The Kuki CSO Working Committee (WCKCSOs), Ukhrul, strongly condemns the killing of Mrs. Domkhonei Touthang, wife of Mr. Lallenmang Touthang of Chassad village, by Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) personnel stationed at Chassad Primary School’s teachers’ quarters on 9 October 2026, between 8:30 PM and 10:00 PM, in Kamjong District, Manipur.
Since the outbreak of the conflict on 3 May 2023, village guards have protected vulnerable settlements across communities. Chassad also shelters displaced Kuki-Zo families of Kamjong driven from their ancestral villages by NSCN (IM) intimidation or rendered homeless by village burnings attributed to NSCN (IM) and NSCN (EF). These families already deprived of their homes and livelihoods depend on local volunteers for security.
Against this grave backdrop, the attempt by IRB personnel to forcibly dislodge Chassad’s village guards, followed by indiscriminate firing on unarmed women who intervened, is deeply alarming. Mrs. Touthang sustained a gunshot wound to her left upper chest and later succumbed to her injuries. This is a grave incident demanding an impartial investigation and accountability.
Why were Kuki-Zo village guards in Chassad targeted while Tangkhul village guards in nearby Kamjong were left untouched? Who authorised the operation, and on what grounds were volunteers protecting a vulnerable, displaced population targeted? The apparent disparity demands a credible investigation into possible selective enforcement and communal bias.
WCKCSOs-Ukhrul demands immediate registration of an FIR, an independent and time-bound investigation, and legal action against the personnel involved and their commanding officer wherever culpability is established. Allegations of NSCN (IM) affiliation or infiltration within the state force, as well as alleged links between Tangkhul village guards and NSCN (IM), must be independently investigated. The SP and DC Kamjong, the concerned MLA, and the Government of Manipur must explain what safeguards were in place to protect Chassad’s residents and displaced Kuki-Zo families of Kamjong district.
Reports of NSCN (IM) and NSCN (EF) movements around Litan Sareikhong, Sinakeithel, Sirarikhong and Ukhrul, alongside circulating claims of NSCN (IM) recruiting and training women cadres since late September, also require urgent verification. The authorities must establish whether the Chassad incident is isolated or connected to a broader threat against Kuki-Zo settlements.
The Chassad incident raises grave questions about the state’s commitment to impartial security and the protection of vulnerable lives. The Kuki-Zo people cannot be expected to remain silent while their village guards are targeted and displaced families left exposed to threats. The Governments of Manipur and India will be answerable for any further bloodshed resulting from their failure to act.
Our restraint must never be mistaken for helplessness, nor our patience for surrender.
Issued by:
Department of Information & Media
WCKCSOs-Ukhrul
