Nagaland Insurgency in India 1954-1975

The first and perhaps the most significant insurgency originated in Nagaland in the early 1950s; it was eventually quelled in the early 1980s through a mixture of repression and cooptation. In 1993 Nagaland experienced recrudescent violence as two ethnic groups, the Nagas and the Kukis, engaged in brutal conflict with each other. Adding to India's internal unrest in this region were the links established between the Bodo insurgents in Assam and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, which, in turn, had links to other active insurgent groups and, reportedly, operatives in Thailand.

Angami Zapuphizo, the leader of Nagaland in the northeastern hills of South Asia died in exile in England in 1990. A colourful, charismatic personality with an air of mystery about him, he was the force behind the Nagas's demand for sovereign independence in 1947, at the time that Britain transferred power to India and Pakistan. From then onwards he was a central figure in the turbulent ethnic tapestry of the region. To the Naga people he is a hero.

After India became independent in 1947, the Naga territory initially remained a part of Assam. A strong nationalist movement, however, began seeking a political union of the Naga tribes, and extremists demanded outright secession from the Indian Union. This movement led to a number of violent incidents, and in 1955 the Indian army was called in to restore order. In 1957, after an agreement was reached between Naga leaders and the Indian government, the Naga Hills district of Assam and the Tuensang frontier division to the northeast were brought together under a single unit directly administered by the Indian government. Despite the agreement, unrest continued in the form of noncooperation with the Indian government, nonpayment of taxes, sabotage, and attacks on the army. A further accord reached at the Naga People's Convention meeting of July 1960 resolved that Nagaland should become a constituent state of the Indian Union. Nagaland achieved statehood in 1963, and a democratically elected government took office in 1964.

Rebel activity continued, however, increasingly assuming the form of banditry and often motivated more by tribal rivalry and personal vendetta than by political aspiration. Ceasefires and negotiations did little to stop the insurgency, and in March 1975 direct presidential rule was imposed on the state. Although leaders of the underground agreed in November 1975 to lay down their arms and accept the Indian Constitution, a small group of hard-core extremists continued to agitate for Naga independence.

References

How to Stop a War; India - A Country Study; Nagaland; Zapuphizo. Also Steyn, Zapuphizo: Voice of the Nagas.

Category

TBD

Region

TBD

State(s)

TBD

Belligerents

TBD

Dispute

TBD

Initiation Date

TBD

Termination Date

TBD

Duration

TBD

Outcome

TBD

Fatalities

TBD

Magnitude

TBD