64 and still in the ring

Mathew Rongmei DimapurSixty-four years is a long time in politics. Parties rise, fall, split, merge and reinvent themselves. The Naga People's Front has seen all of it.I was at the NPF's 64th Foundation Day in Kohima last week, expecting the usual — flags, old anecdotes, long speeches about history. What I heard from Chief Minister and NPF President Dr. Neiphiu Rio was different. It was less celebration and more stock-taking, about whether legacy alone can carry the party into a future that looks very different.The hall was full. Workers had come from across Nagaland and beyond — not just Mon, Tuensang and Ukhrul, but even from Arunachal, though a few teams were held up mid-way due to a vehicle breakdown on the highway. The mood inside was a mix of pride in the long journey and a quiet concern about what comes next. Rio spoke directly to that.He put three things on the table. The Naga political issue that refuses to go away, the need to strengthen the party from the ground up, and the urgency to make space for a new generation. For him, you can't pick one and leave the rest. They come as a package.On the Naga political issue, Rio made it clear — for NPF, this is not just another item on the agenda. It is the agenda. Decades of talks, multiple rounds of negotiations, and yet no final closure. The state government, he said, is not at the negotiating table as a party, but as a facilitator. Its job is to keep the doors open, narrow the gaps, and hold the trust of all sides. His appeal was straightforward. Delhi needs to be sincere, Naga groups need to accommodate. That word accommodation matters. Everyone talks about dialogue, but a final settlement will need compromise. Without common ground and willingness to give space, talks keep moving in circles. And the stakes are larger than politics. Peace shapes whether Nagaland gets stable governance, public confidence and a real shot at development. For NPF, this is also about identity. The party was born out of the Naga political aspiration. If it walks away from that conversation, it walks away from itself.The second part of his speech was about organization — and it was a reality check. Don't just show up during elections, was the gist. Get down to the village, the area, the division. Be present in all 60 constituencies. Listen. This comes at a time when NPF is in a new phase following the merger with the NDPP. On paper, the merger has created a massive regional platform. On the ground, merger doesn't automatically mean unity. Cadres have to be integrated, coordination has to be built, workers have to feel at home. From what I observed interacting with workers after the programme, voters today don't count how many MLAs you have. They count whether your local leader picks up the phone when there is a problem in the village. In an era where old loyalties are no longer guaranteed, performance and accessibility are the only currency.Rio also reminded the party that its responsibility is no longer limited to Nagaland. He called upon the Manipur State Unit to work harder in Naga-inhabited areas ahead of the Assembly elections due in 2027. NPF's presence in Manipur has developed through a distinct political experience and has had to navigate differing local contexts. Contesting more seats is the easy part. Understanding local concerns and complexities is harder. If NPF wants to be a true regional force, it has to prove it can represent beyond its comfort zone.He didn't avoid the Manipur crisis either. Referring to loss of lives, burning of villages and displacement of families, he said, “The suffering of our people, wherever they may be, cannot be a matter of indifference to us.” In that hall, that line drew a long silence. It was not framed as a political statement alone, but as a matter of shared concern. He called for solidarity with those affected and for efforts towards reconciliation, trust, mutual respect and lasting peace — an approach many present felt was important given the continuing impact of the conflict on communities.Perhaps the most telling part of his speech was about the next generation. Rio said the party must create real space for youth and women — not just as wings that put up posters, but as leaders who shape thinking on jobs, education, startups, technology and governance. “We cannot be spectators while the country and the world move forward,” he warned. The programme had begun with a minute's silence in memory of founding members and dedicated workers who built the party — a reminder that what NPF is today rests on decades of contribution. But as Rio's address made clear last week in Kohima, history by itself does not ensure relevance.The merger has created a new organizational reality. The Naga political issue remains a central responsibility. The FNTA arrangement has opened a new chapter in Eastern Nagaland, while developments in Manipur have highlighted wider regional responsibilities. All of this needs political maturity, coordination and a clear sense of purpose.At 64, NPF certainly has the legacy. Whether it can convert that legacy into responsibility — to contribute constructively to peace, to stay connected to people, and to build a platform where a young Naga sees a future — will shape its next phase.Because in the end, a party isn't remembered for how long it has lived. It is remembered for how relevant it has stayed. And sitting in that hall last week, the sense was that NPF is aware of both the weight of its past and the demands of its future.