Special Correspondent
Ukhrul, September 2:
Why do crimes against innocent Nagas not matter to the governments?
The Working Committee of the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) has put the question squarely before the governments of Manipur and India, accusing them of what it calls a pattern of “selective urgency” in responding to violence against Naga civilians amid the continuing conflict.
In a strongly worded communiqué, the TNL listed 12 alleged cases of abduction, ambush, killing, attacks on civilians and arson between April and August 2026, and demanded that the Government of Manipur and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs either hand the cases over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or constitute a high-level Central commission to investigate them.
The organisation alleged that Naga civilians have faced repeated attacks, including killings, abductions, harassment, looting and burning of homes, while authorities have failed to demonstrate what it considers an equal response.
Among the cases cited is the April 18 ambush near Litan Police Station, Ukhrul, in which the TNL alleged that two Naga civilians were killed. It further alleged that four Naga Village Guards were attacked near Sinakeithei on April 24, killing Horshokmi Jamang and critically injuring four others.
Another attack on Naga Village Guards at Ringui Horei hills on April 28 allegedly left five injured, while fresh firing at the same location on May 4 was also cited.
The TNL alleged that Choro, Wanglee and Namlee, Naga villages along the Indo-Myanmar border in Kamjong district, were attacked on May 7 by armed elements it claimed included Myanmar-based PDF members allegedly backed by the Kuki National Army-Burma. Several houses were reportedly destroyed and one person injured.
The most serious case cited was the May 13 abduction of 18 Liangmai Naga civilians, including women and a child, at Leilon Vaiphei in Kangpokpi district. The TNL alleged that Kuki National Front-Presidential cadres abducted the group and that six of the men were subsequently killed. Their remains were reportedly recovered on June 10. The organisation noted that the NIA later took up the case but questioned the delay in Central intervention.
The same day, the TNL alleged that 52-year-old Wilson Thanga was killed when civilians travelling from Dollang Chiru towards a farmhouse near Joujangtek in Noney district came under attack. Two others, Oliv Jatung and Thoireithei Thanga, were reportedly critically injured.
Other cases cited include the alleged firing on three youths from Konsakhul while repairing a water pipeline near the Leilon Vaiphei border on May 31; the alleged abduction and killing of Pongringlong Part-I village authority member Chunjanlung Panmei on June 8; and the alleged burning of Huimin Thana and Kherongram in Kamjong district on July 1, where the TNL said 20 houses were destroyed.
The organisation further alleged that two Naga farmers were killed and two others seriously injured in an attack at Langka on August 14.
The August 27 ambush along the Imphal–Tamenglong Road, between Makui Asang and Thanamba Naga village, was cited as the latest major flashpoint. The TNL alleged that armed Kuki groups, naming the Kuki National Front-Presidential and Kuki Revolutionary Army, attacked Liangmai Naga civilians, killing four and injuring another. The allegations and identities of those responsible remain subject to investigation and independent verification.
The TNL said the incidents point to a pattern requiring investigation beyond the handling of individual criminal cases. It has demanded an NIA probe or a high-level Central commission, along with compensation and rehabilitation for affected families and villages.
The organisation said that if its allegations are unfounded, a transparent investigation should establish the facts.
The TNL’s demand is clear: investigate every case, establish the truth and hold those responsible accountable—regardless of community.