Manipur: CoTU questions ‘selective’ security action after Tokpa Naga incident
CoTU accused security forces of acting swiftly but selectively after the Tokpa Naga incident and the Keithelmanbi operation. It said unequal enforcement was eroding trust and could deepen tensions between communities.
- Aug 12, 2026,
- Updated Aug 12, 2026, 6:28 PM IST
- Unidentified miscreants allegedly torched at least nine houses in abandoned Tokpa Naga
- Security forces then launched an operation at Keithelmanbi Military Colony
- Kuki-Zo women briefly confronted personnel, alleging forceful and selective action
The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), Sadar Hills, has accused security forces of adopting a “swift but partisan” approach following the alleged razing of an abandoned village at Tokpa Naga in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district.
The statement came a day after unidentified miscreants allegedly torched at least nine houses at Tokpa Naga, prompting security forces to launch an operation at Keithelmanbi Military Colony. The operation later led to a brief confrontation with Kuki-Zo women, who questioned what they described as “forceful and selective” security action.
CoTU said it condemned the Tokpa Naga incident but questioned why security forces had responded swiftly to it while allegedly remaining “mute spectators” during the razing of Kailenjang village on August 10.
The committee alleged that Kailenjang was attacked by cadres of the NSCN-IM and its alleged proxy militia, the ZUF (Kamson). It also questioned the timing of the incident, which took place as a state government delegation was holding talks with the United Naga Council (UNC) at Senapati.
The delegation was led by Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho and Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam and included several valley legislators.
CoTU also criticised the UNC’s reported demands for the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations agreement between Kuki armed groups and the Centre and the removal of Kuki-Zo-appointed Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen as conditions for lifting its inter-district blockade.
The committee termed the demands “unconstitutional political discourse”, alleging that they sought to pressure the state government rather than address grievances or seek justice.
CoTU urged the Centre and the Manipur government to desist from what it described as selective operations or an “appeasement policy” and instead ensure equal action against perpetrators of violence.
The committee alleged that three church leaders and 13 Kuki-Zo civilians had been killed and nearly 20 Kuki-Zo villages razed or uprooted since May 13, 2026, allegedly by the NSCN-IM and ZUF (Kamson).
It said equal and impartial enforcement was essential for public confidence in Manipur’s security and governance mechanisms, warning that selective action could further deepen mistrust between communities.
