Revealed: The 1963 Phizo-Jamir meeting at London

September 20, 2026 14 Views No Comment

Phizo had agreed to come to India to meet the Prime Minister: Jamir claims

File photo of AZ Phizo (left) and SC Jamir (Right)

The Naga Republic News | September 20

https://www.thenagarepublic.com/

While the Indo-Naga peace process evades a solution even after decades of ceasefires, political dialogue and agreements signed, now old stories are resurfacing in the public domain even as the Naga people remain deeply divided over the Naga political issue.

Responding to allegations from several quarters that SC Jamir had sabotaged a possible meeting between then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru and Naga leader AZ Phizo to find a peaceful solution, the former Nagaland Chief Minister responded that “it was not the time to dig out issues which are archaic or redundant”.

“At this stage the Ruling party of Nagaland NPF had chosen to sing the very old tune along with the secessionist groups as if the entire Naga politics hang over the letter to P. Shilu by S.C.Jamir”, stated Jamir in a statement while pointing out that the Prime Minister had clarified this in his statement by saying that he (Nehru) was prepared to meet A.Z.Phizo in consultation with P.Shilu Ao, the Chief Executive Councilor of Interim Body of Nagaland.

Jamir disclosed that accordingly, while touring the USA in 1963, he went to meet A.Z.Phizo with the permission of the Prime Minister. “I stayed with him at Bromly Kent from 3rd to 5^th August 1963”, Jamir informed while also disclosing that Phizo and him has a ‘full discussion on all matters and ultimately, he had agreed to come to India to meet the Prime Minister’.

“I had made all necessary arrangements for the meeting at Shillong”, Jamir revealed in a rare disclosure of the events when Phizo and the undivided NNC was leading the Naga movement. Jamir termed as “most unfortunate” that there were differences among the Executive Councilors where some had agreed to meet Phizo before election and the other group wanted to meet him only after the Assembly election of 1964.

“This is the time to avoid blame games because we know our status visa vis Naga politics so also by now our brothers who are from other states should be aware of. It is sure and certain that once solution is made everything will come to its proper place by themselves”, Jamir stated.

Against the backdrop of the September 12 meeting between the former Chief Minister and Governor Dr SC Jamir and the RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, which generated a lot of heated debates and arguments in the media, Jamir has now come out with a written statement pointing out that it was ‘time… to unveil bare facts of Naga political struggle to set at right all imaginary or exaggerated depictions of the Naga political saga or epic’.

It may be mentioned that the NSCN (IM) top leadership, Deputy Ato Kilonser VS Atem and Rh Raising, had responded to Jamir’s meeting with the RSS, pointing out that Jamir was not authorized or mandated to speak on behalf of the Nagas on the issue.

Another Naga group, the NNC/FGN (Zhopra Vero) also criticized the involvement of Jamir at this stage, alleging that “he is responsible for much division, violence and bloodshed in the history of the Nagas”. “He claims to speak for the Nagas but judging from history, his loyalty to the Naga people is certainly doubtful”, the Zhopra Vero group stated.

The NNC/FGN further alleged that “right from his early political career to his hey-day at the helm of power, he was averse to the idea of seeking solution to the Naga freedom struggle through peaceful and democratic dialogue”. “He went so far as to even sabotage a possible meeting between Nehru and Phizo to find a peaceful solution”, the group pointed out.

Jamir in the statement issued on September 19 has meanwhile reminded that the submission of a Memorandum to Simon Commission in 1929, the ‘first explicit expressions of the political aspiration of the people…was made by the people of Nagaland only’.

“Nagas of Nagaland also started their freedom movement for a separate Home Land of their own. No other Naga tribes outside Nagaland participated in this movement. It was born and fully matured in the soil of Nagaland. Unfortunately, is has been hijack by alien elements”, Jamir stated. (Read full text ‘Unveiling bare facts of Naga political struggle’)

Meanwhile, Jamir has made a ‘humble appeal’ to both NSCN (IM) and NPF leadership to ‘at least implement the Framework agreement as the people of Nagaland who have become the victims of No solution are yearning for peace and normalcy in our land’.

“In response to the cry of the people of Nagaland every well-meaning people and concerned organizations are making appeal to the signatories of the two agreements to implement them”, Jamir stated.

https://www.thenagarepublic.com/