Manipur’s Naga MLAs Put Fresh Pressure on Centre Over Civilian Killings

Nine Naga legislators from Manipur have asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take immediate action against Kuki-Zo leaders and armed groups they allege are linked to recent attacks and killings of Naga civilians, adding fresh political pressure to an already fragile situation in the state.

The legislators, led by Naga People’s Front leader and Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, submitted a memorandum to Shah on August 31. They described the situation in Manipur as “critical and volatile” and called for what they termed unbiased and decisive intervention to prevent further escalation.

The appeal follows a series of violent incidents involving Naga and Kuki-Zo communities, including the killing of six Naga civilians earlier this year and a separate August 27 ambush in which four Naga men were killed, according to multiple reports.

Arrests and action against Kuki-Zo leaders sought

A central demand in the memorandum is the arrest of Thangboi Kipgen, identified in the reports as a leader of the Kuki National Front-Presidential faction (KNF-P).

The Naga legislators allege that cadres linked to Kipgen were responsible for the killing and dismemberment of six Naga men who had been abducted in Kangpokpi district. They also referred to a self-styled KNF-P commander known as “General Tiger” in their allegations.

These remain allegations made by the legislators and should not be treated as judicially established findings. The killing case has already been the subject of a criminal investigation, and an NIA-led team arrested two people in July in connection with the deaths. Police said the two were apprehended in Kangpokpi and were suspected of involvement in the killings.

The six civilians had been abducted from Leilon Vaiphei in Kangpokpi district on May 13. Their bodies were recovered on June 10 from the vicinity of the village after an extended search operation.

Six Naga deaths remain a major flashpoint

The killings have become one of the main points of contention between Naga and Kuki-Zo groups in Manipur.

In June, Kuki Zo Council chairman Henlienthang Thanglet publicly apologised for the deaths of the six Naga civilians and described the killings as a grave mistake. At the same time, Kuki-Zo representatives called for an impartial investigation into violence affecting both communities and said those responsible should be brought to justice.

The Kuki-Zo Council’s public acknowledgement of the killings did not resolve the question of individual criminal responsibility. The Naga legislators are now pressing the Centre for arrests and further action against people they believe were involved.

The NIA investigation and arrests in July provide a separate law-enforcement track from the political demands made in the memorandum.

Deputy CM Nemcha Kipgen also named

The legislators have also sought action against Manipur’s other Deputy Chief Minister, Nemcha Kipgen, alleging that her office is colluding with an armed group led by her husband, Thangboi Kipgen.

That allegation has not been independently established in the reporting reviewed for this article. No official response from Nemcha Kipgen addressing the specific allegation was identified in the latest reports available.

The political significance of the demand is considerable because Losii Dikho and Nemcha Kipgen are both serving as deputy chief ministers in the same state government.

Manipur’s current government was formed in February after President’s Rule was lifted. Yumnam Khemchand Singh is chief minister, while Nemcha Kipgen and Losii Dikho serve as deputy chief ministers. The official Manipur Legislative Assembly website lists the same council of ministers, while a March government notification confirms their portfolios.

Naga MLAs seek end to Suspension of Operations pact

The legislators have also demanded the immediate abrogation of the Suspension of Operations, or SoO, agreement with Kuki armed groups.

They cited what they described as repeated violations of the agreement and attacks on civilians. The SoO arrangement has long been part of the Centre’s effort to manage the armed insurgency in the region, and the demand to terminate it would represent a major shift in the government’s approach toward the groups covered by the pact.

The legislators’ memorandum also warns that failure to act on their demands could make it difficult for them to defend their continued support for the Manipur government in the face of pressure from the public.

That warning adds a political dimension to what is otherwise an appeal for security and law-enforcement action. The Naga legislators are members of the ruling coalition, meaning their criticism is coming from within the government rather than from an opposition bloc.

Fresh violence has widened the pressure

The latest appeal comes days after four Naga civilians were killed in an ambush along the Imphal-Tamenglong Road in Kangpokpi district on August 27, according to reports cited by the legislators.

The incident has added to tensions that have increasingly extended beyond the original Meitei-Kuki confrontation that erupted in May 2023. Relations between Naga and Kuki-Zo communities have also deteriorated sharply in 2026, particularly in areas of Kangpokpi and neighbouring districts.

The six Naga deaths followed an earlier cycle of violence in May, when three Kuki-Zo church leaders were killed in an ambush in Kangpokpi. Hostage-taking by members of both communities followed, creating a prolonged standoff before most of those abducted were released.

Political pressure on the Manipur government

The latest memorandum places the state government in a difficult position.

Dikho, one of the signatories identified by multiple reports, is himself a deputy chief minister. Nemcha Kipgen, whom the legislators have asked the Centre to investigate, is the other deputy chief minister.

The government therefore faces demands for action from members of its own coalition while security agencies continue investigating cases arising from the violence.

There is also a discrepancy in reporting over the memorandum’s signatures. NDTV and several other reports identify nine Naga legislators as backing the appeal and list their names. The Indian Express, however, reported that the document it reviewed carried the signatures of eight of the nine Naga MLAs, with Dikho confirming that version. The nine legislators named in other reports are Losii Dikho, Awangbow Newmai, J. Kumo Sha, Dinganglung Gangmei, Khasim Vashum, Leishiyo Keishing, Janghemlung Panmei, Ram Muivah and S.S. Olish.

What happens next

The immediate question is how the Centre and Manipur authorities respond to the demands.

The Naga legislators are seeking arrests, action against a serving deputy chief minister, and the termination of the SoO arrangement with Kuki armed groups. At the same time, investigations into the killings of Naga civilians remain active.

The United Naga Council, the apex Naga body in Manipur, has separately called on Naga tribal organisations and village authorities not to cooperate with government officials involved in the Census exercise scheduled to begin on September 1.

For now, there is no publicly reported central government decision accepting or rejecting the legislators’ demands. The political dispute is unfolding alongside ongoing security investigations, making the response from New Delhi and the state government the next key development to watch.