The National People’s Party (NPP) has formally appealed to the Union Ministry of External Affairs to review and reconsider the denial of a visa to internationally renowned Christian evangelist Rev Franklin Graham, who was scheduled to address a public gathering at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kohima on November 30, 2025.
In a letter addressed to the External Affairs Minister, NPP National Working President, James PK Sangma stated that the visa denial has caused “deep disappointment among thousands of faithful,” many of whom had prepared for weeks for the spiritually significant programme.
The upcoming visit was organised by the Kohima Baptist Pastors’ Fellowship, who confirmed cancellation citing “visa-related circumstances beyond their control”, he stated.
Sangma reminded the Centre of the long-standing relationship between Nagaland and the Graham family, recalling Rev Billy Graham’s historic visit to Kohima in 1972—an event still remembered as a landmark moment in the State’s spiritual life. He noted that Rev Franklin Graham’s visit would likewise have been a moment of “spiritual renewal and unity for the Naga people.”
Stating that the NPP has received representations from church bodies and civil society expressing “anguish” over the development, the party highlighted that Nagaland—where Christians form an overwhelming majority—views large religious gatherings as instruments of peace, reconciliation and social cohesion.
The letter cautioned that the perception of a peaceful religious event being obstructed due to visa issues “risks creating misunderstanding and alienation.”
While acknowledging that the Government of India holds sovereign authority in granting visas, Sangma urged the Ministry to “kindly review the decision and consider granting permission” for the visit, provided it adheres to all legal requirements.
Such a gesture, the NPP stated, would reaffirm India’s commitment to religious freedom and constitutional inclusiveness, while restoring confidence among Christian communities in Nagaland and across the Northeast.
