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Longri Ao

Longri Ao (1906–1981), also known by name Longritangchetha, was an indigenous Baptist missionary from the North-Eastern state of India, Nagaland. He was a missionary to the Konyak people and a peacemaker. He is known to have risked his life to restore peace in Nagaland, and to negotiate a ceasefire agreement between the Government of India and underground leaders fighting for Nagaland secession from India.

Early life
Longri was born in Changki village, Nagaland, India, and was educated in theology. He was married to Subokyimia, daughter of Baptist pastor Subongwati, in 1932, and they had three sons and three daughters. ==Evangelism==
Evangelism
He graduated from Eastern Theological College in Jorhat, Assam, and taught at the same college for 16 years. He along with Subongwati, his father-in-law, formed the Tamlu Baptist church in 1933. He was appointed in 1950 as a missionary to evangelize the Konyak Naga people by the Council of Baptist Churches in Northeast India (CBCNEI). In July 1960, he visited United States to study advanced theology sponsored by the American Baptist Foreign Mission Societies (ABFMS) at Baptist Divinity School, Berkeley, California. From 1967, he served as an executive secretary of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), and was leader of the newly founded Nagaland Missionary Movement (NMM) from 1979. ==Role in restoring peace in Nagaland==
Role in restoring peace in Nagaland
Longri, as a Church leader, with full cooperation from CBCNEI, NBCC, and ABFMS made sincere efforts in mediating between rebels and the government to carve out a ceasefire agreement, to make them come to the negotiation table for peace talks, and to reconcile to the authorities of the Constitution of India. Ceasefire agreement With already ten years of violence and destruction in an internal war between guerrillas and the government and an escalation during the 1964 Nagaland General Elections, Baptist Church under the leadership and guidance of Longri Ao and Kenneth Kerhuo, intervened for peace and held its third convention at Wokha from 31 January 1964 to 2 February 1964. During the three-day convention, more than five thousand Nagas, who referred to Longri Ao as the Naga Prophet "crying in wilderness for peace"[sic], attended the convention. The convention made a resolution for proposed "Peace talk", and to requested the government to provide services of Jayaprakash Narayan, National leader; Bimala Prasad Chaliha, Chief Minister of Assam; and Michael Scott, an Anglican churchman, for exploring ways for speedy restoration of peace in Nagaland. Speaking at the convention, Longri said:Our paths are now stained with the blood of the innocent people. We do not know the way of peace. There is no fear of God in our heart...there seems no one who understands God and his righteous ways...The Nagas have been most unfaithful to a faithful God. They will, therefore, not go unpunished.... With cessation of the ceasefire agreement, including almost dissolution of Peace Mission by 1972, Longri Ao and other church leaders formed Nagaland Peace Council (NPC) in 1974 with Longri Ao as its president till his death, and initiated the discussions and talks once again. The steps for peace talks initiated this time reached its climax with the promulgation of Indira Gandhi's Emergency in 1975, as Shillong Accord of 1975. Under his leadership, NPC was largely responsible for bringing an end to the major hostilities through the Shillong Accord of 1975 during President's rule in Nagaland. He held discussions with the underground leaders who were by then brought to the Chedema peace camp under "safe conduct arrangements." Since both the parties were desperate and determined to bring an end to the conflict and bring some sort of solution, a three-point agreement was concluded, to be known as Shillong Accord - to surrender the arms [deposit at places to be settled later], accept the supremacy of the Constitution of India, and formulate other issues for final agreement. Shillong Accord was finally accepted on 5 December 1975, apparently opening a new political history in Nagaland bringing peace. Shillong Accord of 1975, however, was bluntly rejected by Isak Swu and Muivah, who were demanding not less than unquestionable sovereignty; thus, National Socialist Council of Nagaland(NSCN) was formed by Isak Swu and Muivah to fight for their sovereignty demand. Longri also took steps to initiate dialogues with NSCN and government. He died on 6 August 1981. ==Awards==
Awards
Man of Peace from Nagaland government on 7 August 1981. ==References==
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