Expanding imaginations: theory and praxis of Naga nation making in post colonial India

This essay examines the ongoing politics of identity-construction in relation to the Nagas. It emphasizes the need to acknowledge the presence of multiple, contingent, continuously constructed identities in any conceptualization of the process of identity-formation. This is particularly glaring as we historicise the forging of Naga nationality. The essay argues that the Naga nation is not 'given' in nature; instead it is continually being constructed. However, unlike the neatness of many such constructed formations, the Naga 'nationality' has been decidedly unstable, reflecting political processes covering more than half a century, during which time it has significantly mutated in response to objective historical conditions.