NSCN(IM) faces fresh split threat as Eastern Flank challenges Hebron leadership

KOHIMA, June 16: The NSCN(IM), regarded as the Northeast’s largest insurgent group and often described as the “mother of all insurgent outfits” in the region, appears to be heading towards a major internal split.

The organisation’s Eastern Flank has openly challenged the top leadership based at Hebron, accusing it of deviating from the 2015 Framework Agreement and compromising the Naga political cause. The development has intensified speculation about a widening rift within the outfit and raised fresh questions about its unity.

In a document titled “NSCN(IM)-EF Strong Disagreement with Leadership of Hebron Camp” issued on June 16, the Eastern Flank stopped short of announcing a formal breakaway. However, the statement contains a series of accusations and declarations that suggest the group is increasingly operating independently of the NSCN(IM) General Headquarters (GHQ) at Hebron.

The Eastern Flank, which operates across Myanmar and the border regions of Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, alleged that the Hebron leadership had strayed from the principles of the Framework Agreement and ignored the position articulated by General Secretary Ato Kilonser and chief negotiator Th. Muivah on November 7, 2024.

It particularly objected to the “competencies” reportedly submitted by the Hebron leadership to the Government of India, arguing that certain provisions reflected a gradual acceptance of the Indian constitutional framework. The statement cited provisions relating to Naga representation in Parliament as evidence of what it described as a departure from the original spirit of the Framework Agreement.

The Eastern Flank also levelled serious allegations against “some authorities of GHQ/Hebron” over the killing of four NSCN(IM) cadres at Hongbei village on March 28, 2026. Describing the incident as the “ugly head of hypocrisy and surrender”, it claimed the episode exposed the Hebron leadership’s susceptibility to external pressure and its failure to protect its own cadres.

Reiterating its political position, the group declared that it could not unite with those who had “compromised the Naga political issue”, insisting that any future reconciliation must be based on strict adherence to the Framework Agreement “in letter and spirit”.

The Eastern Flank further rejected the August 10, 2024 termination order issued by Hebron against Lt Gen (Retd.) Hs Ramsan and Lt Gen A. Raman, reaffirming its allegiance to the two leaders. It cited the March 20, 2026 oath-taking ceremony at Homalin Camp, where cadres pledged loyalty to Ramsan and Raman, and noted that senior leaders Ikato I. Chishi Swu and Victor Angami had aligned with the Eastern Flank.

On the Kuki issue, the group maintained a hardline stance, stating that there could be “no peace and no compromise” if demands for a Kuki homeland within Nagalim continued. It also endorsed the Tangkhul Naga Long’s non-cooperation directive against the Wung-Tangkhul Region pending justice for the Hongbei killings.

The development represents one of the most serious internal challenges faced by the NSCN(IM) leadership since the signing of the Framework Agreement in 2015. While the Hebron-based leadership has repeatedly maintained that the organisation remains a united and “solid body”, the latest declaration — coming on the heels of the March fratricidal killings and the earlier departure of Ikato Swu — highlights increasingly visible fault lines within the outfit.

Although the Eastern Flank has yet to formally announce a separate organisation or command structure, its latest statement underscores a hardening divide that could have significant implications for both the Naga peace process and the future of the NSCN(IM).

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