With Naga and Kuki-Zo tensions rising after a series of civilian killings, the silence of Nemcha Kipgen and other Kuki-Zo legislators is drawing attention inside Manipur’s ruling coalition.
BY PC Bureau
August31: The unusual spectacle of one Deputy Chief Minister formally seeking central action against another has cast a sharp spotlight on the continued silence of Manipur’s Kuki-Zo Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen and other Kuki-Zo legislators.
Naga MLAs, led by Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, have written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding the arrest of Kuki National Front-Presidential faction (KNF-P) chief Thangboi Kipgen — husband of Nemcha Kipgen — and action against the Kuki-Zo Deputy CM herself over alleged links to the militant group
The Naga legislators’ letter has already triggered a political debate in Manipur, but there has been no public response so far from Nemcha Kipgen or the other Kuki-Zo MLAs to the allegations and demands raised by their colleagues in the ruling coalition.
The silence is particularly striking because the issue directly involves the two communities represented by the state’s two Deputy Chief Ministers. Naga Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho and eight other Naga MLAs have sought central intervention over the security situation and alleged militant activity involving Kuki groups, while Nemcha Kipgen, the BJP MLA from Kangpokpi, has yet to comment publicly.
The development has raised questions in political circles about how the coalition government will handle an issue that has now moved from community-level tensions into the heart of the state administration.
Nemcha Kipgen is Manipur’s first woman and first Kuki-Zo Deputy Chief Minister. Her husband, Thangboi Kipgen, heads the Kuki National Front-Presidential faction (KNF-P), an armed group covered by the Suspension of Operations (SoO) arrangement with the Centre.
The Naga legislators have alleged links between the KNF-P and Nemcha Kipgen’s office and have sought action against those they accuse of involvement in recent attacks on Naga civilians. The allegations have not been independently established and remain subject to investigation.
But the absence of a response from the Kuki-Zo side has added a new dimension to the controversy.
READ: Delhi SIR Draft Roll Leaves Out One Third– 48 Lakh– Voters
Naga MLAs seek action against Dy CM Nemcha, arrest of her husband https://t.co/UskJ0z1JR9 #Manipur #NagaMLAs #NemchaKipgen#KNFP #ThangboiKipgen #ManipurCrisis
— POWER CORRIDORS (@power_corridors) August 31, 2026
Silence amid mounting tensions
The issue comes at a particularly sensitive time for Kangpokpi and neighbouring areas, where tensions between Naga and Kuki-Zo groups have intensified following a series of attacks.
Six Naga civilians from Leilon Vaiphei were abducted and killed in May, with their remains recovered in June. More recently, four Liangmai Naga civilians were killed in an ambush along the Imphal-Tamenglong road on August 27. Naga organisations have blamed Kuki militant groups for the latter attack, though responsibility remains under investigation.
The latest developments have also been accompanied by allegations from the Kuki-Zo side against Naga armed groups.
The political question now is whether Nemcha Kipgen will respond to the allegations involving her husband and whether the Kuki-Zo legislators will issue a collective position on the Naga demands.
So far, neither has happened.
An awkward equation inside the government
The silence has also highlighted the unusual political equation between Losii Dikho and Nemcha Kipgen.
Both are Deputy Chief Ministers in the government formed after President’s Rule was lifted in February 2026. Yet their respective communities have increasingly found themselves on opposite sides of allegations surrounding recent violence in the hill districts.
The Naga MLAs’ appeal to the Centre has therefore created an unusual situation in which one Deputy Chief Minister and his fellow legislators have sought action against a militant leader closely linked to another Deputy Chief Minister’s family.
For the coalition government, the challenge is to prevent the political confrontation from aggravating tensions on the ground.
The issue is especially sensitive because the allegations concern the SoO framework, under which several Kuki armed groups have been engaged with the Centre. The Naga legislators have demanded action against groups allegedly violating the arrangement and questioned why armed cadres are able to operate despite the restrictions attached to the ceasefire framework.
Any decision by the Centre could have political consequences for the coalition.
Action against the alleged militant links could be welcomed by Naga groups but provoke a backlash among Kuki-Zo representatives. Conversely, inaction could fuel accusations that the concerns of Naga legislators and civilians are being ignored.
Test for the coalition
The immediate challenge for the Manipur government is to prevent the political dispute from spilling further into an already fragile security environment.
The state has witnessed years of ethnic violence, displacement and competing claims over territory and security. The recent Naga-Kuki clashes have introduced another layer of complexity to a conflict that was initially dominated by the Meitei-Kuki-Zo divide.
With fresh civilian killings reported on both sides, the credibility of the administration will increasingly depend on whether security agencies are seen to act impartially and whether perpetrators are investigated regardless of their community or organisational affiliation.
For now, however, the most conspicuous development after the Naga MLAs’ appeal is the silence from the Kuki-Zo side.
