All eyes on Ukhrul, Somdal Homecoming of Muivah

It is thanks to this man that today all eyes are on Ukhrul and Somdal village and whether one agrees with his political vision of a Lim or not, he is the man of the moment. It is 2025 and not 2010. It was the Congress back then and today it is the BJP, despite the fact that Manipur is under President’s Rule. And 2010 was certainly nearer to 2002 the year which is synonymous with the June uproar and a spontaneous uprising which rested on the premise of the Idea of Manipur. The idea still stands, but the pivot around which this idea revolves has changed from 2010. If there was apprehension over the proposed visit of Thuingaleng Muivah to his native village at Somdal back in 2010, today the apprehension is not likely to come out exploding at any moment. Been away from home since 1964 or since the year he joined the then Naga National Council, to later head the undivided NSCN in 1980, to inking the ceasefire deal with the Government of India in 1997, the journey has been long and eventful for the man synonymous with the Naga political movement, a movement which some have called ‘awakening’. It is not clear what his message would be to the Tangkhul people at Ukhrul or Somdal, but the proposed visit has stirred the interests of Manipur and not without reason. This is  perhaps the first time that a rebel leader cum personality who has decided to come to the negotiating table, is set to touch down here and Manipur obviously would be more than willing to listen to what he has to say. Not clear how many from Imphal or the other valley districts would be headed towards Ukhrul for the high profile visit, but the media coverage will be wide. The Sangai Express has already got in touch with the Ukhrul correspondent, with a one line statement-Capture the moment. Let the report also reflect the general ambience under which Ava Kharar is received. First home visit since 1964 and clearly it has got to be something special not only for Ukhrul and Somdal but also for the whole of Manipur. Thuingaleng Muivah may have projected himself as a leader of the Naga people but many see him as an inspiring personality and this is something which puts him in a different league. From a tough leader who faced it all waging a bush war against the Indian security personnel to emerging as a tough negotiator, Muivah has shown that he has the ability to lead from the front in the jungles as well as strike a tough stand in the political negotiation that has dragged on since 1997. This is where one is left wondering whether New Delhi gave any importance to the Framework Agreement signed in 2015 or not.
Already in the winter of his life, and it is already 10 years since the Framework Agreement was inked and this is where one is left wondering what is stopping Delhi from proceeding with the pact signed in 2015. The Sangai Express still remembers the day when news of the pact having been signed started doing the rounds among the media persons here. The apprehension felt back then can only be imagined, for Manipur is always central to any agreement that the NSCN may sign with the Government of India. With no one really knowing what the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 was all about, speculations did the round and even today many still do not know the finer details of the pact. What however is clear is that the NSCN and the then Interlocutor to the peace talk RN Ravi had different interpretations of the Framework Agreement and the uncertainty over the fate of this pact continues to this day. Thuingaleng Muivah is expected to say something significant on the 2015 pact for the general perception is that the talk has hit a wall over two points, a Separate Constitution and a Separate Flag for the Nagas.  Manipur appears ready for the high profile visit of the son of Somdal and one hopes the visit of Muivah will go some way in fostering ties between the two groups of people who are indigenous to Manipur-the Nagas and the Meiteis. A point which he made clear during an interaction with The Sangai Express back in 2005 at Camp Hebron.