Homeland Security

Nagaland: The Beginning of Insurgency - I
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Issue Book Excerpt: Lost Opportunities | Date : 09 May , 2011

Split in the Underground

At this stage two important developments took place that were to profoundly affect the underground struggle for independence. The first was the split in the underground and the second, the decision to seek Chinese help. The failure of peace talks heightened the differences in the approach to peace talks and the strategy to be adopted to find a political solution. While Kughato Sukhai, a Sema and brother of Kaito, was blamed for the failure of peace talks, Kaito was unhappy with the Angami leadership for sidelining him in the underground military hierarchy. Scato Swu resigned as the president of NNC and was replaced by Mhiasiu, who was close to Phizo. Mowu Angami was appointed the chief of the underground army, and Muivah was made the general secretary of the party. Angamis replaced the hegemony of Semas.

“¦they took the plea that the agreement did not prohibit movement of their cadres outside Nagaland and that the agreement prohibited smuggling of arms into Nagaland during the truce but did not prohibit receiving arms from a friendly country.

For opposing Phizoites, Kaito was brutally murdered in broad daylight in Kohima on August 31, 1968. He was accused of having links with the Indian Army. His followers formed the Revolutionary Government of Nagaland (RGN) on November 1, 1968 with a political wing called Council of Naga People. The RGN was led by Kughato Sukhai and self-styled General Zuehoto. The splinter group appointed Scato Swu as the Prime Minister, who had earlier resigned as the president of the FGN, and favoured peaceful solution of the Naga problem, continuance of the cease-fire and talks with the Government of India. The other development was the decision taken sometime in 1966 to send a group of Naga youths to China for training in guerrilla warfare. There were groups in the underground, which did not favour links with the Chinese. Even the church was not very comfortable with this development.

Capture of Mowu Angami

The first batch of 300 Nagas under Thinsuelie trekked 1000 km to reach Yunan in China in January 1967. The second batch of 500 Nagas was led by Mowu Angami in December 1967. This batch, which was on its way back to Nagaland after training, had no knowledge of the crisis that had overtaken the underground during its absence. The army captured a part of this group numbering 165 under Mowu Angami in March 1969 with their arms and documents, which confirmed their Chinese links. The capture of Mowu’s gang is still shrouded in conflicting explanations. The rival group accused Kaito’s men of betrayal and helping the army in capturing Mowu and his gang.

Book_Lost_OpportunitiesThe crisis in the underground had repercussions in the overground politics. The Naga National Organisation (NNO) led by Hokishe Sema split over the relationship with the RGN. SC Jamir defected from the NNO and joined the splinter group, which had formed the United Democratic Front (UDF) considered pro underground. There was an attempt on the life of Hokishe Sema on August 8, 1972, when the convoy of vehicles in which he and his family were travelling was ambushed on Dimapur-Kohima road. Fortunately, Hokishe and his family survived, but the driver and two bodyguards were killed and Hokishe’s daughter was injured. The Government of India banned NNC and FGN and lifted the cease-fire on September 1, 1972. The RGN was dissolved on August 16, 1973 and 335 armed cadres of this group were absorbed into newly raised 111 and 112 Battalion of Border Security Force (BSF). Zuehoto became a battalion commander and Scato Swu later became a Member of Parliament.31

Continued…: Nagaland: The Beginning of Insurgency – II

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Brig (Dr) SP Sinha

Brigadier (Dr) SP Sinha, VSM (Retd)

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