Nagaland: India’s forgotten state
Photo by Ahe Phucho on Unsplash
Most people have never heard of Nagaland. I was first introduced to this rural and isolated northeast Indian state in 2019, when a woman from my church asked me to guess where she was from. In many ways, Nagaland differs from its neighbouring Indian states. Although the Nagas have inhabited Nagaland for many generations, it is believed that they migrated to the region from Mongolia, resulting in their ethnically distinct appearance. Nagaland is also approximately 80% Christian, further separating the state from the Hindu Nationalism promoted by the Indian Government.
When India gained its freedom from British rule, in 1947, and became a sovereign country, Nagaland, a culturally, religiously and ethnically distinct region, was included within the boundaries of India. This has resulted in many decades of conflict, with the Naga people continually calling for independence from India.
On December 4, 2021, a Special Forces unit of the Indian Army murdered six Naga civilians, which led to violent backlash. Eight more civilians and one soldier were killed in the conflict. This conflict, referred to as the Oting Massacre, is believed to be the direct result of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which gives members of the Indian Army the ability to act violently to suppress “disturbances”. Unfortunately, devastation and conflict has been carried out by the Indian Army under the protection of this Act, with little to no repercussions for the soldiers inciting violence.
The Nagaland Assembly Elections which will take place on February 26th, 2023, will reveal if the massacre of 2021 has shifted the opinions of the Naga people towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the largest political party in India. Currently, the BJP will contest for 20 of the 60 assembly seats, and their ally, the Nationalist Democratic People’s Party (NDPP) will contest for 40 seats.
Continued violence throughout the state, however, does not reflect the mindset of most Nagas. More than anything, the Naga people want peace. The question to ask as Election Day approaches, is if continued BJP power throughout the region aligns with the call for peace? Will the Naga people keep power in the hands of the same people, or shift it?
Success of BJP in Nagaland
It is predicted that the BJP will be just as successful in the assembly election as they were in 2018, as a result of the large-scale development that has happened throughout the region under Prime Minister Modi’s government. This development has been looked on favorably by the largely Christian majority of Nagas, despite Modi’s ethnonationalist rule. The Nagas do not fit into Modi’s idealized Hindu state, so it is interesting that there has been much support for his political party throughout the region.
The results of the February 27th election will be released on March 2nd, 2023.