Imphal: Nine Naga legislators sent an urgent memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah calling for immediate action against Kuki-Zo leaders and militant groups. They claim these groups are responsible for targeting and killing Naga civilians. The signers include Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, Awangbow Newmai, J. Kumo Sha, Dinganglung Gangmei, Khasim Vashum, Leishiyo Keishing, Janghemlung Panmei, Ram Muivah, and S.S. Olish.
The group demands the arrest of Thangboi Kipgen, the leader of the Kuki National Front-Progressive (KNF-P). They also targeted self-styled KNF-P General Tiger Kipgen for allegedly leading attacks on Naga men. The legislators went further, accusing fellow Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen of colluding with the militant outfit led by her husband, Thangboi Kipgen. They want official action taken against her office.
The lawmakers cited a series of violent incidents, including an August 27 ambush on Imphal-Tipaimukh Road that left four civilians dead. They also pointed to the April 18 attack at TM Kasom on National Highway-202 which killed two people, and the August 14 raid on Langka village where two farmers died and the village burned. Bodies from the August 27 ambush remain unclaimed at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences mortuary in Imphal.
The memorandum demands the total abrogation of the Suspension of Operations agreement with Kuki armed groups. The MLAs warned the situation has reached a "critical and volatile stage" and requires bold, decisive intervention. They stated that failure to act could force them to reconsider their continued support for the Manipur government, citing intense public pressure. The lawmakers represent the Naga interest within the 60-member Manipur Legislative Assembly, where 19 seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribes.
Updated at 1st September 2026 at 1:50am
The lawmakers specifically blamed the Kuki National Front-P for the killing and dismemberment of six Naga men. They claim the group publicly boasted about these killings. These bodies remain unburied at the morgue as public anger grows over the lack of arrests.
The group insists the current violence exposes the total failure of the tripartite Suspension of Operations agreement. They argue that the state’s ongoing peace process is now a hollow exercise that provides cover for militants to target civilians.
The legislators stated that they issued this demand out of absolute necessity. They warned that if the Centre refuses to act against the KNF-P and its leadership, the state faces an uncontrollable collapse of public order.
Updated at 1st September 2026 at 9:48am
Beyond the August incidents, the Working Committee of the Tangkhul Naga Long alleges a wider campaign of terror spanning several months. Their report details a string of attacks including the April 24 killing of a Naga Village Guard near Sinakeithei, an April 28 ambush in the Ringui Horei hills that injured five guards, and a May 4 firing incident. They also documented arson in Kamjong district villages on May 7, the abduction of 18 Liangmai Naga civilians in Kangpokpi on May 13, and the killing of local leader Chunjanlung Panmei in Noney on June 8.
The Tangkhul Naga Long is pushing for a National Investigation Agency probe, accusing state and federal authorities of partisan delays. They claim investigators routinely fast-track cases involving Kuki victims to the NIA while ignoring or sidelining similar atrocities against Naga communities. The committee explicitly named the Kuki Revolutionary Army alongside the KNF-P as key players in the August 27 IT Road ambush.
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