The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) (NSCN-IM) Eastern Flank released a statement asserting Naga land rights and warning against attempts to carve out a Kuki homeland within territories claimed as Nagalim. The group accused Kuki militants of past attacks on Tangkhul Naga villages.
BY PC Bureau
March 16, 2026: Tensions between Tangkhul Naga communities and Kuki groups in Manipur’s hill districts have intensified following recent violence, including the alleged kidnapping and killing of two Kuki men, even as a Naga militant faction issued a statement accusing Kuki militants of attacks on Naga villages.
In a statement dated March 16, the Eastern Flank of the Naga Army under the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) (NSCN-IM) said it seeks “peaceful coexistence” with other communities but insisted that Nagas must be recognized as traditional landowners in the region. The group warned that it would resist any attempts to carve out a separate Kuki homeland from areas it considers part of Nagalim.
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The statement refers to several incidents of violence over the past year. It alleged that Kuki militants attacked a Tangkhul Naga driver along the Imphal–Ukhrul Highway in June 2025 and accused Kuki militants, allegedly with support from Indian security forces, of burning more than 20 Tangkhul Naga houses in Litan village in February 2026. These allegations could not be independently verified.
The militant group also endorsed positions taken by the Tangkhul Naga Long, which recently called for cutting economic and civic ties with Kuki communities in certain border areas. According to the statement, activities such as timber trade, fuel supply, and other business exchanges across parts of the Indo-Myanmar border region were being halted with immediate effect.
The statement comes amid a broader atmosphere of distrust and retaliatory violence in the hill areas of Manipur. Local sources and community leaders say tensions have further escalated following the reported kidnapping and killing of two Kuki men in recent days. While details remain unclear, the incident has heightened fears of reprisal attacks and deepened divisions between communities.
Ethnic relations in Manipur have remained fragile since the outbreak of large-scale ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in 2023. In the hill districts, disputes over land ownership, political autonomy, and territorial claims have increasingly drawn in Naga groups as well.
Security officials have expressed concern that localized clashes between Tangkhul Naga villagers and Kuki groups could widen into a broader conflict if tensions are not contained. Civil society leaders from multiple communities have called for restraint and dialogue to prevent further escalation.
Meanwhile, the NSCN-IM’s statement concluded with an appeal to Naga youth to “defend the land of the Naga nation,” language that analysts say reflects the continuing volatility of identity and territorial politics in the region.
Authorities have not yet issued an official response to the latest allegations and killings, but security deployment in sensitive areas has reportedly been increased.
