Naga youth cannot remain silent while corruption, political uncertainty and public frustration continue to shape our society. If we fail to confront the problems of today, we cannot place the entire responsibility on the generations before us. Every generation must answer for the choices it makes in its own time.
Naga Youth today are among the most educated and connected generations in our history. We have greater access to information, education, technology and public platforms. With these advantages comes a greater responsibility. We must use our knowledge not merely to criticize society but to question corruption, demand accountability and participate in public affairs.
In the age of social media, youth must also reject misinformation, anonymous allegations and tribal or factional hostility. Speaking truth requires evidence. Criticism without facts becomes noise; criticism supported by facts becomes public accountability.
Youth Must Stop Normalizing Corruption
Corruption survives when people accept it as normal. The misuse of public resources, favouritism, abuse of authority and the compromise of merit do not affect only governments or institutions; they directly affect the future of ordinary citizens.
Naga youth must therefore move beyond complaints and social-media reactions. We must develop the courage to ask specific questions: How are public resources being used and who benefits? Who is accountable for decisions affecting the people? Are opportunities based on merit or connections? Are our institutions serving the people or those in power?
Opposing corruption does not require violence or hostility. It requires informed citizens who are willing to speak the truth, demand transparency and reject corrupt practices even when doing so is personally inconvenient. If not WE, who will then?
The Naga Political Solution Cannot Remain a Forever Waiting Game
The long-pending Naga political solution remains one of the most serious concerns facing the Naga people. For decades, negotiations have continued while the public has repeatedly been asked to wait. At the same time, divisions and disagreements among political stakeholders have often shifted attention from the central question: When will the Naga people receive a concrete and honourable political settlement? For generations, the people have been asked to wait and wait. Now, we want to know how much longer? Who is responsible for the delay? Do we need to trust our leaders again?
Political uncertainty is not an abstract issue. It affects whether young people find dignified work at home, whether businesses invest, whether public institutions function effectively and whether families must send their children away in search of opportunity. A lasting peace must therefore be measured not only by political language but by whether it creates security, justice and meaningful opportunities for every ordinary Nagas.
The Naga political solution cannot be decided only by elders, political organizations and negotiators behind closed doors. The youth, who will live with the consequences of every agreement, must be recognized as essential stakeholders in the process. A future determined without the informed participation of young people is not a genuine settlement; it is a decision imposed on those who must inherit it. Youth representatives drawn from diverse backgrounds, tribes, regions and communities must have a voice in discussions that define Naga political aspirations, rights and identity. Without such representation, the youth are asked to accept outcomes they had no role in shaping and that undermines both legitimacy and long-term peace.
The public deserve regular, truthful and accessible explanations of every political agendas and aspirations. Solution cannot be sustained by secrecy; it requires informed public will and confidence. We are tired of this blame game. Leaders involved in the political process must erase ego and accusations; and demonstrate the political will necessary to bring the issue to a meaningful conclusion.
A struggle carried out in the name of the Naga people must ultimately remain accountable to the Naga people. The public deserves honesty about the challenges, clarity about the direction of negotiations and leadership capable of placing the collective interest above factional considerations.
Patriotism Must Be Demonstrated, Not Declared
For all political organizations and leaders that claim to represent the Naga national aspiration, the time has come to demonstrate the meaning of patriotism through action. Patriotism cannot be measured by slogans, uniforms, statements or claims of sacrifice. It must be reflected in the ability to protect the interests of the people, reduce internal divisions, respect human dignity and work towards a political future that benefits the wider Naga society.
If the objective is genuinely Naga freedom and the protection of Naga identity and political rights, then the people should see that commitment in the conduct of those who claim to fight for them.
Youth Must Move Beyond Division
The responsibility of the present generation is not to rewrite history or condemn our elders. It is to learn from history and refuse to repeat its failures.
Young Nagas must study their political history critically, understand the different positions within the Naga movement and engage in public issues with knowledge rather than emotion. They must also recognize that democracy and peace require participation not just observation.
Most importantly, Naga youth must rise above clanism and tribalistic mentality. Our divisions by tribe, clan, district or denomination have often weakened our common cause and allowed others to decide our future without us. The time has come to join hands as one Naga people, placing our shared identity and common future above narrower loyalties. Unity does not mean erasing our differences; it means refusing to let those differences become weapons against one another.
Our generation has the opportunity to build a culture in which public office means responsibility, political leadership means accountability and patriotism means service to the people.
A Call for Youth to Act
The choice before us is clear. We can continue to complain about corruption, blame previous generations and wait indefinitely for others to solve the Naga political question or we can accept our responsibility and begin demanding better from ourselves, our leaders and our institutions.
The Naga youth are not merely heirs of an unfinished history; we are responsible participants in the present. We must refuse corruption without fear, reject hatred without compromise, demand accountability without violence and seek political clarity without surrendering our unity.
We cannot control every decision made in New Delhi or by political groups. But we can control what we tolerate in our communities, institutions and public life.
The time has come to replace passive waiting with informed participation and disciplined civic action. The future will not ask only what our leaders did. It will also ask what the youth of this generation did when the moment demanded courage. If we remain silent today, we become part of the delay we condemn.
The writes is an independent writer with a specialization in Peace & Conflict Transformation Studies.
