Faith as an Instrument of Peace: Exploring the Case of Nagaland in Northeast India

The Naga nationalist movement for self-determination in Northeast India spans more than seven decades. The movement has witnessed several phases of violent conflict, which has tremendously impacted the Naga society. The Naga movement for sovereignty has a deep relation to Christianity, as evident from the cry of all Naga nationalist groups—“Nagaland for Christ.” The violence between the Indian armed forces and Naga rebels and between different Naga rebel factions that intensified in the 1960s and 1980s led to the emergence and intervention of Naga civil society groups besides the Church. This paper discusses the efforts of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council and civil society organizations, such as the Forum for Naga Reconciliation and Naga Mothers Association, in faith-based mediations between the rebel groups and between the government and rebel groups. The paper is based on in-depth interviews conducted with members of the above-mentioned civil society groups in Nagaland in November 2023.