PTI, June 27, 2025, I
mphal : Tangkhul Naga civil society organizations in Manipur on Friday issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Kuki community for handing over those involved in the June 26 attack on a passenger vehicle in Ukhrul district, in which two persons were injured.The Tangkhul Naga, one of the major Naga tribes, is an ethnic group primarily residing in Ukhrul district of Manipur and parts of neighboring Myanmar.
The ultimatum, jointly issued by the Katho Katamnao Long and the Tangkhul Naga Valley Students’ Association, came a day after a mob, the members of which were suspected to be Kukis, allegedly assaulted the driver of the vehicle and injured a female passenger in Mongkot Chepu village.
The civil society organizations demanded that the miscreants be handed over to them within 24 hours, failing which there would be “serious consequences,” and no Kukis would be allowed to enter Ukhrul district, where Nagas are in the majority.
The vehicle was going to Ukhrul when it was intercepted and attacked.
This is not the first instance in which Kuki community members residing along the stretch of Ukhrul to Imphal road have engaged in such unwarranted actions against commuters, the groups claimed in a statement.
Alleging that Kukis have proven that they do not want peace, the statement said, “Ever since the May 3, 2023, incident, our efforts to live in peace and cordial harmony have been overlooked and often seen as weakness and cowardice.”
Manipur, which witnessed the killing of at least 260 people in ethnic violence since May 2023, is currently under President’s rule. The strife between the Meitei and Kuki communities has also rendered thousands of people homeless, forcing them to stay in relief camps. Nagas were more or less not involved in the conflict.
