Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: Thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Ukhrul and Kamjong districts on November 5, demanding an urgent political solution to Manipur’s deepening crisis. Organized by the Tangkhul Naga Long under the United Naga Council, the rallies targeted the central government, calling for an immediate overhaul of security and policy in Naga-inhabited areas.
Demonstrators shut down businesses and transport across the districts. They marched from Dungrei Junction and Mission Ground in Ukhrul, and from the Police Gate and High School in Kamjong, converging at district headquarters. Participants carried banners labeling Col. Vivek Tripathi of the 11 Assam Rifles an enemy and demanding the removal of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen.
The central grievance remains the conduct of the Assam Rifles. Protesters accused the paramilitary force of abandoning neutrality and colluding with Kuki militant groups. They cited attacks on villages including Choro, Thana, Pillong, Ningchou, and Skipe, as well as the Chassad Police Station, claiming these assaults followed force patrols. "If Assam Rifles are not for the security of the Nagas, then there is no point in keeping them," said Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong president Ramreichan Keishing.
The organizations submitted a formal memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The document demands the revocation of the Suspension of Operations agreement with Kuki groups, the classification of these factions as terrorists, and the deportation of illegal immigrants from Burma. It also seeks a restructuring of legislative representation to address disparities between hill and valley regions.
Leaders underscored the human toll of the conflict, reporting 32 Naga civilian deaths. They claimed Kuki village numbers surged from 73 in 1881 to 1,878 today, blaming historical demographic shifts for the violence. Tangkhul Naga Long president Sword Vashum dismissed the Manipur government as a "lame duck" entity, asserting that only direct intervention from New Delhi can resolve the ongoing proxy war.
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