SUMMARY
The Naga are an are an ethnic group living in northeastern India (mainly in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunchal states) and western Myanmar (in Sagaing Division). The region, known as the Patkai range, is mostly hilly and jungle-covered. With a population estimated at over 3 million, most scholars divide the Naga into 36 tribes, each having various clan-like leadership structures. Naga society is rather fragmented – over 30 languages are spoken by various tribes, some of them not mutually intelligible. However, a common feature amongst all Naga groups is the almost total lack of a caste system, as over 90% of all Nagas are Christian, mainly Baptist. The Nagas were amongst one of the first Indian tribal entities to organize, in the 1940s, with Naga organizations having a deep influence in Naga communal lives through their both their actions against the government as well as through their relations with the community. As such, from the very beginning, NNC’s demands were for an independent Greater Nagaland (Nagalim), covering all the territories inhabited by Nagas – this would correspond to the current Indian state of Nagaland as well as large parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, and parts of Burma (Myanmar).
This was almost achieved, as, in 1947 NNC obtained the agreement of Gandhi for an independent Nagalim. As such, Nagaland was not included in the Indian Independence Act. Gandhi’s promise, however, was quickly forgotten by the Indian government after Gandhi’s assassination. This event triggered a longstanding series of violence between the Government of India and the Nagas, as NNC saw India as illegally occupying Naga territory. For over 28 years, between 1947 and 1975, violent rebellion by NNC and heavy armed response by the Government did increase the autonomy of the Nagas (first, as an autonomous region within Assam State, in 1960, then as a full State within India, in 1962), NNC declared it would not accept anything short of a referendum for independence. Only in 1975 was a settlement (the Shillong Accords) reached between NNC and the Government of India. However, a large part of NNC dismissed the agreement and formed, by 1980, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), a militant group that continued fighting the Government.
The late 1980s and early 1990s brought a number of changes to the Nagas. First, NSCN split in two inimical factions, second, the major figure of the Naga struggle for independence, Zapu Phizo, died, third, changes in Burma (Myanmar), including a new military dictatorship employing a very strong hand against the Nagas determined a relatively large migration from Burma to India in 1992. All this, combined with structural issues, such as very poor economic development, widespread poverty and unemployment present throughout Nagaland, led to a severe increase in insurgency – with the goal of creating Greater Nagaland. Much of this violence was either internecine (between NSCN factions) or directed at the Governments of India and Burma (Myanmar) - culminating with a 1995 move by unknown militants of the Burmese-Indian border by 10 km inside Burma (Myanmar), so that more Nagas would be included in Nagaland. Further, by 1992, Nagas and neighbouring rival tribes, mainly Kukis, became engaged in bouts of communal violence. Reasons behind this communal violence were multiple, both political, as the Nagas wanting to ethnically cleanse large areas, in order to be included in the future Greater Nagaland, as well as economic – with both Naga and Kuki clans wanting to control lucrative drug trade routes. By 1995, the Indian Government began taking serious action, at first by recognizing in 1995 the existence of a violent conflict within Nagaland and supplementing both the number of security personnel dispatched to Nagaland, and the amount of aid disbursed to the region. Further, by 1997, negotiations were initiated with the largest NSCN faction, the NSCN-IM (National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Isaac Muivah) , leading to an annually renewed ceasefire that somewhat reduced the level of violence. Factional violence, however, between various insurgent groups within Nagaland have continued throughout the 2000s, further affecting Naga communities. The Naga leadership is divided between those accepting Indian control over Nagaland (mainly grouped around the official institutions of Nagaland state) and those struggling for an independent Nagalim, mainly grouped around three splinter-groups of the original NSCN – NSCN-IM, NSCN-K (the National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Khaplang) and NSCN-U (National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Unification).
The Naga have been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.
