The Working Committee of Tangkhul Naga Long on Wednesday has finally come out with a statement condemning the incidents of Litan Sareikhong and Sinakelthei. Meanwhile, The Working Committee has instructed all the Tangkhul Naga villagers to immediately cut all civic and economic ties with the Kukis.
The press statement issued by Working Committee of TNL stated that, ‘in the aftermath of the spreading of violence to the adjoining Naga inhabited areas following the attempt to murder of one Tangkhul Naga villager by the Kuki immigrants in the evening of 7th February. 2026 at Litan, the Tangkhul Civil Society Organizations (Tangkhul CSOs) in a joint meeting have taken serious note of the unfolding situation. It may be recalled that on the fateful night of 7th February, 2026 at around 9:10 pm, Mr Stalin A. Shimray of Litan, a school teacher by profession, was brutally assaulted by the Kuki immigrants without any provocation, resulting in grievous injuries.
“Thereafter, in a calculated move to forcibly grab the land of Sikibung/Sharkaphung village, Kuki militants wielding sophisticated weapons trespassed into the village on 8th February, 2026 and torched more than 23 houses of the Tangkhul Nagas including the house of the village Headman of Litan in collusion with the central security forces. The Kuki militants further fired rounds of shots towards the populated areas, thereby terrorising the innocent Naga villagers.
“In another act of blatant encroachment on 23rd February, 2026, Kuki militants again set portions of the Lungter Hill Range of Sinakeithei village on fire. One innocent villager, namely Mr. Aseng Awungshi, was abducted at gunpoint and threatened not to loiter around the area while another villager, Mr. Kingson Muivah, barely escaped alive although rounds of shots were fired upon him.
“It is observed that for more than the last 18 days, Kuki militants, including fully armed SoO cadres have been openly roaming around in the presence of the central security forces in what constitutes a deliberate violation of the revised SoO agreement. There are also reports of the presence of foreign national militants including KNA(B) cadres within the SoO camps.
“Disturbingly, instead of protecting the land rights and right to life and liberty of the Nagas, the central security forces have been seen openly siding with the Kuki militants signifying a hidden agenda of the Central Government to carve out a “separate homeland/administration” for the Kuki immigrants within the Naga homeland. In an attempt to transplant the Kuki-Meitei ethnic conflict into the Naga inhabited areas, a more sinister scheme of “demographic engineering” has been unleashed aiming at destroying the national identity. culture and dignity of the Nagas. Consequently, the Tangkhul CSOs are compelled to question the sincerity of the Central and State Government and its security and intelligence agencies.
“Moreover, unsurprisingly, the Kukis following their usual pattern have been spreading false narratives, misinformation and disinformation in every digital platform.
“To put the record straight, the Kukis are not indigenous to the State of Manipur as originally, they “are a wandering race” and they “were first heard of as Kukis, in Manipur, between 1830 and 1840” (Johnstone J., My Experiences in Manipur and the Naga Hills, p. 25),
“However, on humanitarian considerations, Kuki settlement was initially permitted by the British on the tenurial basis of “lousal” system. Historically, Kuki tenancy policy was founded strictly on six legal principles. Firstly, prior consent of the Naga Chiefs is a condition precedent. Secondly, the nature of tenancy is temporary without any right to occupancy. Thirdly, Kukis are liable to pay Hills House Tax to the Nagas. Fourthly, Kukis are bound to abide by the social customs and practices of the Nagas. Fifthly, there shall not be any breach of peace. And sixthly, Nagas have absolute legal right to evict the Kukis anytime at will
“In utter violation of this established tenancy policy, there has been heavy influx of Kuki immigrants from the neighbouring Burma/Myanmar. Illegal Kuki villages have been sprouting up in the Naga inhabited areas and this is not the first time that the illegal Kuki immigrants have encroached upon the ancestral lands of the Nagas. Swathes of Naga ancestral lands and tracts of village mountains have been forcibly occupied by the Kuki narco-terrorists for poppy plantations. The same is further compounded by the presence of thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and SoO Kuki militant camps. Thus, the existing traditional demography and social cohesion of the tribal societies have been alarmingly disturbed, thereby creating a volatile situation only awaiting for the trigger.
“For the record, Litan/Litan Bazaar where Kukis are currently settled is the ancestral land and territory of Sikibung/Sharkaphung, a Tangkhul Naga village, since the days of their forefathers. In this regard, Administrative Order dated 19.09.2024 of the Tangkhul Naga Long, and subsequent Administrative Order dated 08-10-2024 issued by the Central Administrative Officer, Wung Tangkhul Region had directed the Kuki chief of Litan Sareikhong to settle peacefully by respecting the age-old traditions, usages and customs of the Tangkhul Nagas under the jurisdiction of Sikibung/Sharkaphung village.
“In June 2025, when a Winger driver was severely assaulted by Kuki youths, a joint meeting to resolve the incident was held on 28-06-2025 by Tangkhul CSOs along with the chiefs of Litan Sareikhong, Mongkot Chepu, Yaolen and Thawai Kuki villages. Acknowledging the ancestral ownership of land by Tangkhul Nagas, the above mentioned chiefs undertook and agreed to ensure peace and safety along the Imphal-Ukhrul highway, and to honour the culture, customs and traditions of the Tangkhul Nagas as the rightful land owners. It was also further undertaken that recurrence of any harassment, assault, or public disturbance would be severely dealt with leaving no room for negotiation. The current incident of wanton violence and arson against Naga civilians at Litan and its adjoining areas is a clear violation of the aforesaid orders and undertaking.
“The Nagas desire for peace, and the highest consideration for the shared humanity have always upheld accommodative actions towards the Kukis, including giving them food and shelter at the height of the Meitei-Kuki conflict. However, the most basic conduct essential for peaceful and harmonious co-existence have been, time and again negated by Kukis through their actions and repeated disrespect for the culture, customs, and traditions of the Nagas
“Repeated incidents of harassment and disturbances have also occurred around Litan Sareikhong, Mongkot Chepu, Yaolen, Shangkai, Zalenbung, Lamlai Chingphei, and Thawai Kuki/Sepiyang.
“Thus, the Central and State governments are urged to immediately relocate the SoO Kuki militant camps from the Naga inhabited areas. The Central and State governments are further urged to identify and deport all the illegal immigrants. Moreover, the State government must ensure that all the unrecognized and illegal Kuki settlements/villages/machets/hamlets are immediately evicted alongwith cancellation of all the illegal Touzis and no fresh and separate permit/Touzi shall henceforth be issued for any new Kuki settlement.
“The collusive conduct of the Central Security Forces in torching numbers of Naga houses at Litan is condemned in the strongest term and therefore, stern legal action must be initiated against the security personnel and the commanding authority of the central security forces responsible for the same. Moreover, the present militarisation of the Naga inhabited areas on the pretext of the ongoing conflict must be stopped and all the deployed central security forces must be withdrawn immediately.
“Meanwhile, all Tangkhul Naga villagers are instructed to immediately cut all civic and economic ties with the Kukis.
“The stance of the Tangkhul CSOs has always been for peaceful co-existence and accordingly, every effort is being made for bringing immediate normalcy to the situation. However, lasting peace cannot come at the cost of land ownership right of the Nagas. The compassion of the Nagas should not be mistaken for weakness” stated the statement issued by Media Cell, Working Committee, TNL.
