Nagaland (Insurgency North East): Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2002

According to media reports of January 2, arms and ammunition were recovered from two passenger buses recently by the Dhing police. The police also arrested four persons and seized the buses used in carrying arms and ammunition from Motrabari. Read less...

According to media reports, a large Naga delegation from the North-east is arriving in Bangkok on January 4 for a meeting with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Issak Muivah (NSCN-IM) leadership to evolve means for a peaceful end to the 54-year-old insurgency in Nagaland. Leaders drawn from the Naga Hoho, the apex tribal council of the Nagas, the Church, the Naga Students’ Federation, Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights besides the Naga Mothers’ Association, a powerful Naga women’s group, are to attend the two-day Bangkok meet scheduled to commence on January 4. "The meeting has been initiated by the National Socialist Council of Nagaland faction headed by Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah. There is no fixed agenda, but we on our part shall impress upon the need for reconciliation among the feuding Naga rebel factions which is a must for restoration of peace," M Vero, President of the Naga Hoho, said in Dimapur, Nagaland. Read less...

The National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Issak Muivah (NSCN-IM) has denied recent reports of dropping demands for "independence", and said there was no question of demanding independence as it is the "natural right" of the Nagas. Reacting to a recent statement by the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, I D Swami, in Imphal, that the Amsterdam-based Naga International Support Centre said so in a press release, the NSCN-IM said, "It is a figment of Mr Swami’s imagination. The talks in recent meetings of the negotiation teams of India and Nagalim (Nagaland) in Osaka, Japan, and then in Bangkok, were focused totally on the road map of negotiation, to step up the process of the dialogue." Read less...

According to media reports from Nagaland, Kohima police have, in two separate incidents, arrested three cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Issak Muivah (NSCN -IM) and also recovered three AK-47 series of rifles along with a sizeable quantity of ammunition from their possession. Read less...

Citing insecure life, unhealthy conditions, bleak future and continuing factional fighting within terrorist outfits, 52 terrorists from different outfits, surrendered, along with arms and ammunition, before the State Governor Om Prakash Sharma at Kigwema near Kohima on January 4. The surrendered terrorists accepted cash incentives from Nagaland Commissioner P Talitemjen Ao. State Chief Minister S C Jamir and his Cabinet colleagues were also present. Of the 52 surrendered terrorists, 10 had already came overground and were undergoing vocational training, but they also formally today accepted the cash incentives. The surrendered terrorists included 19 from the National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Khaplang (NSCN-K), 14 from the NSCN – Islak Muivah (NSCN-IM) and five from the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN), reported to be the pioneer of underground movement in the region. Two terrorists each from the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) also laid down their arms. About half of the terrorists were below the age of 20 and hailed from different districts of Nagaland and Manipur. The weapons surrendered included pistols, Light Machine Guns and AK rifles. Read less...

Nagaland Chief Minister S.C. Jamir, on January 6, promised to relinquish office to pave the way for the restoration of peace in the Naga areas as and when the Naga problem reached the final stage for a settlement between the Union government and the terrorists. For a meaningful and permanent solution to be achieved, the Union government must endeavour to talks with all the Naga terrorist groups, the Chief Minister noted. He also so urged unity among the different Naga terrorist groups and called for an end to factional killings between rival groups. The Chief Minister lauded the initiative of the Naga Hoho, the apex tribal council of the Nagas, Church leaders and other Naga non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in launching the ‘Naga Reconciliation Process’ Read less...

A January 13-news report said the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) is likely to make a positive response to the unilateral cease-fire announced recently the Kuki National Front (KNF), a terrorist outfit of Manipur which has been fighting the NSCN-IM. The news report cites senior NSCN-IM member W Shimray as saying that the KNF’s cease-fire offer is a positive sign and that his outfit would give a positive reply. However, W Shimray added that his outfit would not allow the KNF to continue with its demand for a separate Kuki homeland. He said the Kukis "… have settled in the land belong to the Nagas, so we will persuade them to settle their problems with our government, the GPRN". He added, "The KNF can even merge with the NSCN." The NSCN (IM) leader further said even the Paiteis of Manipur should come forward for truce forgetting their demand for a separate homeland. Read less...

At a meeting held in Bangkok to discuss the Naga peace process, Naga associations operating in various north east States of India called for repealing all special Acts under implementation in Nagaland, reportds said on January 13. The meeting also called for the withdrawal of the ban on Naga terrorist outfits and cancellation of arrest warrants against leaders, besides upgrading the existing cease-fire monitoring mechanism to an autonomous body. The crucial four-day Naga consultative meeting attended by 44 delegations adopted several vital resolutions that may have deep impact on the ongoing negotiations between the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM), reports said. The meeting also appealed to Britain to clarify the status of the Nagas at the time of India’s independence. Read less...

Nagaland Chief Minister S.C. Jamir urged the people to stand untidily when the Naga society is passing through the most crucial phase of its political history and asserted that the people had to admit and accept the ground realities of the Naga political issue in all its dimensions. Addressing the 62nd session of Ao Students Conference at Longjang in Mokokchung district on January 17, the Chief Minister called upon the youth to stand boldly and fearlessly against the "forces of falsehood, fear and faithlessness" to help the state go ahead with the rest of the country. Read less...

Pursuing the Naga peace process which was launched on December 19, 2001 to create a condition for peaceful celebration of Christmas and New Year in Kohima, the Naga Hoho, on January 18, asked the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) to extend its month-long unilateral cease-fire offered to rival groups and urged the NSCN-Isak-Muivah NSCN(I-M) to reciprocate positively to create a conducive atmosphere for the peace process. Read less...

Six terrorists of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) were killed in a clash with the rival NSCN-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) at Tenyiphe-II near Dimapur on January 18. No further details were available. Read less...