SUMMARY
NSCN-IM (National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Isaac-Muivah faction) is a Naga insurgent group fighting the Government of India for an independent Nagaland in North Eastern India. NSCN-IM traces its history to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), a radical insurgency group formed on 31 January 1980 by about 140 members of the Naga National Council rejecting the 1975 Shillong Peace Agreement with the Government of India. On 30 April 1988, NSCN violently broke into two separate (and rival) groups, one led by Isaac Chisi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah (and known as NSCN-IM) and the other, led by S. Khaplang, known as The National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Khaplang (NSCN-K). The split occured both because of clan rivalries (NSCN-K, formed by mainly rank-and-file members of the NSCN, being dominated by members of the Konyak tribe, while NSCN-IM, being dominated by Tangkhul members, and preserving most of the command structures of NSCN ), as well as due to different visions with regards to NSCN’s position against India. The two groups are deeply inimical to each other, fighting each other, since 1988. On 23 November 2007, a group from NSCN-IM, led by Azheto Chophy, attempted to reconcile the two groups, signing an agreement with NSCN-K. Isaac Chisi Swu and Muivah, however, refused to accept the agreement, and declared Chophy’s group traitorous. Chophy’s faction became known as NSCN-Unity (NSCN-U), being allied with NSCN-K and opposed by NSCN-IM. Since the 1988 split, NSCN-IM has been the dominant Naga insurgent group.
NSCN-IM has been involved in lengthy and protracted negotiations with the Government of India, starting with an informal round of negotiations in 1995, in Paris, continuing with a temporary ceasefire for three months starting 1 August 1997 (extended a number of times, and still in place, despite numerous violations, in 2007), further followed by numerous rounds of formal negotiations that continue to this day. Beyond these linkages to India, there have been accusations, mainly by the Indian Government, of linkages to Pakistan by means of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence organization. Further connections are thought to exist with other insurgent groups in India, to which NSCN-IM provides training in exchange for funding.
Goals of the group include the recognition by India of the right to self-determination of the Naga people, as well as the creation of a Greater Nagaland (called Nagalim), including the Indian state of Nagaland as well as territories from Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and small parts of Myanmar.
The leaders of NSCN-IM have been Issac (Isak) Chisi Swu and Thuingaleng H. Muivah from the inception of the group. The leadership structure is very well known, NSCN-IM having a military wing (The Naga Army – with 6 battalions and one brigade) and a civilian wing (formed by a government in exile, the Government of the People’s Republic of Nagaland (GPRN) and by a parallel administration within the areas of Nagaland it controls). The head of the Naga Army is S Hungshi, while the civilian wing is run by nine ministers (kilonser) grouped around a convener and 11 administrative regions. The most important minister, the Home Minister is A.K. Lungalung seconded by his deputy, V. Horam. Current overall strength is estimated at around 4500 members. While part of the insurgency group is based in India, leaders Isaac Swu and Muivah reside in Thailand. However, since 1998, they have been allowed to visit India and Nagaland numerous times. Overall, NSCN-IM is considered to be a well structured, well-organized hierarchical group.
NSCN-IM has been involved in the intrastate, non-state and one-sided violence categories of UCDP organised violence.
