Dimapur, January 14 (MExN): The National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) has extended its full and unequivocal support to the Organising Committee of the Pangsau Pass International Festival (PPIF), scheduled to be held from January 20 to 22, 2026, at Nampong in Arunachal Pradesh.
In a statement issued on January 14, the NSCN-K, under the leadership of Maj Gen (Retd) Ang Mai, Vice Chairman Nyeiton Konyak and General Secretary Kughalu Mulatonu, described the Pangsau Pass International Festival as a powerful symbol of unity, history and cultural resilience of the region.
The organisation said the festival brings together the Tangsa people, other Naga tribes and several ethnic communities who have co-existed in the region for centuries. Through traditional songs, dances and cultural expressions, the festival celebrates a shared heritage that transcends what it termed “artificial political boundaries”.
The NSCN-K noted that the festival also witnesses participation of cultural troupes from the Tangshang Naga community across the Indo-Myanmar border, reaffirming the deep historical and cultural bonds of the Naga people despite the imposed boundary.
Highlighting the significance of the venue, the statement said the festival is held along ancient migration routes and historic landmarks such as the World War II-era Stilwell (Ledo) Road, the infamous Hell Gate and the Pangsau Pass, which together add to its historical and cultural importance.
However, the NSCN-K alleged that the NSCN-YA group led by Yung Aung-Joseph has consistently acted as a major obstacle to peace, stability and development on both sides of the border. It accused the group of repeatedly disrupting festivals and public gatherings to spread fear and panic and deter public participation.
Referring to a recent incident, the NSCN-K said an attack on the Naga Army took place on January 9, 2026, at Ithammataing village in the Pangsau area, allegedly with the assistance of hired non-Naga mercenaries. The incident, it said, exposed the “violent and destructive intentions” of the Yung Aung-Joseph group.
The statement further alleged that the Tangshang Region Authority of the NSCN-YA forcibly demanded and extorted Rs 2 lakh from the organisers of the Pangsau Pass International Festival even on this occasion.
According to the NSCN-K, such activities have directly contributed to the chronic under-development of Naga-inhabited areas on both sides of the border, rendering them among the most neglected regions in the world.
Reiterating its stand, the NSCN-K said it remains firmly committed to exploring all possible means to encourage, protect and promote comprehensive development, peace and prosperity in the border areas on the Indian side as well as across all Naga-inhabited regions in Myanmar.
