32 THE WEEK • JULY 29, 2018
CONTROVERSY
NAGA ACCORDAMU, 27, joined the National Socialist
Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) at
an age when his friends wanted to go
to Delhi for studies and to get well-pay-
ing jobs. He left his home in Ukhrul,
Manipur—the hometown of the
NSCN(IM) general secretary Th uinga-
leng Muivah—to follow in the leader’s
footsteps and fi ght for a Greater Nagal-
im, which would include the state of
Nagaland and large areas in Manipur,
Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and parts of
Myanmar.
Th e Nagas of Manipur, a sizeable
population, mostly live on the hills
surrounding the valley, which is inhab-
ited by the state’s dominant commu-
nity—the Meiteis. Th e NSCN(IM), as
part of its Greater Nagalim map, stakes
claim over Manipur’s Ukhrul, Senapati,
Chandel and Tamenglong districts.
Muivah, a Tangkhul Naga from
Somdal village in Ukhrul district, is an
inspiration not only for Amu, but also
for thousands of other Manipuri youth
who have joined the Naga insurgency
movement. Th e Tangkhul tribe domi-
nates the NSCN(IM) leadership.
Muivah is also the chief negotiator of
the peace talks with the NDA govern-
ment, after he signed the historic frame-
work agreement with Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on August 3, 2015, to
bring a lasting solution to the long-
est-running insurgency in the country.Said Amu: “I decided to join the
NSCN(IM) when I fi nished school. In
fact, my family supported my decision.
I came to Delhi with my friends, who
were going there to work and study.
Soon, I started working in a call centre.
But, within months, I felt I was wasting
my time. I left that job to return to He-
bron (headquarters of the NSCN(IM)).
I feel happy dedicating my life for a
cause.”
Many others like Amu are looking to
Muivah and Modi to bring peace and
prosperity to the people of not only
Nagaland, but also to those of other
states.
Every few months, Amu journeys
from the jungles of Hebron to his vil-
lage of Ukhrul, where his family lives.
Th ough Manipur is a small state, with a
population of about 28 lakh, it is home
to about 40 diff erent communities and
tribes. Most of them have been living
together for centuries, and they all
speak Manipuri.
“Any solution to the vexed Naga
problem must keep in mind the
historical, geographical and cultural
realities of the state,” said BJP MLA
P. Brojen, who has been camping in
Delhi since July 14, along with Manipur
Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and
other legislators. Th eir demand—an
assurance from the Centre that the
Naga peace deal would not be fi nalisedwithout the consent of their state
assembly.
Th eir visit comes amid reports that
the government was inching closer
to a fi nal deal with the NSCN(IM).
Moreover, on July 1, the NSCN(IM) had
said that integration of all Naga-inhab-
ited areas was an important part of the
ongoing talks with the Centre.
“Th e people of Manipur are not
against a peaceful settlement between
the NSCN(IM) and the government,”
said Brojen. “But care should be taken
not to disturb other states and commu-
nities. In Manipur, there is not a single
district where only one community is
settled. So, any supra state or an alter-Proceeding
with caution
With the Manipur chief minister and 30
MLAs camping in Delhi, the home ministry
is treading carefully on the Naga accordBY NAMRATA BIJI AHUJA
PTI