Students urged to engage in policy discourse at PA Sangma Dialogues in Nagaland

The Department of Political Science and History at Dimapur Government College, in collaboration with the PA Sangma Foundation, organised "The PA Sangma Dialogues" on Friday. The event focused on "Peace through Development: Nagaland and the Unified Journey of the Northeast."

Author, poet and public policy analyst Mmhonlümo Kikon delivered the opening dialogue on "A Region in the Union: Federalism, Autonomy, and Naga Identity." He stressed the importance of informed public discourse on policies and constitutional provisions with long-term implications for Nagaland, noting that society often dismissed policy-knowledgeable leaders as better suited to academia.

Kikon urged students to engage with policy documents and current affairs, citing the recently passed Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority Act as an example. He explained differences between FNTA and the Sixth Schedule provisions applicable in other northeastern states, noting that the Sixth Schedule provides constitutional protection and enables autonomous district councils to exercise powers relating to customary practices, land, taxation and local governance.