Ukhrul, Manipur | EKHON: The escalated tense situation between Kuki and Naga in Ukhrul’s Litan Sareikhong where several Naga houses were burnt down on the night of 8th February following an alleged assault on a Tangkhul Naga man by a group reportedly belonging to the Kuki community has led to a Naga political activist questioning the reliability and credibility of security forces. Thothuingam Shinglei, Political Activist has questioned and criticised the security force’s response, suggesting the situation could’ve been managed with minimal damage.
“Litan has a police station and a Bihar Regiment. By 7 PM of 08/2/2026 the district magistrate promulgated prohibition order, read as “Now, therefore, I, Asish Das, District Magistrate, Ukhrul, exercising the; powers conferred upon me under Sub-Section 1 of Section 163 of the BNSS, 2023, do hereby issue an order prohibiting the movement of any person outside their respective residences and any other act or activity that may disturb the prevailing law and order in the Scheduled area from 7:00 PM on 8.02.2026 until further orders.”
The Naga volunteers were forced to dispersed by the security personnel and Police present there by 8:PM on the same day. Having known that there are no Naga volunteers left to defend their homeland, Kuki militant under SoO with Indian govt. carrying sophisticated weapons along with Kukis of Litan area and IDPs burnt down more than dozens of Naga houses.
The question is:
1) Why did security forces and Police present there didn’t intervene? Why did such barbaric act happened under their watch? Are they party to it?
2) Razing houses is an assault on women, children, aged persons and humanity, it’s a direct war cry, an agression for war.
3) When Naga protested not to keep Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) and designated camps in Naga Territory, the govt.ignored. The immediate cause of Litan incident is due to the presence of IDPs, who failed to recognise an elder of the Litan Naga village. There are more than 2400 IDPs in Litan and Shangkai kuki villages acting as forces behind the arson.
4) Jobless IDPs looted the Litan Rural Bank and torched to ashes destroyng the economy of the area.
5) IDPs at Litan are being used as labour force for cultivating Poppy in Mapithel hill Range. The narcot-terrorist, high on drugs has been a menace to vehicle and passengers plying along Imphal- Ukhrul road since 2023.
6) On 19th September 2024 the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) an apex body of Tangkhul have issued Administrative order followed by 8th October 2024 administrative order of Wung Tangkhul Region, NSCN GPRN, appealing for peaceful co-existence, which has been unilaterally abrogated by the Kukis. Litan arson is an insult to the TNL, WTR and entire Nagas.
7) What should be done is in the hands of the public. We cannot relied upon security forces and law enforcing agencies to safeguard our property and livelihood, we must defend and response.”
