This new unit was administered by the President with the Governor of Assam as his agent and through the Ministry of External Affairs. The first convention of all Naga tribes, called the Naga People’s Convention (NPC) was held from 22 to 26 August in Kohima on whose recommendation the Naga Hill District and Tuensang Sub Division of NEFA were amalgamated to form Naga Hill-Tuensang Area (NHTA) on December 1, 1957. Many moderate Nagas who saw the futility of violence joined the Peace Committee, which was formed at the initiative of the government. There was, however, a silver lining in the dark clouds. Naga Hills witnessed much violence between 1956-58. Sixteen Point Agreement and Formation of Nagaland He died in exile in Britain on April 30, 1990.21 His body was brought to India by a chartered flight and then taken to his village Khonoma where he was buried.
The convention inter-alia asked for the formation of a separate state to be named Nagaland within the Indian Union, which virtually over turned the plebiscite held by the supporters of PhizoĪfter a prolonged stay of three years in Dacca, he went to London via Zurich on a Peruvian passport with the help of Michael Scott, about whom we will hear more in the narrative. Phizo was welcomed with open arms in East Pakistan. He was subsequently released on compassionate grounds when his wife met with an accident while travelling in a jeep near Khonoma. He had attempted to sneak into Pakistan earlier in 1952 through Burma but was captured by the Burmese and sent back to India. He escaped to Dacca, then the capital of East Pakistan, taking the North Cachar route to cross the border on December 6, 1956. With the intensification of operations by the army, Phizo thought it prudent to flee Nagaland.
The army sent reinforcements, which brought the situation under control. The rebels cut off telephone lines, electricity, water supply and destroyed few bridges. The hostiles attempted seize of Kohima in June 1956 led by Kaito Sema and Tungti Chang.20 The town was attacked from three different directions on June 10, 1956. The assembly and concealment of such a large body of hostiles demonstrated the skill of Nagas in guerrilla warfare.
In a well-planned action the hostiles ambushed a road protection party of one junior commissioned officer and thirty-two other ranks of 9 Punjab on road Khonoma-Jaluke on Apand killed all except one who survived to tell the tale.19 The ambush party had consisted of two to three hundred Nagas. The Army began its operations in September 1956 and by the year end 619 rifles (including muzzle loaders), eight machine guns, 17 sten guns, and some other arms and ammunition were seized or recovered.18 But the hostiles were by now fairly well organised and had intimate knowledge of terrain and an efficient intelligence network. The ambush party had consisted of two to three hundred Nagas. Maj Gen RK Kochar was appointed the General Officer Commanding Naga Hills and Tuensang in April 1956. The Naga Home Guards, which was by now 3,000 strong and armed with weapons left behind by Allies and the Japanese after the end of fighting in World War II, constituted the army of the underground.17 The Government of India intervened by sending troops of its regular army to quell the rebellion. A parliament (Ho Ho) of one hundred members (Tatars) and a president (Kedaghe) with 15 ministers (Kilnosers), governors, magistrates and many other officials with the trappings of a full-fledged government was announced. NNC formally declared the formation of Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) in March 1956, and hoisted its flag at Phenshinyu, some 40 km from Kohima, in the Rengma area.
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