Tangkhul Nagas issue ultimatum to Kukis, threaten NH-202 blockade over civilian attack

Tensions flared in Manipur’s hill region as the Tangkhul Naga community issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Chin-Kuki community, demanding the immediate handover of those involved in the June 26 attack on a Ukhrul-bound passenger vehicle at Mongkot Chepu village.

The ultimatum, jointly issued by the Katho Katamnao Long and the Tangkhul Naga Valley Students’ Association, came a day after a Kuki mob allegedly assaulted a Winger van driver and injured a lady passenger. The vehicle was en route to Ukhrul when it was intercepted and attacked.

In a strongly worded joint statement, the two Tangkhul student bodies condemned the assault and the behavior of the Mongkot Chepu village chief, who reportedly threatened passengers under the influence of alcohol.

“This is not an isolated incident,” the statement read. “The war-mongering attitude of the Kuki community along the Ukhrul-Imphal route continues to provoke conflict. Despite our consistent efforts to foster peace, these repeated provocations are intolerable.”

The student leaders alleged that since the May 3, 2023 ethnic violence, multiple appeals and press releases from the Tangkhul Naga Long urging restraint and harmony have been ignored. They expressed frustration over the failed understanding with Kuki village chiefs, which they claim have been “overlooked and discarded.”

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The statement warned of “serious and unbearable consequences” if the accused are not handed over within 24 hours from the issuance of the ultimatum on June 27. 

The groups have threatened to:

> Block all Kuki movement along National Highway 202 (Imphal-Ukhrul road)

> Ban Kuki entry into Ukhrul district

> Launch further protest actions if demands are not met

The ultimatum was signed by Mashungmi Zingkhai and Mathingso Jajo, Presidents of Katho Katamnao Long and Tangkhul Naga Valley Students’ Association, respectively, along with General Secretaries Wungmayung Sayai and Worngachan Muivah.

This development adds to the fragile inter-community dynamics in Manipur, where tensions between the Naga and Kuki groups have been simmering amid the larger backdrop of ethnic unrest and territorial anxieties in the state.