Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) is pushing the Centre to speed up the creation of a Union Territory with a legislature for the Kuki-Zo people. The group claims a total breakdown of governance and trust in the region makes continued coexistence under the current state administration impossible. This formal request comes in a counter-memo sent to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
KIM flatly rejected accusations leveled against the Kuki-Zo community and Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen by Naga legislators. They called these claims "unfounded" and warned that such rhetoric only fuels instability. The body argued that blaming a constitutional authority like Kipgen without evidence or due process is improper, stating that representatives should not be held responsible for the actions of non-state actors.
The region remains a powder keg. Ethnic conflict has simmered since May 2023, leaving Kuki-Zo civilians to face constant road blockades, isolation, and harassment in mixed and border zones. Tensions spiked further following incidents in Gampal and Haijang in April 2025, along with a clash at Litan-Sareikhong in Ukhrul. According to the KIM, a fresh wave of violence between February 8 and 9, 2026, destroyed 23 Kuki-Zo villages and left 18 civilians dead.
The group also defended the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement. Naga legislators have demanded the pact be scrapped, but KIM insists the framework remains a vital mechanism for peace and negotiation. They warn that dismantling it would kill any chance for dialogue. The organization is now calling for central agencies to launch transparent, independent investigations into all recent ambushes and killings.
Ultimately, the KIM claims a "structural solution" is the only way forward. They argue that a Union Territory is the only path to ensure security, dignity, and self-governance for the Kuki-Zo people. They urged all elected officials to choose de-escalation over unilateral attacks to prevent further division.
Updated at 4th September 2026 at 5:49pm
The political heat intensified after Naga People's Front (NPF) legislator Losii Dikho and nine other Naga lawmakers petitioned Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene, alleging that Kipgen’s office colluded with the Kuki National Front-P (KNF-P). They claimed the militant group, purportedly led by Kipgen's husband Thangboi Kipgen and a figure identified as Gen Tiger Kipgen, participated in the killing and mutilation of six Naga men. The legislators demanded Thangboi Kipgen’s immediate arrest.
Kipgen dismissed these claims as false and vexatious. She pushed back against Dikho's accusation that she shunned reconciliation, stating she reached out to Naga civil society groups to secure the release of 18 Naga detainees on May 15 and 21 more in Litan on February 11. Kipgen insisted that peacebuilding is not defined by public appearances and accused Dikho of blocking her attempts to start structured dialogue between Naga and Kuki civil society organizations.
Updated at 4th September 2026 at 9:50pm
The fallout has pushed the ruling BJP-led coalition to the brink. Ten Naga People's Front legislators, led by Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, are now threatening to pull their support from the government. They contend that Kipgen's office remains deeply compromised by her husband's alleged ties to the Kuki National Front-P.
Kipgen fired back at the threat to the ruling coalition, labeling the allegations as reckless maneuvers that invite inter-community bloodshed. She defended her track record by noting that while she attempted to bridge the gap with Naga civil society organizations via Dikho, those channels withered before any structured dialogue could take root. She characterized the failure of those talks as a primary driver behind the recent spike in property destruction and casualties.
Updated at 5th September 2026 at 9:46am
The political standoff reached a breaking point as Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, representing the Naga People's Front, signaled that nine Naga legislators are prepared to pull their support from the Yumnam Khemchand Singh-led government. Dikho linked the ultimatum to the administration's failure to address the security crisis and accused Kipgen of maintaining a nexus with the Kuki National Front-P, an armed faction allegedly directed by her husband, Thangboi Kipgen. He explicitly demanded the arrest of Thangboi Kipgen and a figure identified as Gen Tiger Kipgen.
Dikho pinned the recent spike in tensions on unresolved land disputes and illegal immigration, specifically citing the February 2026 assault on a Tangkhul Naga youth in Litan as the spark for the current Naga-Kuki hostility. He claimed the Naga community had remained neutral during the earlier Meitei-Kuki fighting to prioritize state stability, but argued that a collaborative approach remains stalled due to the government's delay in expanding the Cabinet. According to Dikho, Chief Minister Khemchand Singh is currently waiting for a signal from central leadership to proceed with those appointments.
The Naga leader also asserted that the central government has deliberately stalled upcoming elections to seek a deeper legal and political fix, claiming New Delhi is fully briefed on the root causes of the conflict. He maintained that the Suspension of Operations agreement is being actively violated and must be scrapped to restore order.
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