Photo Courtesy: ukhrultimes
Imphal: The Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) has issued a stern warning to Kuki villages located within the Ukhrul and Kamjong districts. The apex body is demanding that these villages ignore orders to pay hill house taxes to Kangpokpi authorities or display signage claiming they belong to that district. The TNL described these directives as irresponsible, provocative, and a direct threat to the already volatile situation in Manipur.
This friction stems from instructions reportedly issued by the Working Committee of Kuki CSOs and the Kuki Students Organisation in the Ukhrul district. The TNL asserts that these attempts to change territorial status are unconstitutional. They maintain that the ancestral lands in these areas belong solely to the indigenous Tangkhul Naga people, and no external entity has the legal standing to establish parallel administrative structures.
The controversy is rooted in the long-standing opposition of Naga groups to the creation of seven new districts by the Manipur government in 2016. Because the United Naga Council does not recognize the legitimacy of Kangpokpi as a district, they continue to view the region as part of Senapati. The TNL has now cautioned that any attempt to enforce these new directives will only serve to escalate tensions and further destabilize the region.
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