On October 22, 2025, the quiet hills of Manipur’s Ukhrul district, bordering Myanmar, bore witness to a homecoming that many thought might never happen. Thuingaleng Muivah, the 91-year-old general secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN), returned to his birthplace, Somdal, after nearly six decades away—a moment that drew thousands of villagers, emotional reunions, and a flurry of both hope and reflection across India’s northeast.
Muivah’s return was no ordinary event. According to the Associated Press, a helicopter descended from the clear blue sky onto a makeshift helipad, constructed where the century-old Baptist Church once stood. The church had been dismantled just weeks earlier, both for safety reasons and to clear the most strategic landing spot for the aging rebel leader. As the chopper touched down, villagers in traditional Naga attire—spears in hand, feathered headgear gleaming—gathered with schoolchildren waving the Naga flag, a symbol of the long and complex struggle for Naga identity. The flag, with its blue background, rainbow, and white star, fluttered in the hands of young and old alike.
For the 4,500 residents of Somdal, this was a surreal and historic moment. The Hindu reported that 88-year-old Mashithi Moinao, who had watched Muivah transform from an “elder brother” to the revered avakharar (godfather) of the Tangkhul Naga community, called the landing “divine.” The sense of reverence was palpable—Muivah’s bronze statue, alongside his wife’s, had been erected in April, a testament to the anticipation and hope that he might finally return home.
Muivah’s absence from his village spanned more than half a century. He left Somdal in 1964 to join the Naga independence movement, a campaign that began in the 1950s as a fight for sovereignty from India. Violence and turmoil marked those decades, but a ceasefire in 1997 between the Indian government and Muivah’s faction, the NSCN (Isak-Muivah), brought an uneasy calm. Despite this, peace talks have stalled repeatedly, with the core sticking points being demands for a separate Naga flag and constitution. As reported by AP, Muivah remains at the helm of negotiations, seeking greater political rights for the Naga people, an Indigenous group whose homeland stretches across several northeastern Indian states and into Myanmar.
Muivah’s journey back to Somdal was not without its challenges or controversies. His only previous attempt to return, in 2010, was halted by a ban from the Manipur state government, sparking deadly protests and highlighting the deep-seated fears over the NSCN’s vision of “Nagalim”—a unified Naga homeland encompassing parts of Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and even Myanmar’s Sagaing Division. The Hindu detailed how, in 2010, Muivah’s convoy was stopped at the Mao gate, about 120 kilometers from Somdal, resulting in the deaths of two protestors as security forces tried to quell the unrest.
This time, the landscape—both political and social—had shifted. The clearance for Muivah’s visit came under President’s Rule in Manipur, a move that signaled a more conciliatory approach from the authorities. The region itself had changed too: after ethnic clashes between the Kuki-Zomi and Meitei communities in May 2023, which claimed over 250 lives, the Nagas had maintained a position of neutrality. In a rare show of unity, leaders from influential Meitei groups, such as the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) and the All-Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation, attended the welcome ceremony. COCOMI’s spokesperson described Muivah as a “tall leader” and called his return a “historic moment.” Even the radical Meitei Leepun praised the government’s “wise and compassionate decision” to allow the visit, hailing Muivah as “a respected leader of the Naga people” and “an inspirational and visionary figure admired across communities.”
Not every voice was celebratory. The Kuki-Zomi communities, while absent from the main events, expressed support for reconciliation. Organizations like the Zomi Re-Unification Organisation called Muivah’s return a “moment of joy,” and the Eastern Kuki Chiefs’ Association praised his “tireless efforts” for the Naga cause. Yet, some critics remained. The Zeliangrong United Front, representing other Naga tribes, demanded an apology from Muivah for alleged past atrocities and questioned the wisdom of glorifying a leader who, in their view, “failed the Nagas on all fronts.” They accused him of “merciless killings of many prominent leaders in the name of Naga nationalism and sovereignty.”
Muivah addressed these criticisms during his visit. As The Hindu reported, he told the assembled villagers, “The issue we are fighting for is greater and older than most of us who are gathered here... We have not surrendered the free existence and sovereignty of Nagalim, and we shall defend the sovereign national decisions of Nagalim to the last, come what may.” His words, read out by V.S. Atem, the Deputy Prime Minister of the NSCN (I-M)’s self-proclaimed government, echoed through the crowd, many of whom had waited a lifetime for this moment. “God has a plan for everything, the peace process included. For now, He has willed our avakharar to be with us,” said Naokahao Shitung, a local pastor.
For many, the emotional impact was overwhelming. Lalotla Shimrang, 80, who had last seen Muivah in New Delhi, described the feeling of having him home as “different.” Others, like Raripam Rungshung, noted tangible improvements in village life, such as the posting of a long-awaited doctor at the local health center and hopes for better roads and schools. “The government posted a doctor at our Community Health Centre ahead of his visit. We did not have any for years,” Rungshung said.
Muivah’s own family story is bittersweet. Three of his siblings passed away during his long absence, and his only surviving brother, Asui Muivah, 84, reflected, “I wish we had the family reunion earlier, but it is better late than never.” As Muivah surveyed his people, tears welled up behind dark glasses—a moment of vulnerability for a man so long defined by struggle and resolve.
Special prayers for Muivah’s health and long life were held on October 26, the only Sunday during his eight-day visit. The community, unable to use the old church, gathered in the village’s multi-purpose hall. “We prayed for his good health and long life,” said Jerry Muinao, a local social worker.
As the dust settled on this extraordinary homecoming, the hills of Ukhrul echoed with both celebration and contemplation. For the Naga people, Muivah’s return did not solve every problem or answer every question—but it offered a rare moment of unity, reflection, and hope in a region shaped by decades of conflict and longing for peace.
