UNC’s directive is seen as a major blow to IPFM head Ashang Kasar, who has long claimed to speak for Northeast’s indigenous peoples.
BY PC Bureau
August 2, 2025 — The United Naga Council’s (UNC) directive barring Nagas from attending the August 9 Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration in Imphal is being seen as a major blow to Ashang Kasar, president of the Indigenous People’s Forum Manipur (IPFM), and has intensified ethnic fault lines in the state.
Kasar, who has been trying to project the IPFM as a pan-indigenous platform cutting across community divides, now finds his efforts seriously undermined. The UNC’s public distancing has stripped the event of key tribal legitimacy, casting doubts over its representative character.
More critically, the move has reopened old wounds in the Kuki-Zo community. Many see Kasar as a divisive figure, particularly due to his past statements downplaying or critiquing Kuki-Zo claims of a genocide during the 2023–24 Manipur ethnic violence. For them, the UNC’s snub is a long-overdue rebuke of what they view as Kasar’s soft alignment with Meitei narratives.
The UNC’s directive, issued on July 30, cited concerns over the legitimacy of the IPFM as an “unmandated organization” and questioned the “common indigeneity” narrative that the forum promotes.
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“The question of common indigeneity is being brought into question,” the UNC stated.
“Any recalcitrant individual or tribe participating in the scheduled event or program should not invoke the name of one’s tribe or speak on behalf of the Nagas,” it added in no uncertain terms.
This stern missive comes as a direct challenge to Ashang Kasar, the IPFM president and a known critic of the Kuki-Zo community. Kasar has long advocated for unity among the “original” inhabitants of the Northeast and frequently claims to represent the collective voice of the region’s indigenous peoples. The UNC’s notice casts serious doubt on that claim, asserting that Kasar lacks the mandate to speak on behalf of the Nagas.
While Kasar had earlier announced the event with much fanfare—promising participation from prominent personalities and delegates from across the region under the aegis of the North East Indigenous People’s Forum—the UNC’s move has thrown a wrench into those plans.
The United Naga Council urges the Naga community in Manipur not to participate in the “International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples,” which will take place at the City Convention Centre in Imphal on August 9, 2025. The UNC also describes the Indigenous People’s Forum, Manipur… pic.twitter.com/xk0A0WrtGU
— Sumkawn (@Sumkawn) August 1, 2025
Observers believe this development signals not just an organizational rift but a deeper political divide over the question of representation and indigenous identity. The UNC’s statement urging Nagas to prioritize their own rights and interests suggests mistrust toward any unified indigenous platform that doesn’t originate from within Naga institutions.
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The boycott is particularly significant given Ashang Kasar’s vocal role in the state’s ongoing ethnic tensions. By distancing itself from the IPFM event, the UNC may be attempting to reclaim control over the narrative surrounding indigeneity and possibly discredit what it views as unauthorized advocacy by individuals like Kasar.
The UNC’s move could ripple across Manipur’s volatile ethnic landscape, further complicating inter-community relations and challenging emerging coalitions built around shared identity. The timing—just a week before the global Indigenous Day—is also telling, signaling a deliberate assertion of Naga autonomy in choosing who speaks for them.
Whether Kasar proceeds with the event as planned remains to be seen. But the message from the UNC is unambiguous: indigenous identity in Manipur is not a free-for-all, and the Naga voice will not be co-opted by those outside the fold.
