The Nagaland Conundrum: Who Is Fighting Against Whom, And Why?

Image Credit: India Today (Representational Image)

The Logical Indian Crew

The Nagaland Conundrum: Who Is Fighting Against Whom, And Why?

A misinformed attack by the Indian Army's elite para commando squad that left 13 dead, led to massive unrest in the north-eastern state of Nagaland. While internet and SMS services remained jammed in the state, several tribes pulled out of the famous Hornbill festival.

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The miscalculated encounter in Nagaland's Mon has attracted the eye of locals, national and international media and the Opposition. An Army Para Commando squad was waiting for the militants in Nagaland's Mon district when they shot and killed 13 tribal villagers; six were coalmine workers. The victims were returning home from work in a van and singing songs when the operation took place. While a civilian search party went to look for their community members since they had not returned from work at the usual time, they found them dead and piled up in an Army truck.

After finding the bodies, the civilians attacked the personnel and set their vehicles on fire. Soldiers opened fire again, and seven civilians and one soldier were killed in what ensued further. The mob attacked the Assam Rifles camp on December 5, in which one more civilian was killed. The Indian Army "deeply regretted" the civilian deaths and ordered a court of inquiry. However, the Nagaland conflict does not pertain to this particular incident but is a century-long saga of an ethnic rift that has been going on for centuries now. The incident has put a pause on the peace talks between the government and tribes of the state.

What Is The Conflict In Nagaland?

While the story of the Naga resistance began much before independence, the modern-day conflict in Nagaland started in 1955 after the Indian government targeted the Naga National Council (NNC), which was also the first organized political Force in Nagaland. NNC eventually split into the NSCN-IM, and the NSCN-Khaplang and the Indian government took advantage of the rift. The Nagas demanded the inclusion of their ancestral properties, which belonged to the newly-formed territories of the neighbouring states of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. All three states declined to cede their land to the Nagas.

Several locals believe that the Centre has failed to integrate Nagaland effectively. Moreover, they think that the Centre's understanding of what is suitable for Nagaland does not favour their interests. Many people have migrated from the state for better economic opportunities and an improved standard of living, but they have complained of alienation and discrimination on several grounds.

Nagaland borders Myanmar, and India shares a porous border with the country, thus increasing the risk of insurgency on the Indian lands. The Para Commando was reportedly on a lookout against the insurgents and had credible inputs suggesting that the group would cross the path. Therefore, when the local tribesmen's vehicle was passing, the squad mistook them for insurgents and opened fire.

Moreover, the Centre has tagged Nagaland as a 'disturbed area' and has imposed the Draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the state. The imposition of the security forces has further increased the resentful sentiment in the Nagas. The ultimate endeavour of the insurgencies has been to create a "Greater Nagalim" that includes all contiguous land, including Nagaland, where the Naga tribes are settled. The proposed territory also includes lands from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur in India and several tracts of Myanmar.

Why Did The Nagas Attack Assam Rifles Camp?

Assam Rifles is the only Paramilitary Force with a dual control structure. While the Administrative control of the Force lies with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Indian Army, which falls under the Ministry of Defence, manages the operational command. Assam Rifles is one of the six Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in the country and is tasked to maintain peace, law and order in collaboration with the Indian Army on the Indo-Myanmar border. It has a sanctioned strength of over 63,000 personnel and has 46 battalions apart from administrative and training staff.

How Did Political Leaders React?

After the killings of more than a dozen local tribe members, the Opposition has raised several questions asking what the Ministry of Home Affairs was doing. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said they wanted a "real reply" from the Centre because "neither the civilians nor the security personnel is safe in our land". West Bengal Chief Minister and the Chairperson of Trinamool Congress Mamata Bannerjee demanded a thorough investigation.

The opposition parties and the BJP Nagaland State President Temjen Imma Along said that he was profoundly tragic and heartbroken at the killings of innocent civilians by the Corps. He said, "There can never be any justification for such kind of massacre targeting innocent civilians. The innocent victims were labourers returning from a hard day's work and were not armed with any firearms whatsoever. It is, therefore, tantamount to war crimes during peacetime and amounts to summary execution as well as genocide".

The Ao Senden, the Apex tribal organization of the state, withdrew the participation of the Ao contingent in the famous Hornbill festival of the state. The tribal organization took the step to mourn the deaths of their Konyak brothers and stand in solidarity with the bereaved families. Moreover, in the official circular, they announced a Bandh in the Mokokchung district of the state on December 06, 2021.


The Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphu Rio, also condemned the deaths of innocent civilians and wished for recovery for those injured. Moreover, he raised the demand of a Special Investigation Team to investigate the incident and deliver justice to the victims. Several experts have also raised the question that apart from faulty intelligence, the government had also put pressure on the security forces to avenge the deaths of six personnel from the Assam Rifles, which claimed the lives of Colonel Viplav his wife and his eight-year-old son.

The unfortunate encounter by the security forces has undoubtedly caught the ire of the Opposition, Media and locals. The peace talks going on for decades might have to be put on hold for the time being, at least until a special investigation team is formed to conduct a thorough investigation and identify the lapses that led to the deaths of civilians and security personnel. The Centre would have to put in more effort to regain the lost trust of the locals to avoid such instances in the future.

Also Read: Recalling How And Why 200 Women Lynched Serial Rapist In Nagpur Courtroom

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