Unable to meet PM, Muivah goes to Dimapur

National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) general-secretary Thuingaleng Muivah arrived in Nagaland’s commercial capital Dimapur, after spending a couple of unsuccessful weeks in New Delhi in the hope of meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Muivah, who arrived in Dimapur via Kolkata, proceeded to the outfit’s Camp Hebron headquarters after giving a short speech at the airport.

NSCN (I-M) chairman Isak Chishi Swu is already at Camp Hebron, having arrived from Amsterdam under a heavy veil of secrecy. The rival NSCN (Khaplang) faction has said it would target Muivah should he arrive in Nagaland. According to Muivah’s personal secretary Samson Jajo, the rebel leader will be spending the next three to four days attending prayer meetings. “During his address at the airport, Muivah said he was here to deliberate on the progress of the ongoing peace dialogue between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M). He said his priority was to meet the people of the land and rejuvenate relationships.”

Muivah had held a meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and had urged her to bring the NSCN (K) cadres under control. In the recent months, the NSCN (K), with the help of Naga National Council (NNC) and the Naga People’s Party, have been mounting attacks on the NSCN (I-M) cadres. Less than, 24 hours before Muivah landed here, NSCN (K) cadres in tandem with Manipuri outfit United National Liberation Front’s armed wing Manipur People’s Army launched an attack on an NSCN (I-M) camp in Peren district, in which one I-M cadre was reportedly killed, The attack took place a short distance away from Camp Hebron. The NSCN (K) has given Swu a January 10 deadline to leave Nagaland.

Swu, meanwhile, has held several meetings within the outfit, according to sources. They added that Swu is visiting Nagaland with the objective of regenerating the outfit. Both leaders are expected to spend over a month in Nagaland before returning to New Delhi to hold talks with the Prime Minister.