Ukhrul: In a moment steeped in emotion and history, Ato Kilonser Thuingaleng Muivah, the 91-year-old supremo of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), returned to his birthplace, Somdal village in Manipur’s Ukhrul district, on Wednesday — fifty years after he left his ancestral home to join the Naga political movement.
The nonagenarian Naga leader, a central figure in the decades-long Naga peace talks with the Government of India, arrived by helicopter from Dimapur to Ukhrul district headquarters, where thousands gathered in traditional Tangkhul Naga attire to welcome him. From there, a motorcade escorted him to Somdal, his native village nestled in the hills of north Manipur.
For the Tangkhul Nagas — the largest Naga tribe in Manipur — Muivah’s homecoming marks a historic and deeply symbolic event. Posters and banners adorned the roads from Ukhrul to Somdal, while the village prepared a week-long welcome, blending traditional songs, prayers, and community feasts.
Unlike in 2010, when the Manipur government under Okram Ibobi Singh barred his entry and deployed security forces along the Nagaland-Manipur border, this time there was no opposition. Leaders and representatives from Meitei, Kuki and Pangal (Meitei Muslim) communities extended their greetings, a gesture that reflected a broader sense of acceptance amidst Manipur’s fractured ethnic landscape.
Muivah’s return comes at a sensitive time for Manipur, still reeling from the ethnic conflict between Meiteis and Kuki groups that has claimed over 260 lives since May 2023. Yet, his visit has been marked by peace and coordination among local volunteers, church leaders, and civil society organisations who ensured smooth preparations for the event.
Unable to address the large gatherings due to frail health, Muivah’s speech was read out by senior NSCN (I-M) leader V.S. Atem. In his message, Muivah thanked God for allowing him to return home after half a century. “Many people whom I knew and who loved me are missing. Generation comes and goes, but the nation stays,” he said, his words resonating deeply among his people.
Touching on the enduring Naga political struggle, he reaffirmed the group’s ideological foundation: “The historic national decision for a sovereign Nagalim has been defended and consolidated from the battlefield to the negotiating table. We have not surrendered the free existence and sovereignty of Nagalim, and we shall defend it to the last, come what may.”
Born in 1934, Th. Muivah has been synonymous with the modern Naga movement. After helping to form the NSCN in 1980 and later leading the NSCN (I-M) faction after its split in 1988, Muivah has remained the key architect of the ongoing peace process. The ceasefire agreement of 1997 marked a turning point in the Naga struggle, leading to decades of negotiations with the Centre.
For the people of Somdal, however, this visit transcends politics. It is a reunion between a village and its most famous son — a man who left as a young revolutionary and returned as an aging symbol of a nation’s aspirations.
Muivah and his wife, Pakahao, are currently staying at the Gethsemane Prayer Hall, located 2.5 km from his ancestral home, where special prayers and thanksgiving services are being held daily. He is expected to remain there until October 28 before heading to Senapati district for another welcome event, and then to Dimapur.
The return of Ato Kilonser Th. Muivah after half a century is being seen not merely as a personal homecoming but as a poignant reminder of the Naga people’s enduring journey — from the hills of Somdal to the negotiating tables of Delhi, and back again to where it all began.
