SaralnamaAt 3 pm on Wednesday, a chopper landed on a newly-made helipad in a village nestled among Manipur’s Naga hills, kicking up a storm of dust towards the gathering, which stood holding the pale blue ‘Naga national flag’ in their hands. Once the dust settled, an elderly and visibly frail Thuingaleng Muivah stepped out, assisted by his security entourage, stepping foot in his native village Somdal, in Manipur’s Ukhrul, for the first time in over five decades. At 91, Muivah remains the face of one of South Asia’s oldest insurgencies, and in these parts, is regarded a hero. He joined the Naga National Council back in 1964 to fight for Naga autonomy; went on to form the NSCN (National Socialist Council of Nagaland) in 1980 along with S Khaplang and Isak Chishi Swu, both of whom have now passed… (Updated 23 Oct 2025, 00:40 IST; source: link)
Key Points
- At 3:25 pm on Wednesday, a chopper landed on a newly-made helipad in a village nestled among Manipur’s Naga hills, kicking up a storm of dust towards the gathering, which stood holding the pale blue ‘Naga national flag’ in their hands
- Once the dust settled, an elderly and visibly frail Thuingaleng Muivah stepped out, assisted by his security entourage, stepping foot in his native village Somdal, in Manipur’s Ukhrul, for the first time in over five decades
- At 91, Muivah remains the face of one of South Asia’s oldest insurgencies, and in these parts, is regarded a hero