The Naga legislators have demanded scrapping of the SoO pact with Kuki militant groups and cited a series of attacks, including the August 27 ambush that killed four Naga civilian
BY PC Bureau
August 31, 2026: Nine Naga legislators in Manipur have urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to order the immediate arrest of Kuki-Zo militant leaders, including KNF-P chief Thangboi Kipgen, and initiate action against Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen over alleged links to the militant outfit.
In a letter to Shah, the MLAs described the situation in Manipur as “critical and volatile” and warned that the state could descend into an “uncontrollable situation” unless the Centre takes “unbiased, decisive and bold action”. They said such intervention was essential to restore normalcy and cautioned that they would find it increasingly difficult to defend the government before the public if no action was taken.
The legislators demanded the arrest of Kuki-Zo leaders allegedly involved in the killing and dismemberment of six Naga civilians abducted from Leilon Vaiphei in Kangpokpi in May. Their remains were recovered in June. Naga organisations have alleged the involvement of cadres of the Kuki National Front-Presidential faction (KNF-P), headed by Thangboi Kipgen, also known as Semtinthang Kipgen.
The MLAs also sought action against Nemcha Kipgen, alleging that her office was colluding with the militant group led by her husband. They argued that the alleged connection had made the Suspension of Operations (SoO) peace process increasingly difficult for people to accept.
The five demands listed in the letter include immediate arrests of the Kuki-Zo leaders allegedly responsible for civilian killings, action against Thangboi Kipgen, action against Deputy CM Nemcha Kipgen, abrogation of the SoO agreement with all Kuki militant groups and justice in other recent attacks on Naga civilians.
READ: Two Kuki Villagers Killed In Fresh Attack In Manipur’s Kangpokpi, NSCN-IM Blamed
The legislators specifically referred to the August 27 ambush on the Imphal–Tamenglong road, in which four Liangmai Naga civilians were killed and others were wounded or reported missing. They also cited the April 18 ambush at TM Kasom on NH-202, in which two people were killed, and the August 14 attack on Langka village, where two farmers were killed and the settlement was burnt.
The six Naga civilians killed earlier had been abducted around May 13 following an ambush in which Thadou church leaders were killed. The Kuki-Zo Council subsequently acknowledged that members of the community had killed the six men, describing the incident as a “great mistake” committed during an emotional outburst. Naga organisations rejected the explanation as inadequate.
The nine signatories are Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho and MLAs Awangbow Newmai, J. Kumo Sha, Dinganglung Gangmei, Khasim Vashum, Leishiyo Keishing, Janghemlung Panmei, Ram Muivah and SS Olish.
Nemcha Kipgen, a BJP MLA from Kangpokpi, became Manipur’s first woman and first Kuki-Zo Deputy Chief Minister when Yumnam Khemchand Singh formed the government in February 2026 after President’s Rule was lifted. Her husband’s reported position as chairman of the KNF-P under the SoO arrangement has repeatedly triggered demands from Naga groups for her removal.
The allegations against Nemcha Kipgen and her husband remain allegations and have not been independently established in court. The MLAs’ letter is a political and security appeal from one side of an increasingly dangerous Naga–Kuki confrontation in a state still dealing with the wider ethnic conflict that began in 2023. The Centre’s response could have significant implications for Manipur’s fragile governing arrangement.
