NEW DELHI: The Naga Students’ Union Delhi (NSUD) has demanded an independent, time-bound investigation into violence against Naga civilians in Manipur since 2023, a comprehensive review of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) arrangement with Kuki armed groups and accountability for alleged attacks on Naga villages.
Following a press conference at the Press Club of India in New Delhi, the NSUD outlined nine demands, including the identification of six deceased men whose bodies remain at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) mortuary in Imphal, safe access along National Highway 202, rehabilitation of displaced families and restoration of essential services in affected villages.
The NSUD said the continuing crisis required urgent political intervention and institutional accountability, rather than being reduced to a Naga-Kuki communal conflict.
The NSUD questioned the Centre’s enforcement of the SoO ground rules, particularly the control and custody of weapons held by cadres covered under the arrangement. It urged the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to strictly enforce the rules or terminate the arrangement if effective compliance could not be ensured.
The NSUD alleged that armed cadres covered under the arrangement had been involved in violence against Naga civilians and villages, and called for those responsible to be held accountable. The allegations require investigation and should not be treated as established findings of guilt.
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The NSUD also demanded an independent, time-bound investigation into documented violence since 2023, with accountability ensured through the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
It called for the immediate identification of six men whose bodies remain at the JNIMS mortuary, preservation of forensic evidence, transparent communication with their families and dignified final rites.
The six men were abducted on May 13, 2026, along with 12 women and children from the Leilon Vaiphei area. The women and children were subsequently released, while the six men were later found dead.
According to the accompanying dossier, the NIA registered a case on June 8 following a Union government order directing it to take over the investigation. The dossier includes police records and a complaint submitted by the victims’ families naming alleged perpetrators. The allegations in the complaint have not, by themselves, established guilt.
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The NSUD also called for an independent inquiry into the May 13 ambush of Thadou church workers and questioned the basis of an early public accusation by Kuki Inpi Manipur against a Naga group.
The students’ union demanded an impartial investigation into allegations concerning the office of Manipur deputy chief minister Nemcha Kipgen and the Kuki National Front–President (KNF-P). It called for Kipgen’s resignation pending the resolution of the allegations.
The demand relates to allegations of a potential conflict of interest involving her reported marital relationship with KNF-P leader Thangboi Kipgen. The NSUD called for the matter to be investigated impartially.
The dossier accompanying the statement documents reported incidents along the Imphal-Tamenglong road, commonly known as IT Road, between May 13 and October 14, 2026. It alleges that 17 Naga civilians were killed, at least 10 injured, 18 abducted and more than 100 houses burnt during the period. It also records damage to churches and shops and the displacement of residents from several villages.
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Among the incidents detailed are the burning of villages in the Tapon area in September, attacks on Pipuram, Chamriupiuram and Thebram, and the killing of four village guards at Chamriupiuram on October 10.
The dossier states that Ajinbou Ringkangmai was beheaded during the October 10 attack and that his head was recovered by security forces on October 14. These details are based on the submitted account and its cited reporting.
The NSUD urged the government to station security forces in threatened Naga villages, compensate displaced families, rehabilitate affected residents and rebuild destroyed villages. It specifically highlighted more than 170 villagers from Konsakhul who, according to its statement, were sheltering in Makhan village.
The NSUD also sought an independent inquiry into reported security-force conduct and immediate, safe civilian access along National Highway 202 for residents of Ukhrul and Kamjong.
It called for the restoration of safe education and equitable access to healthcare, drinking water, roads, electricity, food and welfare services in affected Naga villages.
The union further demanded coordinated action against illegal poppy cultivation and narcotics networks alleged to finance armed groups. It called for evidence-based official updates, lawful action against deliberate disinformation and access for independent human rights monitoring.
Reiterating its position, the NSUD said it stood with bereaved families and displaced civilians and called on the governments of India and Manipur to replace assurances with urgent, transparent and measurable action.