Amidst the continued violent conflict due to Kuki-Zomi militants attack against the Meiteis since May 3, 2023, skirmishes between the Kuki-Zomis and the Naga tribes of Manipur continue to occur now and then.
Recently, a woman belonging to Liangmei Naga tribe was reportedly assaulted by some Kuki-Zomi people on January 7 at Konshakhul Lungwiram, a Liangmei village located 2 km from the Leimakhong cantonment of 57 Mountain Division of Indian Army in the Saitu Assembly Constituency under Kangpokpi District of Manipur.
The incident allegedly occurred while a resident of Konsakhul Lungwiram, an exclusively Liangmei Naga village, was levelling a plot of land using an excavator. The woman was reportedly manhandled and assaulted by a group of Kuki-Zomi individuals.
A video circulating on social media shows Kuki-Zomi individuals verbally abusing the Naga villagers and issuing threats against the person recording the incident. In the video, the Kuki-Zomi miscreants are seen threatening to burn the JCB excavator and harm the Naga villagers in broad daylight.
Moreover, the woman said that a mob of approximately 20 Kuki-Zomi miscreants arrived and obstructed her work. They allegedly threw her to the ground, physically assaulted her, and destroyed her mobile phone.
Further, her account was also corroborated by her brother, stating that the mob assaulted his sister, prevented the levelling of the plot, and verbally harassed them with profanities. The victim and the villagers have appealed to Naga civil organizations and authority to intervene and address the situation.
Consequently, in a strongly worded memorandum issued on January 8, 2025, the Konsaram Naga community has demanded that the Leilon Vaiphei village vacate the land within 15 days accusing members of the Leilon Vaiphei, a Kuki-Zomi village of violating longstanding principles of peaceful coexistence.
The memorandum warns that failure to comply will result in forced eviction, and any violence that may ensue will be the responsibility of what they described the Leilon Vaiphei (Kuki-Zomi) village as “tenants.”
The memorandum alleged that a woman from the Konsaram Naga village was assaulted in broad daylight at Konshakhul Lungwiram, purportedly under the orders or instructions of individuals from the Leilon Vaiphei village on January 7 at Kangchup Geljang Sub-Division of Kangpokpi district. This incident has been described as a gross violation of trust and respect that has traditionally existed between the two groups.
The Konsaram Naga community claims that, “as landlords,” they had allowed the Leilon Vaiphei villagers to settle on their land out of humanitarian considerations. However, they accused the “tenants” of engaging in anti-social activities, targeting innocent Naga villagers, and disregarding the terms of their lease agreement, which the memorandum states has already expired.
“Leilon Vaiphei village has been living under Konsakhul (Konsaram) ancestral land for ages paying taxes, but the Leilon village stopped paying taxes,” reports quoting a Naga villager said.
Meanwhile, the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) on January 9, 2025 has issued a press communique as a reminder to the Nagas and urged the Liangmei Nagas to desist and refrain from publicizing any unverified or concocted narratives in the media that may inflame animosity between the two tribal communities.
The communique stated, “The Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) is constrained to issue this press statement to all concerned community who proclaim themselves to be a neutral party in this ensuing communal conflict between the Kuki-Zo and the Meitei community which needs a reminder of their stand:
1.That, any organizations on behalf of Liangmei Nagas in Manipur may desist themselves from inflaming ideas of discord or misunderstanding between the two tribal communities with misplaced information and concocted narratives in the press or social media platforms.
- That, any issue arising out of land boundary disputes between two villages, i.e. Leilon and Konsakhul villages should be resolved between the two chiefs/ stakeholders and not through communal platforms. Such village-level issues should not be given a communal space.
- That, the Liangmei Nagas of Manipur should not misunderstand our meekness in response to every of their press releases against the Kuki-Zo community, who are victims of religious and ethnic persecution from the majoritarian Meitei community, but rather understand that we, as a tribal community in the erstwhile state of Manipur have been defending our Rights against oppression and tyranny on our culture and values; and to protect and defend our land from aggression for the past nearly 2 years alone.
- That, the Liangmei Nagas in Manipur must reconsider that poking of a corpse inside a coffin for verification is unbecoming of a true Christian and that any funeral entourage plying on the roadways must be accorded with respect and remorse. This unfortunate incident took place in the late hours of yesterday 8th January 2025 which is condemnable in the highest form.
- Lastly, the Nagas of Manipur, who are neutral in this ensuing communal conflict must uphold their good Samaritan nature and stringently act upon those in their fraternity like the Liangmei bodies who are hell-bent on destroying the overall neutral stance taken by the Naga communities of Manipur and oversee the safety and security of the public commuters plying through their dominated areas which have become the only lifeline for the Kuki-Zo and not otherwise”.
Therefore, the Liangmei Nagas and those organizations in Manipur are requested to desist and refrain from publicizing any unverified or concocted narratives in the press or social media platforms to inflame hatred or animosity between the two tribal communities and any untoward incidents which may arise will be the sole responsibility of the Liangmei Naga of Manipur,” the COTU communique added.
In response to COTU’s reminders, the Koubru Range Liangmai Women Union (KRLWU) in a press release on January 10, 2025 strongly condemns the heinous attack on an innocent Naga woman of Konsakhul Lungwiram by a large number of individuals allegedly from Munlai, Leilon Khunou, Leilon Phaiyang and Leilon Phaikot villages of Kangpokpi district on January 7, 2025 at around 9:30 AM.
“This barbaric act is a grave affront to the dignity, identity, and sanctity of the victim. The perpetrators, armed with slings, sticks, and other weapons, assaulted and dragged her on the ground, hurling abusive language. Such actions, tantamount to an attempt to murder, are intolerable under any circumstances and have caused significant fear and trauma among innocent Naga women,” the release said.
“In Liangmai Naga customary practices, the dignity and consent of women are of utmost importance. No one is permitted to touch a woman’s clothing or hair without her explicit consent. The barbaric actions of the Kuki perpetrators are wholly acceptable in a civilised society,” the Koubru Rangle Liangmai Women Union reminded.
In response to the actions of the Kuki-Zomis, the KRLWU has imposed an indefinite bandh since January 8, 2025 in Liangmai Naga-dominated areas of Koubru Range ancestrallands. This bandh serves as an expression of of their collective resentment and solidarity against the savage acts of the Kuki perpetrators, the release added.
Countering the charges of the COTU, the Koubru Range Liangmai Women Union said, at the time of bandh, women volunteers are peacefully monitoring vehicular movements, allowing exemptions for medical emergencies, examinations, and other unavoidable circumstances, with prior permission from the Union. In the course of gate entry, women volunteers counted the number of Kukipeople present without touching the coffin. Their purpose was to relay accurate information to the next gate. After completing the count, they permitted two vehicles carrying the deceased to proceed. The process was handled with diligence and respect, ensuring smooth coordination and passage while maintaining proper decorum. Contrary to false allegations of COTU, there has been no disrespect to corpses or any form of invasive behaviour during this peaceful bandh, the Union said.
Now, what is important to be noted and discussed is this is not the first time the Liangmei Nagas of Leimakhong areas have been subjected to many attacks and intimidation by Kuki-Zomi communities, including involvement of the cadres of Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) who are under the Suspension of Operation (SOO) agreements with the Government of India (GOI) and Government of Manipur (GOM) in the past amidst the ongoing violent conflict due to the Kuki-Zomi militants’ attacks against the Meiteis for over 20 months.
Among many reported incidents in the recent past amidst the violent conflict, the first one was in June 2023 that a Liangmei Naga house in Leimakhong was burnt by Kuki-Zomis.
On June 18, 2023 at around 12 pm (midnight) at Leimakhong Chingmang, the Kuki-Zomis burnt down a Liangmei Naga house despite a sign clearly identifying it as a “Naga House” and vandalised the two gates at Leimakhong which belonged to Nagas.
Another attack on Liangmei Naga by the Kuki-Zomis amidst the violent conflict was on September 7, 2023. Z. Hotngambou, a Liangmei Naga, was brutally assaulted by members of the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) who are under SOO in Chalwa along the I.T. Road in Kangpokpi Sub-division.
On June 19, 2024, suspected Kuki miscreants burned a truck just below Tumuyon Khullen in Senapati despite the June 3, 2024 appeal of the Senapati District Students Association (SDSA) to all concerned parties to refrain from hampering vehicular movements along National Highway 2 (NH-2) and to maintain the highway as a safe zone, free from any form of harassment. The SDSA said that the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) has completely ignored this statement despite the hospitality, patience, understanding, and neutrality demonstrated by SDSA in the ongoing conflict.
Another incident Kuki-Zomis carried out against the Nagas was on August 31, 2024, Naga volunteers were manhandled during a rally organized by the Kuki Students’ Organisation-Sadar Hills (KSO-SH) in Tumnoupokpi Naga village.
The tension escalated on September 6, 2024, when an unidentified Kuki individual threatened Makui Naga villagers in Kangpokpi Sub-division using a walkie-talkie. Referring ominously to the Joupi incident of 1993, he warned that the villagers were like “fish in a pond,” suggesting their annihilation. The Kukis and some Kuki organisation is trying to tarnish the Naga fabric which is strongly woven by terming few Naga section as “Kacha Naga” and “wanabe Naga”, according to a source.
Moreover, on November 11, 2024 the Kuki-Zomi militants continued firing from Uyokching upon Thamnapokpi Shantikhongbal villages under Yaingangpokpi police station which has been under AFSPA. A 32 year-old farmer Kanshok Horam belonging to the Tangkhul Naga community was injured while he along with nine farmers including eight Tangkhul and one Nepali were working. The other farmers luckily escaped unhurt.
On November 13, 2024, Kuki-Zomi militants burned down two trucks carrying onions to Noney district on National Highway No. 37. The Rongmei Naga community has condemned the attack and announced an immediate, permanent boycott of all supplies to the Kukis in Tamenglong and Noney Districts.
According to reports, on November 30, 2024, one Kuki allegedly looted construction materials intended for a church in Leimakhong and there are allegations from the Liangmei Nagas that instead of condemning the act, the Kuki-Zomi community formed a fabricated organization called the “Leimakhong Area Protection Committee,” issuing a press statement with the derogatory term “Kacha Naga” to insult the local Naga population.
Though settled after confrontations, on December 22, 2024, Kuki-Zomi volunteers assaulted three top leaders of the Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA) in Gamgiphai, Kangpokpi on the way back from Imphal to Senapati.
Though the acts committed by the Kuki-Zomis against the Nagas seem small and without deaths, the dots cannot be isolatory. If the dots are connected a broader pattern of provocative and violent acts against the Nagas particularly the Liangmeis and deeper conflict are evident. In Leimakhong areas, next to Meiteis, Liangmeis are vulnerable to the agenda of Kuki-Zomis’ exclusive territory.
If the Government doesn’t pay immediate and serious attention to the brewing conflict in Leimakhong area and address the issue holistically, it may become a flashpoint for another dimension of violent conflict in Manipur.
Senior Editor: Imphal Review of Arts and Politics
