Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho has urged his cabinet colleague Nemcha Kipgen to intervene in the alleged killings of Naga civilians, asking her to ensure that her husband stops the violence, amid renewed attacks in parts of the state.
Dikho made the remarks while responding to media queries on a recent joint statement by Kuki civil society organisations urging Kipgen to return to Imphal and regularly discharge her official duties from the state capital.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a conclave on Climate-Resilient Springshed: Research, Practice and Policy, organised by the state government’s Department of Environment and Climate Change.
Dikho said the state government and the people wanted Kipgen to return to Imphal and perform her official responsibilities from the capital. He also urged her to address the continuing violence against Naga civilians.
The remarks come amid reports of renewed attacks in Kamjong, Kangpokpi and Ukhrul districts, in which at least seven Naga civilians, including a Nepali national, were reportedly killed in ambushes. The killings have heightened tensions between Naga and Kuki communities in the conflict-affected state.
Dikho and other Naga legislators had earlier demanded Kipgen’s removal from the state Cabinet, citing alleged links between her husband and the Kuki National Front–President (KNF-P), an armed group covered by the Suspension of Operations (SoO) arrangement.
The demand followed the abduction and killing of six Naga civilians from Leilon Vaiphei village in Kangpokpi district in June.
Naga legislators had alleged that the killings, mutilation of the victims’ bodies and other attacks involved the Kuki National Army–President (KNA-P) and other armed groups under the SoO arrangement. They had also accused Kipgen’s husband of involvement in the violence.
The allegations against the individuals and armed groups have not been independently established.