# Eight Incidents in Five Years: Nagaland CM Says Violence Has Plunged Since Mid-2000s

> Nagaland recorded just eight underground-linked incidents between 2021 and 2026, sharply down from over 257 between 2004 and 2009, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio told the state assembly, citing NCRB data showing the state's crime rate well below the national average.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Nagaland · **Published:** 2026-09-05 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/nagaland/pancha-sala-men-sirpha-atha-ghatanaen-nagaland-ke-mukhyamntri-rio-ka-dava-hinsa-men-ai-bhari-kami-28171 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio, Kohima Assembly, NCRB, crime rate, insurgency, Northeast India

Nagaland's chief minister told the state assembly on Friday that years of stagnation in the region's security landscape have given way to a marked calm, adding that the state now enjoys stronger links with the rest of the country and the world.

## A State Transformed Since 1963
Addressing lawmakers during a debate in the ongoing assembly session in Kohima, Neiphiu Rio traced the state's journey from its formation in 1963 to the present day, describing a gradual but steady climb toward stability, better connectivity and economic progress.

## From Over 257 Incidents to Just Eight
Rio placed two starkly different periods side by side. Between 2021 and 2026, the state logged only eight incidents connected to armed underground outfits, a toll he said left four cadres and civilians dead along with one security personnel. Between 2004 and 2009, by contrast, more than 257 such incidents unfolded, largely fuelled by fighting between rival factions, claiming over 120 lives among cadres and civilians, while six security personnel also lost their lives in that stretch. The gap between the two eras, Rio said, captures how far Nagaland has travelled from a period of sustained unrest to one of relative calm.

## Crime Data Backs the Claim
To reinforce his point, Rio turned to National Crime Records Bureau figures for 2024. Nagaland's cognizable crime rate stood at 61.6 cases per lakh population that year, the second lowest among all states and Union Territories, trailing only Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The all-India figure for comparison was 418.8 cases per lakh population, nearly seven times higher. Crimes against women followed the same pattern: Nagaland recorded 5.1 cases per lakh population, well below the national figure of 64.6.

## Reading the Numbers
According to Rio, the falling count of underground-linked violence together with the state's comparatively low crime figures point to a steadily improving law-and-order climate, one he argued is now more conducive to sustained development across Nagaland.

## What this means for you
The falling violence and crime numbers matter most for people living in or connected to Nagaland, though they also feed into how the wider Northeast is perceived nationally.

- **Across India:** Lower reported violence in a state once associated with prolonged underground conflict can influence central government security spending and travel advisories for the region. It may also make it easier to market Nagaland and neighbouring states for tourism, investment and infrastructure projects tied to national connectivity programmes.
- **In Nagaland:** Residents of Kohima and other parts of the state benefit from a safer daily environment, with the crime rate at 61.6 cases per lakh population, far below the national 418.8. Businesses and families weighing whether to invest, travel or settle in the state now have a clearer, data-backed picture of safety compared with the violent 2004-2009 period.
- **For women:** With crimes against women in Nagaland recorded at 5.1 cases per lakh population against a national 64.6, women in the state currently face a comparatively lower reported risk, though the figures reflect only reported cases.
- **For policy watchers:** The eight incidents and five casualties recorded between 2021 and 2026 give lawmakers and security planners a benchmark to track whether the current calm holds in coming years.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. When and where did Neiphiu Rio make these remarks?
He spoke during a discussion in the ongoing Assembly session in Kohima on Friday.

### 2. How many underground-linked incidents did Nagaland record between 2021 and 2026?
Only eight incidents were recorded, resulting in four deaths among cadres and civilians and one security personnel casualty.

### 3. What was the situation like between 2004 and 2009?
More than 257 incidents were reported, killing over 120 cadres and civilians and six security personnel, mostly due to clashes between rival factions.

### 4. What was Nagaland's crime rate in 2024?
It stood at 61.6 cases per lakh population, the second-lowest among states and Union Territories after Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

### 5. How does this compare with the national crime rate?
The national figure was 418.8 cases per lakh population, nearly seven times higher than Nagaland's rate.

### 6. How does Nagaland compare on crimes against women?
Nagaland recorded 5.1 cases per lakh population against a national rate of 64.6.

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