Manipur: 9 Naga MLAs write to home minister Shah, seek action against Kuki-Zo leaders

Nine Naga Members of the Legislative Assembly in Manipur, led by Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, have written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding immediate action against Kuki-Zo leaders following the recent killings of Naga civilians in the state.

The joint letter specifically calls for official action against fellow Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, a member of the Kuki-Zo community. The Naga legislators allege that Kipgen’s office is colluding with the Kuki National Front-Presidential insurgent group, which is led by her husband, Thangboi Kipgen. The signatories demanded the immediate arrest of Thangboi Kipgen and the complete abrogation of the central government’s Suspension of Operations agreement with Kuki militant groups due to repeated violations and acts of terror against civilians.

Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho traveled to New Delhi to personally deliver the letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on behalf of the nine lawmakers. The legislators warned that without prompt and decisive action by the Ministry of Home Affairs, they will be unable to defend their continued political support for the ruling Manipur coalition government led by Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh.

The appeal comes amid a dangerous escalation in ethnic tensions between the Naga and Kuki-Zo communities. In their letter, the Naga MLAs cited an incident where cadres led by a commander known as General Tiger allegedly abducted six Naga men and left their mutilated bodies in the Kangpokpi jungle. The petition also follows a recent ambush that resulted in the deaths of four Naga civilians, as well as reports of two Kuki men killed in Kangpokpi.

The legislators urged the central government to intervene before the situation deteriorates further, stating that unbiased and bold measures are necessary to prevent the state from descending into an uncontrollable crisis.

Manipur has experienced widespread ethnic conflict since May 2023, when violence originally erupted between the majority Meitei community and Kuki-Zo groups. The ongoing unrest has resulted in at least 260 deaths and the displacement of more than 60,000 people, leaving the state deeply divided along ethnic lines.

Following the lifting of President’s Rule and the formation of a new state government in February, the central government sought to ensure representation for all three major ethnic groups. The administration was structured under Meitei Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh alongside two deputy chief ministers representing the Naga and Kuki communities. The latest demands by the Naga MLAs put renewed pressure on this political arrangement as communal violence spreads.

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