Nagaland sees birth of another rebel group as NSCN (Reformation) splits

By Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Even as the Centre is struggling to deal with a large number of Naga extremist groups in its bid to resolve the seven-decade-old Naga political problem, another rebel outfit has been floated.

As a result of a power struggle, some leaders of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Reformation), led by Akato Chophi, broke away from the insurgent group to float a faction with the same nomenclature.

Y Wangtin Naga and P Tikhak are serving the parent organisation as president and “ato kilonser” (prime minister) respectively.

In a joint statement, they expressed regret over the development and expelled Chophi who was the outfit’s vice president. The duo said despite various efforts, Chophi chose to part ways.

The Nagas have over a dozen extremist groups. Barring the Yung Aung faction of the NSCN, which has mostly Myanmar Nagas and operates from the soil of the neighbouring country, the rest of the groups are in peace mode following their signing of separate ceasefire agreements with the central government.

The Centre’s stand on the breakaway faction remains to be seen. Chophi said it was up to the Government of India to sign a peace deal. He claimed his group has over 2,000 active members.

He told a local newspaper that the split was not for “power or personal benefits” but in the interest of the Nagas. He said he was aghast that a section of NSCN (Reformation) leaders, who knew nothing about the history of the Nagas, was after money.

Born in 1980, the NSCN suffered the first split in 1988 when SS Khaplang broke away from the group and floated the NSCN-K. The parent body, led by Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah, came to be known as the NSCN-IM from then on.

Over the past two decades or so, the NSCN suffered multiple splits. Currently, the Centre is holding separate peace parleys with the NSCN-IM and seven other groups, which came together under the banner of Naga National Political Groups or NNPGs. The newly-floated NSCN faction could be the latest addition.

The solution to the vexed problem continues to elude the Nagas and the central government as the NSCN-IM has stuck to its guns on the contentious demand of separate Naga flag and Naga “yezabo” (constitution).

In contrast, the NNPGs have more or less come to an understanding. Its position is that all substantive issues could be discussed following a solution.