In Guwahati, a significant statement emerged from Thuingaleng Muivah, the esteemed leader of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN). He unequivocally reaffirmed his group’s steadfast commitment to the vision of Naga sovereignty.
For those less familiar, the NSCN is widely recognized as the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, often referred to as NSCN (I-M).
During a public rally in Senapati, Manipur, held on his journey back from his ancestral home in Somdal village to the NSCN (I-M)’s central headquarters near Dimapur in Nagaland, Mr. Muivah delivered a powerful message. He assured the Naga people that his organization would never waver from the foundational principles established decades ago.
Muivah articulated the core tenets of their demand, stating, “Any truly honorable and negotiated political agreement must align with the essence of the Amsterdam Joint Communiqué and the Framework Agreement from August 2015. Crucially, it must also include official recognition of Nagalim’s distinct history, its sovereignty, territorial integrity, the Naga national flag, and the Naga national constitution.”
As the chief negotiator for the Naga peace process with the central government, which commenced in August 1997, the NSCN (I-M) leader recently fulfilled a long-held personal desire: to revisit Somdal in Manipur’s Ukhrul district after an absence of six decades. His journey there involved a helicopter flight from Dimapur, with a stop in Ukhrul town.
This visit marks a significant moment, especially considering that the Manipur government had previously blocked his entry to Somdal in 2010. At the time, the government, under Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh of the Congress party, viewed the NSCN (I-M)’s broader ‘Greater Nagalim’ ambition as a direct threat to Manipur’s territorial integrity. This ambition seeks to unite all Naga-inhabited regions across the northeastern states under a single administrative authority.
It’s important to note that the Naga community predominantly inhabits approximately half of Manipur’s hill areas.