Attack on Tangkhul is an attack on Naga: GNF
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 22 2026:
An attack on the Tangkhuls is an attack on the Naga people, and what is happening in Ukhrul is a stark manifestation of a broader conflict of interest between the Nagas and the Kukis at large, which, if left unresolved, will lead to tragic consequences, said the Global Naga Forum (GNF) in a statement today.
"We note with deep concern a troubling narrative emerging in the wake of this and other recent incidents, and therefore categorically state that these clashes in the Tangkhul-majority areas are not a localized or isolated dispute confined solely between the Kukis and the Tangkhuls.
"On the contrary, it is a stark manifestation of a broader conflict of interest between the Nagas and the Kukis at large, which, if left unresolved, will lead to tragic consequences," it said.
The GNF further asserted that there are concerted attempts by certain Kuki elements to politically and geographically isolate the Tangkhul community, seeking to portray this as a peripheral, two-party issue rattier than a symptom of the larger, unresolved political and territorial friction that exists between the Naga and Kuki communities across multiple States.
"We reject this isolation strategy.
An attack on the Tangkhul Nagas is an attack on the Naga people.
The blood of the Tangkhul people binds them inextricably to the collective struggle and identity of all Nagas," it said.
The Global Naga Forum stands shoulder-to-shoulder with them, recognizing that the challenges faced in Ukhrul today are a microcosm of the challenges faced by Nagas across the historical Naga areas, it said.
"While we reserve the right of our communities to safeguard our ancestral lands and lives by whatever means necessary, the Global Naga Forum steadfastly believes that the path to lasting peace and justice does not lie in the barrel of a gun.
We make a fervent appeal for the immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue," it said, calling on the leadership of the Kuki CSOs to rein in their "extremist elements and engage in honest, transparent conversations aimed at resolving differences".
The cycle of retaliation will only serve to scar the land and orphan future generations, it added.
It strongly condemned the TM Kasom ambush that killed two Tangkhul Naga persons, and said the Government must intervene impartially to address the root causes of the violent tension to sustain peace.
Premeditated and targeted attack on unarmed civilians is a grave crime against humanity and is a direct attempt to instill fear among Nagas and to destroy the fabric of peace in the Naga homeland, it said.
"Peaceful coexistence is achievable based on mutual respect and a clear understanding of historical boundaries.
The State and Central Governments must intervene meaningfully, not simply with armed security forces, whose neutrality has become highly suspect but through impartial mediation that addresses the root causes of this unrest," GNF said in a statement.
It urged the Government to rein in armed Kuki militant groups and enforce the Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact strictly.
It noted that there is growing concern among the people regarding free movement and activities of Kuki SoO militant cadres in close proximity to Naga villages such as Sinakeithei, Thoyee, Sharkaphung, and TM Kasom.
It has been observed that nearby Kuki villages - including Mongkot-Chepu, Shangkhai, Zalenbung, Songphel, and Mollen are allegedly being used as operational bases by these armed groups, who are reportedly in possession of sophisticated weapons despite the presence of substantial Central security forces in the region, it said.
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