Working Committee of Tangkhul Naga Long welcomes CM Khemchand’s highway reopening announcement but reiterates 10 demands on security, land, displacement, SoO and justice.
Imphal, August 8: The Working Committee of the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) has welcomed Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh’s announcement on the reopening of National Highways for free movement of all communities, while reiterating a 10-point charter of demands concerning security, land, rehabilitation and justice.
In a press communiqué issued on August 8, the TNL Working Committee described the Chief Minister’s announcement during his visit to Kangpokpi district headquarters as a “welcoming move” for people affected by the conflict since 2023. The organisation, however, said the government must translate the announcement into action to rebuild public confidence.
The TNL said it remained committed to the “common interest of the Nagas in Manipur” and maintained that the Naga community had raised several demands since the beginning of the conflict as part of efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the state.
While welcoming the highway announcement, the TNL said several issues raised by Naga civil society organisations remained unresolved.
Its first demand is the immediate cessation of what it describes as the militarisation of Naga-inhabited areas and the withdrawal of central armed and security forces deployed there.
The organisation also opposed any proposal for a “separate homeland” or “administrative arrangement” for the Kuki community within what it describes as Naga ancestral homeland.
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On the issue of displacement, the TNL called for the identification and rehabilitation of Kuki refugees outside Manipur. It also demanded the identification and deportation of what it described as “illegal Kuki immigrants” to their countries of origin. The organisation further demanded that internally displaced persons be relocated away from Naga-inhabited areas.
The TNL also called for the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups. It further demanded measures to prevent what it described as the use of Indian territory as a safe haven for Kuki immigrants allegedly involved in poppy cultivation and drug trafficking.
Another demand relates to settlements in Naga-inhabited areas. The TNL called on the Manipur government to remove what it described as “unrecognized and illegal” Kuki settlements, villages, hamlets and other settlements.
It also demanded cancellation of what it termed illegal Touzis and Pattas and called for a prohibition on issuing fresh permits or land documents for new Kuki settlements.
The organisation also reiterated its demand for justice in two cases involving Naga community members. It sought action over the ambush near TM Kasom under Litan Police Station, which it said resulted in the deaths of two Tangkhul Nagas.
The TNL also demanded justice in connection with the alleged abduction and killing of six Liangmai Nagas at Leilon Vaiphei village in Kangpokpi. The organisation said addressing these cases was necessary as part of restoring confidence among affected communities.
While welcoming the highway announcement, the TNL criticised the Khemchand-led government over what it described as unequal attention to different communities.
The organisation alleged that the government had moved quickly to engage with Kuki groups and announce development schemes, while demands from Tangkhul Nagas concerning health, education, roads and other infrastructure had not received a comparable response.
The TNL described this as evidence of what it termed the government's “biased treatment” of Nagas in Manipur. The allegation reflects the organisation's position and was not independently established in the communiqué.
The TNL Working Committee said the Manipur government and the Union government must take its charter of demands seriously if they want to restore peace and normalcy in the state.
It said the demands had been conveyed through various memoranda submitted by Naga civil society organisations over the past several months.
The organisation maintained that the Chief Minister's announcement on free movement could help restore normalcy, but argued that confidence-building would require action on the broader issues raised by the Naga community.
