Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho has urged his cabinet colleague Nemcha Kipgen to intervene in the killing of Naga civilians, asking her to ensure that her husband stops the alleged attacks, amid renewed violence in Kamjong, Kangpokpi and Ukhrul districts.
Dikho made the remarks while responding to media queries on a recent joint statement by Kuki civil society organisations urging Kipgen to return to Imphal and regularly discharge her official responsibilities from the state capital.
Speaking on the sidelines of a conclave on Climate-Resilient Springshed: Research, Practice and Policy, organised by the state government’s Department of Environment and Climate Change, Dikho said both the government and the people wanted Kipgen to return to Imphal and perform her official duties. He, however, also called on her to address the continued attacks on Naga civilians.
The remarks come amid reports that at least seven Naga civilians, including a Nepali national, were killed in ambushes in the three districts, further aggravating tensions between Naga and Kuki communities.
The killings have revived demands by Dikho and other Naga legislators for Kipgen’s removal from the state cabinet over alleged links between her husband and the Kuki National Front–President (KNF-P), an armed group operating under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) arrangement.
The demand had earlier followed the abduction and killing of six Naga civilians from Leilon Vaiphei village in Kangpokpi district in June. Naga legislators had accused the Kuki National Army–President (KNA-P) and other armed groups under the SoO arrangement of involvement in the killings, alleging that the victims’ bodies were mutilated. They had also alleged that Kipgen’s husband was among those responsible for the violence.
The allegations against the named individuals and groups have not been independently established. The renewed violence and the latest appeal by Dikho have placed fresh focus on the security of Naga civilians and the accountability of armed groups operating under the SoO arrangement.
