LNC slams Sadar Hill chiefs for summoning Gorkha leaders
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 29 2025: Liangmai Naga Council, Manipur, has strongly condemned what it described as an "arbitrary and unilateral" move by a "self-styled" Kuki organisation operating under the name "Sadar Hill Chiefs' Association" for summoning Gorkha village leaders from Irang Part 1 and 2 without prior consultation.

In a press release issued by its vice-president Ch Wisobou, the council expressed serious concern over the development, calling it a direct affront to the dignity and customary authority of the Naga communities, particularly the Liangmai Naga people.

The council clarified that the Nepali (Gorkha) families residing in Irang Part 1 and 2 were respectfully settled on these lands by the Liangmai community decades ago and have since coexisted peacefully.

It further asserted that these areas, located along the Imphal-Tamei Road (IT Road) from Kangpokpi town to Tamei sub-division, fall within the ancestral jurisdiction of the Liangmai people and has a relationship rooted in mutual respect and trust.

Calling the move a "serious breach of customary protocols and traditional governance", the Liangmai Naga Council advised the Sadar Hill Chiefs' Association to cease all further provocations and to respect the boundaries of customary authority.

"By summoning our tenants without prior consultation, you are not only undermining established relationship but also courting unnecessary conflict," the statement warned.

While reaffirming its commitment to peaceful coexistence and mutual respect among different communities, including the Nepali families who have long lived among them, the Liangmai Naga Council stated it would "firmly defend our ancestral rights and the integrity of our customary practices against any external encroachment" .

Comment