Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: The Kuki National Organisation and the United People’s Front shut down rumors of a fresh Suspension of Operations deal. Reports of a revised pact with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Manipur government are flat out wrong. No formal talks or meetings happened since the existing deal got an extension on September 4, 2025.
The two groups demanded the public and media stop spreading unverified claims. They want everyone to stick to official statements. "The KNO and UPF urged the public and media organisations to exercise caution while reporting on the issue and rely on official statements issued by the concerned parties rather than unverified reports."
Tensions remain high over the specific mention of Manipur’s territorial integrity in the original 2008 tripartite agreement. The groups claim the state government forced that clause into the preamble years ago. They argue it held no legal weight until ethnic violence flared up on May 3, 2023. Any reading of that clause outside the Indian Constitution lacks legal standing. The groups still want a Territorial Council, but they insist this goal sits firmly within existing administrative law.
Updated at 12th August 2026 at 1:48am
While the KNO and UPF fight to keep their ceasefire pact intact, the deal faces fresh heat in the Lok Sabha. Inner Manipur MP Dr. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam stepped up pressure on the Union government to review, or potentially scrap, the agreement entirely. Akoijam flagged reports of highway extortion and the abduction and murder of six Liangmei villagers as proof that signatory groups are violating ground rules.
The push for a crackdown gained momentum after Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho publicly pointed the finger at the Kuki National Front-Presidential, a group operating under the SoO, for the killings of the Naga civilians. The incident triggered highway blockades and protests from the United Naga Council, forcing officials to scramble to prevent further ethnic fallout. While leaders call for calm, the political demand for accountability is putting the 2008 ceasefire under its most intense scrutiny in years.
Updated at 12th August 2026 at 9:52pm
The legislative heat is rising. On August 11, MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam took his campaign to the Lok Sabha floor under Rule 377. He warned that if investigations link SoO groups to criminal activity, the Union Home Ministry must scrap the pact entirely. Lawmakers tried to force a Zero Hour debate on the violence during the same session, but the House adjourned before they could get the floor.
Violence in Kangpokpi has surged since the Liangmei killings. On the night of August 11, armed miscreants torched roughly 10 houses and a church in Tokpa Naga village. The Liangmai Naga Council slammed the arson as a deliberate strike against civilians and questioned why security forces stationed nearby failed to intervene. The Council is demanding a formal inquiry into the conduct of the local security detachment.
The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) hit back, calling the ensuing security crackdown at the Keithelmanbi Military Colony biased. CoTU officials claimed security forces acted as mute spectators during the razing of Kailenjang village on August 10, only to launch aggressive, selective operations following the Tokpa Naga incident. The group alleges that 13 Kuki-Zo civilians and three church leaders have been killed since mid-May, arguing that unequal enforcement of the law only deepens the divide.
Comments