Oken Jeet Sandham The recent merger between the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the Naga People’s Front (NPF) has redrawn Nagaland’s political map. With the NDPP now dissolved and the NPF emerging as the dominant force, Chief Minister Dr. Neiphiu Rio faces perhaps the most delicate balancing act of his long political career. The…
By Oken Jeet Sandham NDPP leader and Chief Minister Dr. Neiphiu Rio surprised many when he hinted at merging their party with the Naga People’s Front (NPF). The NDPP already holds 32 of the 60 Assembly seats, comfortably above the majority threshold, and faces no significant political threat. NDPP’s strength rose from 25 to 32…
By Oken Jeet Sandham There was heavy rain today, and I wondered how Prime Minister Narendra Modi would manage to travel to Churachandpur, address the gathering there, and meet the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). He also had to return to Imphal to speak at another gathering at Kangla. When he was about to arrive at…
Oken Jeet Sandham The recent news about the potential merger between the ruling NDPP and the NPF—currently part of the Opposition-less coalition government in Nagaland—can be seen as a political masterstroke at this juncture. The NDPP, the dominant party in the state, currently holds 32 out of 60 seats in the Assembly—an absolute majority—and does…
By Oken Jeet Sandham I write this letter not as a political opponent, but as a deeply concerned citizen witnessing the prolonged suffering and unrest in the strife-torn State of Manipur. Reports and sources now suggest that you are finally preparing to visit Manipur. This visit comes after more than two years of ethnic violence,…