Thuingaleng Muivah Returns to Manipur Homeland After 50 Years: Historic Milestone in Naga Peace Process

NSCN(IM) chief Th Muivah arrives in Manipur's Ukhrul on Wednesday, marking a historic homecoming after half a century.

After 50 years of absence, Thuingaleng Muivah, the 91-year-old leader of the Northeast's largest insurgent group NSCN(IM), has returned to his native village in Manipur's Ukhrul district. His arrival was met with an overwhelming reception as hundreds gathered along Ukhrul's streets to welcome their "Ato Kilonser" or "prime minister" in the NSCN(IM) hierarchy. School children proudly displayed light blue flags representing their community, while men and women dressed in traditional Tangkhul Naga attire assembled to greet their revered leader.

Muivah, born into a Tangkhul Naga family in Somdal village, Ukhrul, leads the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah), an armed organization that has been engaged in peace negotiations with the Central government since 1997.

A significant breakthrough occurred in 2015 when the NSCN(IM) and the Centre announced a "Framework Agreement" aimed at developing a sustainable and peaceful resolution to their demands. Isak Chishi Swu, Muivah's fellow NSCN(IM) leader, passed away at age 87 in a Delhi hospital in June 2016 due to multiple organ failure.

Muivah's previous attempt to visit his birthplace in 2010 was blocked by Manipur's then-Congress government, triggering protests at the Manipur-Nagaland border that resulted in six fatalities during security forces' response. Prior to that incident, in June 2001, efforts to extend the NSCN(IM)-Centre ceasefire to all Naga-inhabited regions of Manipur sparked protests from the Meitei community. Since then, Muivah has primarily resided in Nagaland's Dimapur, approximately 160 km from his home village in Manipur.

This time, however, communities across Manipur have welcomed his homecoming, facilitated by the Centre's approval. "We welcome him with excitement and eagerness as a revolutionary and a leader of humanity," expressed one member of the Tangkhul Naga tribe in Ukhrul. Another young woman shared her enthusiasm: "We are excited! We are waiting to see our honorable Ato Kilonser Thuingaleng Muivah."

This successful visit by Muivah is expected to positively influence the settlement of demands raised by the NSCN(IM), as the Naga peace talks have reached an advanced stage.

Muivah's journey began as general secretary of the Naga National Council (NNC), which sought independence for Naga-inhabited regions in the Northeast. During the 1970s, he became one of Manipur's most wanted individuals, with the government repeatedly increasing the initial reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to his capture.

He departed from the NNC due to leadership disagreements and formed the NSCN in January 1990 alongside Isak Chishi Swu and SS Khaplang. Later, Muivah and Khaplang separated over whether to initiate dialogue with the central government, resulting in the NSCN splitting into two factions: Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) and Khaplang (NSCN-K).

Khaplang died in June 2017, a year after his former associate Isak Chishi Swu succumbed to age-related ailments.

Throughout the years of peace negotiations with the Centre, Muivah's inability to visit his ancestral Somdal village deeply troubled him, according to sources, who noted that other NSCN(IM) leaders faced no such restrictions on traveling within Manipur.