Thomas
NNC Member
The question of the Eastern Naga youths was “Whythe Naga National Council (NNC) failed to control the Eastern part of Nagaland in 1980? The youths asked this question to one of the Eastern Naga National leaders (ENNO). He narrated the question to me on phone and said that he could not give a good explanation to them, because he was born only after the formation of NSCN in 1980. So, he wantedme to explain it in the interest of Naga youths.
It is a reasonable question and neededto explain itin the interest of Naga youths who were born after 1980 and the record of history. I wrote it in Burmese and posted on Facebook on September 21, 2024.
It is necessary to know that from 1979 to 1980, the Late Khaplang was the President of the FGN, and the Late Brig. Thungbo was C-in-C of the Naga Army in Eastern part of Nagaland. Whythe two former leaders of ENRC became the top leaders of FGN and Naga Army, is neededto be explained first.
As I have always explained the division among the NNC/FGN leaders in Eastern Oking (Headquarters) cropped up in 1976 because Muivah and Isak formed a new government the NNC/FGN as one party one government, a centralized government in the pattern of socialistic government on 16thAugust 1976.After the formation, Th. Muivah, then the General Secretary of the NNC went to China along with 300 Naga Army started from Phalungtung Khiamniungan village on October 16, 1976.He had strictly forbidden Isak, then he was Vice President of the NNC not to contact any NNC/FGN leader in the West during his absence.
In China, Muivah advocated overthrowing Phizo’s leadership and forming a socialist government. Because of Muivah’s policy, a complete division among the Naga Army took place from China as such who stood for the Naga traditional democracy and supported Phizo’s leadership, and who stood for socialism and supported Muivah’s leadership. They returned home in January 1978,with widely divided.
As they reached Heimi Region, Late Lt, Col Yamtsethong told me on January 28, 1978 that on the way we were hardlyrestrained ourselves from fighting against each other because of Muivah’s policy. Unless he changes his policy, fighting among ourselves will soon erupt in Eastern Nagaland. But if we Eastern Nagas, Khiamniungan, Konyak, and Heimi are united without accepting Muivah’s policy, we can prevent it.”
The Naga Army officers returned home with rage against Muivah’s policy and planned since April 1978 to declare Martial Law if and when Muivah forcefully overthrow Phizo’s leadership and to form socialist government.
At that time, Late Khaplang, President of the Eastern Naga RevolutionaryCouncil(ENRC) and Late Brig. Thungbo were at our NNC/FGN Oking from April to May, 1978. We urged Khaplang, not to support Muivah’s policy but to stand as neutral. Hence, he did not support Muivah’s policy. For overthrowing Phizo’s leadership, he said; it is not a time to fight for leadership. Phizo is now an old man, after him he (Muivah) will become NNC Presidentautomatically.Also, he rejected newNNC/FGN government formed by Muivah and Isak in 1976 as mentioned above.
At the same time, we fervently urged Muivah and Isak not to form a socialist government and neither to overthrow Phizo’s leadership, But rather they adopted a resolution to overthrow Phizo’s leadership on 2ndAugust 1978. The Naga Army officers thus declared Martial Law on August 30, 1978, and detained the two leaders (Muivah-Isak) under house arrest.
Martial Law was lifted on 9thMarch 1979, and in the afternoon, we held the NNC meeting where we entrusted Late T. Venuh as NNC Vice President. We had done it to reject Isak’s Vice Presidentship of the NNC which was made by Muivah on August 16, 1976, to replace the incumbent NNC Vice President Imkongmaren, who passed away on January 16, 1979.
On 10thMarch 1979, the ENRC merged with the NNC signed by ENRC President Khaplang and NNC Vice President T. Venuh. As the ENRC joined the NNC, when the FGN Tatar Hoho (Parliament) was held on 12thMarch 1979, we had elected Khaplang to be President of the FGN, and Brig, Thungbo was appointed as C-in-C of the Naga Army. This was also done so as to reject the socialistic formation of the NNC/FGN done by Muivah and Isak in 1976.
We had elected Khaplang to be a President of FGN, because in those days in eastern part of Nagaland, Khaplang was a senior and an able leader. In the Naga Army, two high ranking Army officers were Brig. Vedai and Brig. Thungbo. But Brig. Vedai sided with Isak and Muivah. So we appointed Brig, Thungbo to be C-in-C of the Naga Army.
The fact was that, the Nagas had the FGN President and C-in-C of the Naga Army for the whole Nagaland since the formation of the FGN in 1956 and they were in the west. But in the Eastern part of Nagaland Muivah wanted to play politics with the Shillong Accord. So, in order to prevent division among us, we did to elect a separate FGN President and C-in-C in the Eastern part of Nagaland. For this reason, Khaplang and Brig. Thungbo became the top leaders of FGN and the Naga Army since 1979 in Eastern part of Nagaland.
After Khaplang became President of the FGN, the President released Muivah and Isak from house arrest in May 1979.Hence, from 1979 to January 31, 1980, the top leaders of the NNC/FGN were four of them; namely: Isak-Muivah, the NNC Vice President and General Secretary, Khaplang the president of FGN, and Brig. Thungbo the C-in-C of the Naga Army. The other NNC/FGN leaders and top Naga Army officers were killed by them from November to 3rd January 1980, because they opposed socialism. Thus, only four leaders remained as the top leaders of the NNC/FGN up to 31stJanuary 1980 to control the whole Eastern part of Nagaland.
However, on January 31, 1980, the four, top leaders of the NNC/FGN defected from the NNC/FGN on their own accord and formed the so-called NSCN on the same day. Therefore, the NNC failed to control the Eastern part of Nagaland in 1980.
