While advocating stronger central intervention, KLA-L framed AFSPA as a temporary “circuit-breaker,” proposing a six-month review mechanism with specific benchmarks for its withdrawal, even as ongoing ethnic tensions continue to keep Manipur’s security situation volatile.
BY PC Bureau
Imphal, April 22, 2026 — The Kuki Liberation Army–Letkholun (KLA-L), operating under the self-styled “Government of Kukiland,” has urged the Indian government to immediately re-notify the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958, in the Imphal Municipal Area.
In a statement dated April 22 and signed by Napoleon Kuki of its Department of Information & Publicity, the group described the move as a “legal necessity, not a political choice.” It alleged that since May 2023, Imphal has witnessed a severe breakdown of law and order, citing incidents such as the storming and burning of police armouries, with over 4,000 weapons reportedly looted, repeated attacks on state forces leading to police abandoning posts, large-scale mob blockades on National Highways 2 and 37, and the use of automatic firearms and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in civilian areas.
The communiqué refers to Section 3 of AFSPA, which permits the declaration of a “disturbed area” where armed forces are required to aid civil authorities. It also cites the Supreme Court’s judgment in Naga People’s Movement of Human Rights v. Union of India (1997), arguing that widespread public disorder beyond the control of civil administration meets the legal threshold for such a declaration. According to the statement, despite the presence of over 20,000 police personnel along with RAF and CAPF units, at least 19 police stations were attacked and seven burnt between May 2023 and April 2026. It further claims that curfews imposed under Section 163 of the BNSS have been enforced over 140 times but frequently defied.
KLA-L noted that AFSPA was withdrawn from Imphal in 2004 and again in 2022 based on the assessment that the valley was relatively peaceful compared to the hill districts. It argued that recent developments have undermined that assumption, claiming that mob violence is no longer geographically contained and has created what it termed a “security vacuum” in the state capital. The statement also invokes Article 14 of the Constitution, calling for equal protection for residents of Imphal on par with those in districts such as Churachandpur.
The group clarified that it is not advocating a prolonged imposition of AFSPA “for 60 years like before.” Instead, it called for strict adherence to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ six-month review mechanism, proposing specific benchmarks for withdrawal after six months: recovery of 90% of looted arms; zero incidents of police station attacks for 90 days; and uninterrupted access to NH-2 for 60 days. It suggested that failure to meet these benchmarks should trigger de-notification.
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Framing AFSPA as a temporary “circuit-breaker” in situations where civil policing is overwhelmed, the communiqué urged authorities to prioritise “statute, scrutiny, and sunset clause over street rule.” It also raised broader political questions, asking on what basis the government could deny what it described as a “constitutionally sanctioned administrative arrangement” to communities seeking protection within the Union while tolerating other forms of threats.
The statement concludes with the assertion: “Let the law, not the mob, decide the next step.”
The communiqué comes amid continuing ethnic tensions in Manipur between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, ongoing since the outbreak of violence in May 2023. The conflict has led to hundreds of deaths and widespread displacement. Recent incidents, including alleged ambushes and protests, have kept security concerns high across the state. AFSPA remains in force in most areas of Manipur, with partial withdrawals and periodic extensions in certain valley jurisdictions.
The KLA-L is among several Kuki insurgent groups active in the region, historically associated with demands for greater autonomy or a separate “Kukiland.” Its latest statement underscores continued advocacy for stronger central security measures in Imphal, even as assessments by security agencies and responses from rival groups continue to shape the evolving situation.
