Tensions between the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) and the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) have intensified following a gunfight in Shangji village, Noney district, Manipur, on November 28, 2024. In a statement released on December 1, the ZUF claimed that the violence erupted when NSCN-IM elements “intruded into the village and surrounding areas, causing significant unrest.”
The statement, signed by ZUF’s information and publicity secretary Louis Gangmei, explained that the Zeliangrong Tiger Force (ZTF), the armed wing of ZUF, was conducting routine patrols in the region when “NSCN(IM) members deliberately created threats by firing gunshots in public spaces.” ZUF added that these actions were aimed at provoking a confrontation with the ZTF.
However, the NSCN-IM, through its Naga Army, refuted these claims in a response issued today.
“The press release of the ZUF dated December 1, 2024, as circulated in the social media is misleading and malicious in nature,” the Naga Army declared. It further denounced the ZUF’s statements as “bombastic” and “devoid of truth,” attributing them to “hopeless grumbling from the fringe elements within the group.”
In its clarification, the NSCN-IM emphasized that the “mainstream leaders of Zeliangrong people are tirelessly working for the larger cause of the Nagas in line with the vision of NSCN.” It also described the Zeliangrong Tiger Force as an “Indian sponsored reactionary force,” alleging that they are “armed and protected by the Indian Security Forces.” According to NSCN-IM, the ZTF’s “sole objective” is to “check the movement of Naga Army by cunningly playing a narrow tribalistic card.”
The NSCN-IM added: “East or West, North or South, Naga Army shall defend every inch of the God-given land of the Nagas at all costs.”