T. Aliba Imti

The Nagas live in the North East of India and were historically and Independent group of tribes.

They inhabit parts of present day Burma, and the Indian states of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

He was the founding president of the Naga National Counsel (NNC) his first order as president was to boycott the 15th of August, Indian independence day as he and his fellow NNC workers had declared the 14th of August as Naga Independence Day.

He was also a member of the constitution making body representing the tribals of the north east.

T. Aliba Imti (Temjenliba/Temjen) was born on 27th September 1919 at Impur Mission Centre, he hails from Longjang (Ao) Village under Mokokchung District.

[1] He married Asangla Imlong, the eldest child of OBE Imlong Chang (Civil Division - Merchant 1939 British Empire Medal)[2] who was a Naga Pioneer, founding father of the modern Nagas under the British rule and one of the founders of Mokokchung town and Fazal Ali College[3] In 1939 as a student in Shillong, he founded the Naga Students Union, and was its first Secretary.

Thus, he contributed towards the formation of the Naga Students Federation which came into being at Kohima on the 29th of October, 1947 with Z. Ahu as President.

T. Aliba Imti was a pacifist and fought for the Nagas on the principle of Non-violence and non-cooperation with India.

Thus T. Aliba Imti played a most significant and diplomatic role in regards to Nagas right to independence and freedom from being subjected to any outside nation.

Akbar Hydari the Governor of Assam held a meeting with T. Aliba Imti and his fellow NNC Leaders from 27th - 29th June 1947.

However despite repeated request to the NNC leaders to join with the Indian union the NNC did not agree to the appeal of the Indian leaders, therefore an agreement called 9 point agreement was made on mutual term where as T. Aliba Imti signed on behalf of the Interim Government of Nagaland and Sir.

So as to unite the entire displaced Naga inhabited area under the common National umbrella of NNC (Nagaland).

who acknowledged and felicitated the proclamation put the name of Naga country in the member list of nation under U.N.O.

[12][13][14][15][16] After the formation of the NNC T. Aliba Imti was selected as a member of the North East India Sub-Committee of Indian constituent Assembly.

The members of the said committee held several rounds of talks and meetings in regard to the constitution of India.

The majority of the members of the North East Sub-Committee met at Shillong and agreed to join the Indian union when India got its independence from British Empire, however Aliba refused to sign up.

He served in North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) present day Arunachal Pradesh for 11 years.

Bomdila, the present headquarters of Kameng district was literally carved out of virgin forest by Imti with the help of 30 local porters.

While at Tawang, he also had to meet clandestinely with the representatives of the Tibetan Government, before the Dalai Lama fled from his country to India.