September 2021 - Who cannot solve Naga problem ?
- R N Ravi
2022 -- Who will solve all pending issues on Naga problem?
- Himanta Biswa Sarma
April 2025 :
At least three suspected NSCN - IM (National Socialist Council of Nagaland -IM) cadres, who entered Assam "allegedly to extort money" from the National Highways Authority of India, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Dima Hasao district on Tuesday.
The entire operation took around 60 hours. (NDTV report)
The fact of the matter is it was a police operation and central forces did not have to do much.
The phrase Nothing Doing yet Poor Performance has also come full circle.
There's something bitter and yet ironical about it !!
(Gamocha brotherhood)
In Delhi, officials in the spy departments pulled up new sets of sun glasses. I asked one of them 'why' ?
His response was -- "Bollywood films have made it almost compulsory; if you do not have sun glasses on, you are a bad spy".
I countered: "Heat is on...".
A dutiful friend for years - he nodded in agreement and added: "Sahi pakde haen ... you are right actually the heat is everywhere; Pakistan is facing Pahalgam heat.... your friends are also facing the same". I understood his double meaning statement.
We refused to discuss further about the Assam operation.
In the meantime one admirer of NDPP chief Chingwang Konyak called up and sounded furious -
"What is this after Bolero Bolero... you have started saying Nothing Doing ....".
I was taken aback but was quick to return his compliments : "I am also N.D ... nothing doing ... Nirendra Dev".
The Assam operation was planned and monitored by the highest level of Assam police for a month now.
Over 300 security force personnel led by the Assam police were part of this operation.
The encounter took place at a pocket between N Kubin and Herakilo under Haflong police station limits after the NSCN-IM cadres came from neighbouring Nagaland.
A cache of arms and ammunition were also recovered from Naga cadres by the special units of the Assam police and Assam Rifles.
The NSCN factions have a ceasefire agreement with the government of India and theNagaland state government as part of the ongoing peace process.
In February 2025, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) announced a new battalion for the 'NC Hills' region (present-day Dima Hasao), creating a flutter within security agencies in the region.
The outfit's military chief Anthony N Shimray had surveyed areas along the tri-junction of Assam-Manipur-Nagaland, where the battalion will be based.
Importantly, from the Govt of India point of view -- the ceasefire agreement which is subjected to 'extension' every year is operative only within the territorial limited of Nagaland state.
But it goes without stating that various NSCN factions have remained active in parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur.
Assam police sources say - the operation was carried out acting on a tip-off about the presence of NSCN-IM militants.
In the gunfight, which lasted for 3-4 hours, three militants were killed on the spot, he added.
Police sources added that the local people of Dima Hasao were actively involved in helping the police as they did not want the peace in the region disrupted.
The big picture message is New Delhi knew about the operation. New Delhi is not quite happy the manner some of the Naga outfits (under ceasefire) are conducting themselves.
Expansion and military actions by the groups while not making expected progress in terms of discussions during peace parleys are not quite palatable for the Govt of India.
Hence analysts say the Govt of India "has to support any security related operations" in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh against Naga militants because there is no ceasefire in these states.
"Moreover, the NSCN-IM and may be other Naga militant groups are eyeing oil exploration and tea business activities in Assam for extra pocket money. Things have started drying up in Nagaland and there is a gradual pressure building up against extortion," said one source in the know of things.
An additional interesting feedback from one of the channels to the Home Minister Amit Shah's office lately has been --- the NSCN-IM and a few other Naga groups and even political leaders would try to hype the Naga integration demand to maintain their relevance.
The fact of the matter is some of these 'powerful leaders' (even overground Netas) and groups are losing support and are immensely unpopular in Nagaland these days.
Hence this 'extra push' is being made to expand base in the traditional Dima Hasao areas.
Security forces do not rule out similar attempts at 'expansion' of base attempts and extortion demands in tea-belt of upper Assam and also in some parts of Arunachal Pradesh.
What the BJP-NDPP government does in the meantime in Nagaland - maybe even J P Nadda's successor would not know.
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| Blogger in Upper Assam |
ends
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