Dilung: Amid the preparations over the proposed visit of NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah to Somdal village in Ukhrul district on October 22, the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) has issued a strong statement demanding that Muivah tender an unqualified apology to the Naga people for what it termed as “lapses and failures committed over the years.”
In a press release issued by Louis Gangmei, Information Secretary of the organization from its council headquarters in Dilung on Sunday, the ZUF accused Muivah of being personally responsible for deep divisions within Naga society, acts of persecution against fellow Nagas, and misleading the people through false promises of sovereignty. The organisation said that glorifying a leader who “failed Nagas on all fronts” was unjustified, especially when communities like the Zeliangrong have “sacrificed so much only to be left empty-handed.”
The statement recalled that Muivah, now 91 years old, had left his native village decades ago to lead the Naga national movement, but his leadership brought only “empty promises and divisions.” It added that his visit to Somdal and parts of Senapati was not an occasion for celebration but for reflection and repentance.
Citing historical grievances, the ZUF alleged that Muivah’s actions led to violent persecution and alienation of many Naga groups, particularly the Zeliangrong people. The press note referenced the formation of the NSCN in 1980, which it said began with the “un-Christian act” of killing NNC members and fellow Nagas under the pretext of revolution.
The statement also recalled that the late Naga church leaders had once proposed a collective apology from NSCN leaders as part of reconciliation efforts, stressing that “the time has come for Muivah to publicly repent for his wrongs.”
The ZUF further accused NSCN-IM of establishing illegal camps in Zeliangrong territories, extorting money, and imposing illegal taxes along highways and railway projects. “Reports indicate that NSCN-IM has already entrenched itself in Zeliangrong areas through illegal control, while our people continue to suffer,” it alleged.
According to the ZUF, several members from different NSCN factions have defected and joined the Zeliangrong United Front in recent times, which it said was evidence that “NSCN-IM’s influence is declining while the ZUF’s struggle for genuine Zeliangrong aspirations continues.”
Condemning Muivah’s upcoming visit as “a deceptive attempt to rekindle the lost spirit of Naga nationalism,” the ZUF claimed that it was only aimed at furthering his “selfish political ambitions” under the guise of sovereignty. The organisation also criticised the 2015 Framework Agreement signed between the NSCN-IM and the Government of India, calling it a “deliberately misrepresented deal” that failed to deliver any genuine solution to the Naga issue.
“The NSCN-IM campaign seems to be cursed, doomed, and denounced,” the statement read, while urging Naga people, particularly the Zeliangrong community, to remain vigilant against “hollow political propaganda”, it added.
