Advisor for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, Zhaleo Rio addresses the gathering during the inauguration of the Chümoukedima Division Office at 7th Mile on January 17.
Inaugurates Chümoukedima division office
Chümoukedima, January 17 (MExN): The Naga People’s Front (NPF) on January 17 inaugurated its Chümoukedima Division Office at 7th Mile, marking organisational expansion and political consolidation. The programme also included oath-taking of office-bearers and addresses by senior party leaders.
NPF Secretary General and MLA Achumbemo Kikon formally inaugurated the office. Addressing the gathering, Kikon said the opening of a political office signifies discipline, responsibility and continuity rather than mere logistics. “At home you may do and speak as you like. But once you enter an office, you are bound by office environment and office discipline,” he said, adding that the party pledge drafted in 1968 continues to bind its office-bearers.
Tracing the party’s origins to October 21, 1963, when it was founded as the Democratic Party of Nagaland (DPN) with the motto Fide Non Armis (“By faith, not through arms”), Kikon said the motto has remained unchanged for six decades and that the party’s cock symbol “continues to give hope” to the Naga people. He recalled that in the first State elections in 1964, the party won 12 seats and later saw all its MLAs resign en masse following the signing of the first ceasefire between Naga underground groups and the Government of India on September 6, 1964. “Such sacrifice is unheard of today,” he remarked, adding that the party was founded for the Naga cause and peace through political means.
Kikon said the merger of two regional parties on October 21 last year to mark NPF’s 60 years exemplified Naga unity. He further stated that under Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, the party has “gone the extra mile” to lead from the front in uniting Nagas across regions and opinions. While noting that NPF is a regional party, he asserted that it has also safeguarded the rights of non-Naga minorities living in the State over the years.
Calling for transparency and accountability, Kikon said the people of Nagaland expect much from the NPF and cautioned party functionaries against misusing the “good office of the party” for personal purposes. He urged members to become assets to the organisation and to contribute their time so that the party can “grow from strength to strength.”
Referring to the priorities of the ruling coalition, Kikon said the government’s 34 MLAs have placed resolution of the Naga political issue at the top of the agenda, “without forgetting the development of the state.” He said the party must work collectively with responsibility and discipline to meet public expectations and maintain its political relevance.
Also speaking on the occasion, Zhaleo Rio said the inauguration of the Chümoukedima Division Office marked the successful completion of the NPF–NDPP merger at the grassroots level. He praised the State leadership for expediting the process, noting that the formation of the division was necessary as the Chümoukedima–Dimapur belt constitutes a crucial political and demographic zone.
Observing that unlike in some districts where merging units had faced disputes over appointments, the Dimapur area demonstrated greater political maturity, he said, “Dimapur is the mini Nagaland,” stressing that unity must begin where the Naga population converges. Zhaleo Rio urged party workers to coordinate between division and assembly constituency levels, reminding them that they are unpaid political workers serving public welfare.
He said many Naga elders and intellectuals had welcomed the merger and called upon political actors to set an example for Naga unity across the spectrum, including underground groups. He suggested that the division convene a follow-up meeting to deliberate on government policies and programmes, stating that a political party must function like a family by sharing views, accommodating differences and working with understanding.
Describing the day as a milestone for the region, Zhaleo Rio thanked senior leaders for their role in concluding the merger process. “A new vehicle has been handed over,” he said, adding that its impact would depend on how it is driven and maintained. He expressed hope that the party’s platform would further strengthen peace and Naga unity.
Earlier, the programme, chaired by Vice-President (COB) Phushika Awomi, began with an invocation by Pastor Mhasivizo Pucho of the Chümoukedima Town Baptist Church, followed by the oath of office administered by senior vice-president Charlie Sekhose.
