Naga Civil Society Groups Urge Prime Minister for Action Against Kuki Militants
Urgent Appeal to the Prime Minister
Charred remains of houses torched during an attack by suspected militants in Naga border villages on May 7. (Photo)
Imphal, May 10: A coalition of Naga civil society organizations has formally requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene immediately regarding the alleged assaults on Naga villages by Kuki militant factions in Manipur and along the India-Myanmar border.
In a memorandum presented in New Delhi on May 9, these groups characterized the ongoing violence as a "proxy war" against the Naga people, asserting that it contravenes the principles of the Indo-Naga Framework Agreement established between the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) on August 3, 2015.
The memorandum was collectively submitted by the United Naga Council (UNC), Naga Women’s Union (NWU), and the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM). It bore the signatures of UNC president Ng Lorho, NWU president Ch Priscilla Thiumai, and ANSAM president Th Angteshang Maring.
Requesting what they termed the Prime Minister’s "personal and urgent intervention," the organizations accused Kuki militant groups, which are operating under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, along with the Myanmar-based Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA(B)), of conducting attacks in areas inhabited by Naga communities.
Members of United Naga Council addressing the press. (Photo)
The memorandum accused these armed groups of engaging in "targeted killings, destruction of ancestral villages, highway terrorism, and systematic extortion" across various regions.
The Naga organizations further claimed that the SoO agreement had effectively turned into a "license for territorial expansion," alleging that the foundational rules of the agreement were being consistently breached.
Referring to the 2015 Framework Agreement, they stated that the ongoing violence and what they termed the "appeasement" of Kuki armed factions jeopardized the peace process and threatened India’s border security.
The memorandum also highlighted that numerous Naga villages, which had previously provided refuge to displaced Kuki civilians fleeing violence in Myanmar due to ethnic unrest in Manipur since May 2023, later faced attacks.
Pointing to incidents in areas such as Sinakeithel, Litan, S Laho, Sakarphung, Thoyee, and Ringui, the organizations reported repeated assaults and sieges targeting Naga communities.
They cited events on May 7 in Namlee-Wanglee, Z Choro, and Kaka villages along the India-Myanmar border, alleging that nearly 100 KNA(B) militants infiltrated Indian territory and executed coordinated assaults on these villages.
The groups expressed alarm over the purported use of drones, rocket launchers, and other military-grade weaponry during these attacks, labeling the situation as a "foreign-backed invasion" rather than mere internal communal strife.
Questioning the readiness and effectiveness of security forces stationed in the area, the Naga organizations called for a judicial inquiry into the recent assaults and the alleged security failures.
Among their key demands were immediate actions against KNA(B), the People’s Defence Force (PDF), and SoO militant groups allegedly operating in Naga territories, safeguarding Naga territorial integrity, restoring and securing national highways, especially the Ukhrul-Imphal route, and expediting the Indo-Naga political settlement based on the Framework Agreement.
The organizations emphasized that the Naga populace has consistently opted for peace and urged the central government to convert the Framework Agreement into a lasting political resolution.
Copies of the memorandum were also forwarded to the Union Home Minister and the External Affairs Minister for appropriate action.