The Naga Women's Union has released a detailed account of alleged violence, abductions and intimidation targeting Naga communities in the Leilon Vaiphei-Leimakhong area since 2023.
Senapati, June 4: The Naga Women's Union (NWU), the apex women's body of the Naga community, has alleged that the Leilon Vaiphei-Leimakhong stretch in Manipur has become a hotspot of militant violence and intimidation, citing a series of incidents that it says have targeted Naga and other minority communities in the area since 2023.
In a statement issued through its Information and Publicity Wing on Thursday, the organisation released what it described as a "diary" of incidents based on first-hand accounts from victims, testimonies of village leaders and field visits conducted by the union to affected locations.
According to the NWU, the Leilon Vaiphei villages and surrounding areas of Leimakhong have increasingly witnessed acts of abduction, hostage-taking, arson, assault and intimidation allegedly carried out by armed Kuki militants and village aggressors. The organisation claimed that such incidents have created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among Naga communities and other minorities living in the region.
The union further alleged that while tensions and sporadic incidents had existed earlier, such activities became more frequent following the outbreak of the ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities on May 3, 2023.
According to the statement, residents continue to live under constant fear for their lives, land and property, while normal social and economic activities have been severely disrupted. The NWU also claimed that Naga travellers passing through the area have faced various forms of harassment and intimidation.
As part of its documentation, the organisation listed a series of incidents which it said demonstrated a recurring pattern of aggression.
The earliest incident cited occurred on March 25, 2023, when a JCB excavator and a two-wheeler belonging to a resident of Konsaram Naga village were allegedly destroyed and set on fire at Leilon Vaiphei village.
On June 18, 2023, the NWU alleged that the residence of a Naga widow in the Leimakhong area was burnt down despite being located within a security-sensitive zone.
The organisation also referred to an incident on July 6, 2023, involving the disappearance of two teenagers, identified as Phijam Hemjit (20) and Linthoingambi (17). According to the NWU, police records indicated that the two were last traced in the Jouzangtek area.
On June 19, 2024, a woman village chief of Kharam Thadoi village belonging to the Aimol Naga community and her son were allegedly abducted near the Zonal Education Office in Kangpokpi district. The NWU stated that both were residents of the Leilon Vaiphei area.
The organisation further alleged that on September 1, 2024, more than 40 armed militants raided the residence of the same woman village chief, though she reportedly escaped unharmed.
Another unresolved case highlighted by the NWU was the disappearance of Military Engineering Services (MES) Project Supervisor Laishram Kamalbabu Singh, who reportedly went missing on November 25, 2024, from the Leimakhong Military Station area. The union noted that extensive search operations by security forces had reportedly failed to locate him.
The NWU also listed several incidents from 2025. On January 7, 2025, a Naga woman was allegedly assaulted in what the organisation described as an attack amounting to an attempted murder.
On March 16, 2025, another disappearance case was reported. The NWU cited police records stating that a young man identified as Luwang Mukhesh (20) went missing after last being traced in the Jouzangtek area.
The organisation also referred to an alleged attack on Konsakhul Naga village on April 5, 2025. According to the statement, armed assailants attacked the village and assaulted several residents, including the village chief, chairman, secretary and pastor.
The NWU alleged that the security situation deteriorated further in early 2026.
On January 11, 2026, the organisation claimed that inscriptions reading "Kuki Land" and "Stay Away" were written on monoliths in Ireng Naga village. A day later, on January 12, the chairman of Ireng village allegedly received threats over the phone from an individual identified by the NWU as a commander of the KNF-P. According to the statement, the caller threatened to burn down the village and challenged residents to armed confrontation.
On February 9, 2026, the residence of a person identified as Ab. Ajan of K. Lungwiram village was allegedly set on fire during the night.
The NWU devoted particular attention to incidents that occurred on May 13, 2026. According to the organisation, 18 civilians were allegedly taken hostage from Leilon Vaiphei village by KNF-P militants. The union stated that six of those individuals remain unaccounted for.
The same day, the organisation alleged that Wilson Thanga Chiru, a farmer from Dolang village, was shot dead. The village lies within the broader Leimakhong-Leilon Vaiphei area cited by the NWU.
The statement also referred to the killing of three Thadou Baptist religious leaders between Kotzim and Kotlen villages on May 13, though it did not provide additional details regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Another incident cited by the union occurred on May 31, 2026, when three men were allegedly ambushed while inspecting a community water pipeline that had reportedly been cut. One of the individuals sustained injuries, according to the statement.
The NWU argued that the recurrence of disappearances, killings, hostage-taking and attacks in the Leimakhong-Jouzangtek-Leilon Vaiphei belt warrants thorough investigation by the authorities.
Expressing concern over the fate of the six missing hostages, the organisation urged the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government of India and the Manipur government to establish their status and whereabouts and take steps to ensure they are handed over to the appropriate authorities and their families.
The women's body warned that failure to address the issue transparently and urgently could affect social harmony between communities.
The NWU also called attention to what it described as continuing insecurity in the region and urged the state and central governments to review the prevailing security arrangements. It specifically called for a review of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement involving Kuki militant groups, alleging that groups operating under the arrangement continue to be linked to incidents of violence.
The allegations contained in the NWU statement have not been independently verified. There was no immediate response from the organisations named in the statement or from government authorities at the time of filing this report.
