Naga Tribe Moves Gauhati High Court Over Sumi-Language Bible

A dispute over the latest Sumi-language Bible has entered the legal arena, with 1,065 members of the Sumi Naga community approaching the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court, alleging that the newly released Sumi Naga Re-edited Bible 2025 contains linguistic changes that alter the meaning of several Biblical passages.

The high court has issued notices to the Union government, the Nagaland government, the Bible Society of India (BSI) and other respondents, directing them to file their responses. The matter is scheduled to be heard again on September 7.

In their petition, the applicants have sought an interim direction restraining the Bible Society of India from printing, distributing or circulating the 2025 edition until the court examines the issues raised in the case.

The controversy has been brewing for months. Earlier this year, the Society for the Preservation of the Sumi Language publicly objected to the revised translation, claiming that several long-established Sumi words had been replaced during the editing process. According to the organisation, those changes affect not only the language but also the meaning conveyed in the scriptures.

Retired pastor Rev. Heniji Zhimomi, one of the critics of the revised edition, said the concerns went far beyond questions of language.

"This is about the holiness of God and the pollution of His word," he said, alleging that expressions found in earlier Sumi Bible editions had been replaced with unfamiliar wording in the latest version.