Thuingaleng Muivah, the 91-year-old general secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), received a hero’s welcome on Wednesday as he returned to his native village Somdal in Manipur’s Ukhrul district — more than 60 years after he left to embark on his “revolutionary journey”.
His return marked a deeply emotional and historic moment for the Naga community. Muivah arrived by chopper from Dimapur in Nagaland and landed at Ukhrul, where thousands had gathered at the Tangkhul Naga Long Ground to honour him with traditional attire, forming a 3km-long human chain and giving him standing ovations.
In a speech read out on his behalf by V.S. Atem, the “deputy Prime Minister of the government of the People’s Republic of Nagalim (GPRN)”, Muivah reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to the Naga cause. He insisted that any negotiated settlement to the Indo-Naga political issue must include recognition of the Naga national flag and constitution, calling them “non-negotiable”.
Muivah said: “My revolutionary journey began six decades ago from here in Tangkhul country in 1964. I thank the Lord God Almighty for preserving me and making it possible for me to return to my birthplace, Somdal, today. But many people who I knew and who loved me are missing. Generation comes and goes, but nation stays. The issue we are fighting for is greater and older than most of us who are gathered here at this Tangkhul Naga Long Ground today.”
The NSCN (I-M), an influential Naga insurgent group, has been engaged in peace talks with the Centre since 1997. The Centre has not accepted the NSCN (I-M)’s stand on the Naga flag and constitution, but talks are on to resolve the deadlock.
Apart from leaders of apex Naga organisations and tribes, representatives of various Manipur valley-based organisations also attended the grand homecoming ceremony.
From the Tangkhul Naga Long Ground in Ukhrul, Muivah proceeded to Somdal in the chopper late Wednesday afternoon. Somdal, which has around 900 families, is around 25km from Ukhrul. There, too, a large crowd had assembled to welcome him.
Nagas wave flags during the public reception of Muivah upon his arrival in Ukhrul on Wednesday. PTI
A.C. Thotso, the secretary of the working committee of the United Naga Council, the apex body of Nagas in Manipur, told The Telegraph from Ukhrul: “It was an emotional, heartwarming and historic moment to see him amidst the sea of people in his hometown, Ukhrul, and also at Somdal, his native village.
“Though he appeared weak physically, his vision and commitment to ensure an honourable solution to the Indo-Naga political issue remain as steadfast as before. His spirit of resilience remains intact, touching the hearts of all those present to welcome him today,” Thotso said.
The grand welcome on Wednesday is in sharp contrast to his earlier attempt to visit his native place in 2010.
The then Congress government in Manipur, led by Okram Ibobi Singh, had opposed the visit because of the Greater Nagalim demand of the NSCN (I-M), which envisages integration of Naga areas in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam with Nagaland.
A protest against the Manipur government’s decision in the Naga-majority Senapati district led to the death of two persons in firing by security personnel. The volatile situation led to the postponement of Muivah’s trip.
The ongoing visit, during which Muivah will spend a week in Somdal before returning to Dimapur in Nagaland on October 29 after attending a reception at Senapati, is taking place when there is President’s rule in strife-hit Manipur.