The Government of Manipur faced a serious political embarrassment on Monday as all nine Naga legislators stayed away from the final sitting of the 8th Session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, declaring that their patience had run out over the alleged failure of the government to deliver justice for six Naga civilians killed after being abducted from Leilon Vaiphei on May 13.
The collective absence of the Naga legislators came as a direct challenge to the government’s handling of the case, with the legislators questioning how the Home Minister could rule out the involvement of the police and the village chief even before the investigation had been completed.
The legislators made their position clear at a press conference held at the official residence of Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho at Lamphel, where they said their decision was not intended to bring down or oppose the government but to force it to act.
Naga People’s Front Manipur unit president and Naga Legislators’ Forum convenor Awangbow Newmai said the Home Minister’s statement in the Assembly had failed to satisfy the Naga legislators and raised more questions than it answered.
Newmai questioned the basis on which the Home Minister had stated that the police and Leilon Vaiphei village chief had no involvement in the incident when the investigation itself was still pending.
He said the accounts of survivors and eyewitnesses could not simply be ignored, pointing out that 18 persons were allegedly abducted from Leilon Vaiphei on May 13, with six subsequently killed and their bodies allegedly mutilated.
Four months after the incident, Newmai alleged, there had been no arrests in connection with persons named in the FIR, including the village chief.
The message from the Naga legislators was blunt: an investigation without arrests or visible progress cannot be presented as justice.
They demanded that the investigation be completed and appropriate legal action taken before they return to normal participation in the Assembly proceedings.
The legislators also demanded the removal or suspension of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen pending completion of the investigation, alleging that her husband, Thangboi Kipgen, was the prime accused in the case. The allegations were made by the legislators and have not been independently verified.
But the protest did not end at the Assembly.
In a memorandum submitted to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the nine Naga legislators accused the Centre and the state authorities of failing to take sufficiently decisive action amid what they described as a “critical and volatile” situation in Manipur.
They demanded immediate action against Kuki-Zo leaders whom they alleged had publicly claimed responsibility in connection with the killing and dismemberment of the six Naga civilians. They also sought the arrest of Thangboi Kipgen of the Kuki National Front-P, alleging that cadres under his leadership were involved in the killings.
The memorandum further alleged that the office of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen was “colluding” with a Kuki militant group allegedly led by her husband. These are allegations contained in the legislators’ representation to the Union Home Minister and have not been independently established.
The legislators also put the Suspension of Operations agreement with Kuki militant groups directly in the line of fire, demanding its immediate abrogation.
They cited what they described as repeated violations of the agreement and continuing attacks on civilians, arguing that a ceasefire arrangement that fails to prevent attacks cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely.
The legislators pointed to a series of incidents to reinforce their demand, including the reported killing of four Naga men in an ambush on the Imphal-Tamenglong Road on August 27, the April 18, 2026 ambush at TM Kasom on National Highway-202 in which two persons were reportedly killed, and the August 14 attack on Langka village in which two farmers were reportedly killed and the village burnt.
The developments have placed the Government of Manipur in an increasingly difficult position, with the Naga legislators warning that continued inaction could force them to answer difficult questions from the people over why they should continue supporting the government.
Dikho, who stood alongside the protesting legislators, made it clear that their support for the government should not be mistaken for unconditional silence.
“We are very pained and disheartened. We are not against the government and we are not against any leadership. We continue to support the government, but we cannot remain silent when justice has not been delivered for four months,” he said.
Dikho said the protest was a defence of constitutional values, the Legislative Assembly and democratic institutions rather than an attempt to undermine the government.
He also invoked the role of the Naga community during the ongoing crisis, saying Nagas had maintained restraint and extended humanitarian assistance despite the conflict. He cited the release of 14 Kuki persons by Naga volunteers and said the gesture had been appreciated by the Union Home Minister.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the Naga legislators had repeatedly approached the authorities seeking action in the Leilon Vaiphei case, but the prolonged delay had finally exhausted their patience.
“We will continue to support the government, but our patience is running out. Today, we have expressed our protest and we are ready to receive a response from the Home Minister,” Dikho said.
The abstention of all nine Naga legislators from the Assembly’s final sitting has therefore turned what began as a demand for justice for six slain civilians into a wider political confrontation over accountability, investigation and the government’s handling of armed groups.
For the families of the six victims, however, the central question remains unchanged: four months after the killings, when will the investigation produce arrests, accountability and justice?
The memorandum was signed by Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, Naga Legislators’ Forum convenor Awangbow Newmai, its secretary J. Kumo Sha, Hill Areas Committee Chairman Dinganglung Gangmei and MLAs Khasim Vashum, Leishiyo Keishing, Janghemlung Panmei, Ram Muivah and SS Olish.
