Imphal: Naga civil society organizations gathered at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal on Tuesday to honor 58-year-old Chunjanglung Panmei. The Rongmei Naga villager was killed on June 8 in an ambush while collecting firewood and repairing water pipelines near Pongringlong village in Kangpokpi district.
Foothill Naga Coordinating Committee leader Ng Akhui condemned the attack and criticized the Manipur government for its failure to prevent recurring violence against civilians. Akhui described the incident as an act of terrorism and called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.
Speaking to the media, Akhui said, "He questioned the purpose of governance if authorities were unable to safeguard the lives of ordinary citizens and urged the administration to take immediate steps against those responsible for the killing." He added that official responses have been limited to issuing statements, which has failed to build trust among the indigenous communities affected by the ongoing instability.
The FNCC leader raised concerns regarding the presence of armed groups carrying sophisticated weapons despite heavy security deployments. He alleged that this lack of intervention has forced villages to establish their own defense mechanisms. Akhui also called for the withdrawal of Suspension of Operations agreements with Kuki militant groups to address the root causes of the conflict.
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