February 15, Kohima: Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, today asserted the need to work towards a "Pan-Naga" platform to provide a collective voice for the Naga people.
Mr. Rio emphasized that true unity does not mean uniformity, but recognizing a shared destiny despite differences.
The Chief Minister was speaking at the Lui-Ngai-Ni celebration at Ukhrul Headquarters Ground in Manipur, organized by the United Naga Council and hosted by the Tangkhul Naga Long.
Extending Lui-Ngai-Ni greetings, he said the occasion was not merely a festival but a reaffirmation of Naga identity and heritage.
Mr. Rio said that geography may define administrative arrangements, but it cannot diminish the ties of kinship, culture and faith that unite the people, and therefore there is a need to work towards a Pan-Naga platform to provide a collective voice.
Referring to the merger of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party and the Naga People's Front on October 21, 2025, under the common Cock symbol, he termed it a historic moment in the political journey of the Naga people.
Mr. Rio further congratulated Losu Dikho on his induction as Deputy Chief Minister of Manipur, calling it a matter of pride for the party and the Naga people.
The Chief Minister reiterated the aspiration for integration of all contiguous Naga-inhabited areas under one administrative umbrella, recalling that the Nagaland Legislative Assembly had passed six resolutions between 1964 and 2018 supporting the demand.