GUWAHATI: The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN), often known as the Isak-Muivah faction (NSCN-IM), is facing a stern demand for accountability from a Manipur-based Naga organization. The Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) has publicly urged Thuingaleng Muivah, the influential general secretary of the NSCN-IM, to issue a formal apology to various Naga communities for alleged historical wrongdoings.
This call for an apology is particularly significant as it precedes Mr. Muivah’s much-anticipated return to his native village of Somdal in Ukhrul district on October 22, after an absence of 55 years. The ZUF stated that there is “no reason to glorify an individual who failed the Nagas on all fronts,” highlighting their deep-seated grievances.
Louis Gangmei, the ZUF’s information and publicity secretary, issued a statement on Sunday, October 19, 2025, detailing some of the accusations. He asserted that Mr. Muivah had “ordered merciless killings of many prominent leaders in the name of Naga nationalism and sovereignty.” Furthermore, Gangmei accused the NSCN leader of instigating “arson in villages in the name of taxation or fighting the Indian Army,” lamenting that “it was all the common Nagas who made the sacrifices.”
The ZUF emphasized that while Mr. Muivah and his close associates were reportedly “hopping from one international destination to another,” ordinary Naga people across the Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur endured immense suffering.
The organization, which also maintains an armed wing, firmly declared that the NSCN-IM leader “should tender an unqualified apology to the Nagas for all the lapses committed over the years.” They also noted that this isn’t the first time such a request has been made, with other respected Naga leaders, including members of the church, having previously sought an apology from Mr. Muivah.
In prior statements, the ZUF had accused the NSCN-IM of engaging in a “deliberate pattern of targeted persecution” against the Zeliangrong people, a collective comprising the Zeme, Liangmai, and Rongmei Naga communities. The ZUF warned that a failure to address these confrontations could escalate into severe internal conflicts within the broader Naga society.