Attack on Konsakhul: Liangmai chiefs demand action
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, April 13 2025:
The Eastern Liangmai Naga Chiefs/Chairmen's Association (ELNCA) has issued a strong call for urgent government intervention regarding the April 5 attack on Konsakhul village allegedly by Kuki militants.
ELNCA demanded swift arrest and prosecution of those responsible, dismantling of militant camps, and review of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement, warning that failure to act could lead to further unrest.
In a statement released on Sunday, ELNCA condemned the assault as a criminal act and accused the perpetrators of using the cover of a sudden curfew to launch what it described as an orchestrated attack.
The incident left several villagers injured, with the village chief and chairman reportedly in critical condition.
The association claimed the assault was part of a broader agenda to dominate indigenous Naga and Meetei communities by illegal immigrants through encroachment and expansionist infrastructure projects.
Among its demands, ELNCA urged the state and central governments to provide justice to the victims by acting on FIRs already filed, prosecute those involved, and take immediate steps to disarm Kuki militants.
It called for police outposts in sensitive Naga-inhabited areas to ensure the safety of residents, and emphasised the need to revoke the SoO agreement, which it claimed is being misused by militants operating with impunity.
The association further alleged that makeshift camps and bunkers manned by armed militants remain active despite the ceasefire arrangement, and that the presence of an Assistant Sub-Inspector from the Vaiphei community during the attack raises concerns about the neutrality of state forces.
ELNCA expressed deep concern over what it termed as the frequent and brazen nature of such incidents, especially since the imposition of President's Rule in the state.
Citing a recent attack on a woman who was levelling her land in Lungwiram village, ELNCA said the situation has escalated to a "de facto war-like" scenario.
It warned that indigenous people could soon be reduced to refugees on their own land if the violence and encroachment continue unchecked.
The statement criticised what it sees as strategic efforts to alter the demographic and political landscape by constructing roads like the so-called 'German Road' without consent, which it claims facilitates further infiltration and encirclement of Naga lands.
It also rejected narratives presented by the Young Kuki and the World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC), accusing them of manipulating historical facts to support land claims.
Specifically, ELNCA took issue with a WKZIC memorandum referencing a 1911 survey of Kuki villages in the Sadar Hills area, arguing that the Sadar Hills did not exist until 1947 .
It also questioned past relief records, claiming the Kuki community received refugee aid until the 1960s and 1970s, which it says contradicts present claims of being indigenous.
The group condemned what it called a larger conspiracy involving illegal refugees attempting to carve out a "Zale'ngam" or "Kukiland" by forcibly displacing indigenous populations.
A recent viral video of a student leader in Delhi expressing similar ambitions was cited as further evidence of this agenda.
Warning that the community would not remain a "passive observer", ELNCA said that if justice is not delivered promptly, the indigenous Naga people would be compelled to take all necessary steps to defend their land and identity.
The association said it should not be held responsible for any further consequences if government inaction continues.
"We stand firm in our commitment to defend our rights and protect our heritage," the statement affirmed.
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