Former UNLF chief calls for urgent action to safeguard IDPs and indigenous lands 

Former UNLF chief RK Meghen and community leader RK Sanayaima have issued stark warnings over the ongoing conflict in Manipur, stressing the urgent need for community unity and the protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Speaking at the Ningol Chakouba celebration organized by Khundrakpam Kendra Tengbang Lup at Ngasi Swombung Community Hall, Sanayaima highlighted the deteriorating situation of IDPs living at Sajiwa and Swombung Relief Camps. He stressed that lands historically belonging to the Kuki community have been occupied or misused, and delays in returning these lands exacerbate the hardships of displaced families.
Sanayaima emphasized that the two-and-a-half-year-long conflict involving Kuki militants should not be taken lightly. “The violence will continue, and more innocent lives will be lost unless the people understand who is behind the armed militancy,” he warned. He noted that threats have evolved over time — previously from intruders from the western front, and now from migrants entering from Myanmar — and said that unity is the only way for communities to protect themselves.
He further called on authorities, NGOs, social workers, and community organizations to intervene proactively, restore lands, and provide sustainable support for displaced persons. “Relief efforts cannot be temporary; they must include justice, land restitution, and protection of rights,” he said, urging immediate action to prevent further destabilization and suffering.
Sanayaima criticized the mindset of treating Indigenous land as dispensable, urging the community to safeguard its heritage from ongoing encroachment and exploitation. He highlighted that the continued occupation of lands threatens social stability and demoralizes younger generations.
Prominent figures present at the event included Maibam Kebi, President of Khundrakpam Kendra Tengbang Lup; Thongam Phulchand, In-Charge of Geology and Mining, Commerce and Industry Department; N. Rajendro, President of ICHAM; and other community allies, who collectively supported Sanayaima’s call for justice and protection of Kuki lands and displaced communities.
The event underscored the urgent need for coordinated action, community vigilance, and a unified stand against the ongoing violence and encroachment threatening Manipur’s social fabric.