The development of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isaac Muivah (NSCN-IM) must be first viewed through the broader context of the changing nature of insurgency in Northeastern India. The Northeastern region of India comprising the states of Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura has witnessed a significant number of casualties as a consequence of armed conflict. These casualties are distinct from those that have occurred as a result of inter-ethnic tensions, which anifest themselves in the forms of riots and which also lead to significant internally displaced populations.