The Eastern Konyak Union (EKU) has expressed appreciation to NSCN-IM leaders, including Th Muivah, Q. Tuccu, V.S. Atem, Ningkhan Shimray, and the Mount Veda Peace Mission, for what it termed as “tireless efforts” towards fostering Naga unity.
In a statement, the EKU said that the 79th Naga Independence Day, observed on August 14, 2025, marked a significant step in bringing together various groups in the eastern Konyak area. The celebration, held for the second consecutive year under the banner of NSCN-IM, reportedly saw Naga national workers and the public uniting “both physically and morally.”
The union credited the Mount Veda Peace Mission team, led by Laopa, Atam Rungsung, and Wangpha, along with activities supervised by Longvibu Ningkhan Shimray, for promoting peace through sports and student programmes during the Independence Day observance.
While stating that the eastern Konyak public refrained from other Independence Day events, the EKU noted that their participation in the NSCN-IM-organised programme reflected their historical position of not aligning with either India or Myanmar — a stance, it recalled, first asserted by the Naga National Council in the 1950s.
The EKU further appealed to Naga leaders across different groups to uphold the spirit of unity and honour the sacrifices of those who had laid down their lives for the Naga cause. It maintained that eastern Nagaland had long suffered from divisions among leaders, even as the region remained central to the legacy of the Naga struggle.
(With inputs from Eastern Mirror)