Naga villages targeted in Manipur, pastor critically hurt; shutdown hits normal life
At least four Liangmai Naga villages along the Imphal-Tamenglong Road in Manipur's Kangpokpi district were attacked by unidentified armed men on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after three Kuki villagers were killed in the same area, according to local community organisations and officials.
The Working Committee of the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL), a Naga apex body based in Ukhrul, alleged that the Kuki National Front-Presidential (KNF-P) and the Kuki National Army (KNA) were responsible for the coordinated assaults. The TNL claimed that the attackers, led by Jangboi Kipgen, who also serves as home secretary of the United People's Front, an umbrella of Kuki-Zo militant groups, shot and critically injured Luithuibou Newmai, the pastor of Tapon village, and set fire to several houses.
The attacks reportedly continued until early afternoon. The TNL said the affected villages were targeted despite the Kuki groups being signatories to the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with the central government. The statement added that Liangmai Nagas have faced repeated attacks from Kuki extremists over the past few months.
The TNL alleged that the pattern of attacks is intended to force a demographic change in the region. "The modus operandi of the migrant Kukis unleashing repetitive armed offensives within the jurisdiction of Kangpokpi is clearly intended to effect a demographic change," the statement said. It further claimed that "landless Kukis are utilising this pattern of attacks to establish their hegemony over the ancestral land of the Nagas by uprooting us from our homes."
The TNL condemned the attacks and criticised the government for failing to control groups operating under the SoO agreement.
This incident follows the killing of three Kuki villagers in the same vicinity on Monday. The identities of the victims and the circumstances of that attack have not been independently verified.
Meanwhile, normal life was disrupted across the five districts of the Imphal Valley on Tuesday as the Campaign for Justice and Fair Delimitation (JFD) enforced a 24-hour general strike. The shutdown came despite the Centre's decision on Monday to defer the Census exercise in Manipur.
The JFD, a civil society platform, has been demanding that the government prepare the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state before conducting the Census. The group says the deferment has not been formalised through a gazette notification by the Registrar General of India, and therefore decided to proceed with the strike.
The Manipur government appealed to the JFD to withdraw the shutdown, citing the Centre's announcement. However, the organisation maintained that a formal notification is required before it calls off the agitation.
The strike affected business establishments, public transport, and vehicular movement in several areas of the valley. Protesters blocked roads at various points, allowing only vehicles providing essential and emergency services to pass through.
Authorities have not yet issued an official statement on either the attacks or the strike. Police are reported to be investigating the village attacks, but no arrests have been made so far.
The region has witnessed recurrent ethnic violence between Naga and Kuki communities in recent months, often linked to territorial claims and the ongoing delimitation exercise. The Centre's decision to defer the Census has added to tensions, with various groups expressing divergent views on the sequencing of NRC and Census operations.
