When the flame of Naga nationalism and struggle for her freedom was at its zenith, a young man from Shongran (Somdal) village with a post graduate degree and a black belt at martial arts joined the Naga National Service under the banner of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim in the early part of 1985.
He was no other than Phungthing Shimrang, the first son of late Samuel Shimrang of Shongran (Somdal) village.
Chairman Isak Chishi Swu on 30 November 2011 appointed Maj.General Phungthing Shimrang as the Chief of Naga Army replacing Lt.General Ng.Markson. A man of discipline and insight, he led the Naga Army for six years from 2011 to 2017.
For the first time he was given the rank of Second Lieutenant in October 1986 and depatched to a mission. Unfortunately, he was arrested by the Indian security forces and spent five years in jail. After his release, he was promoted to Lieutenant, and under his command, they set out for a mission in which a large quantity of arms and ammunitions were captured from the enemy’s hands, and it has been said that the whole contingent of the enemy was almost liquitated.
Later, he was promoted to captain and appointed as the Commanding Officer of Ashiho Chaomai’s battalions (A.C. Bn). Then, transferred to Hovetse Battalion as Commander. While he was commanding Hovetse Battalion a ceasefire between GoI and NSCN had entered into force on 1st August 1997.
Then he was appointed as Convener of NSCN Ceasefire Monitoring Cell. He was in the monitoring cell for 14 years till 2011, the day he became the Longvibu of Naga Army.
The service he had rendered for Naga Nation in many capacities is highly commendable. He retired from the active military service on 2 December 2017 and hand over the Commandership of Naga Army to a young and dynamic Lt. Gen. Ningkhan Shimray in a simple ceremony.
In November 2019, shortly after being promoted to the NSCN (IM) steering committee, there was a news report that he had slipped into China. The whereabouts of Phungting Shimrang remains a mystery, some describing it as a “well oiled strategy” of NSCN (IM).
(With inputs from Appo Saw)
