By NE NOW NEWS

Guwahati: Several Naga civil society organisations have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for immediate intervention over alleged attacks on Naga villages by Kuki militant groups operating in Manipur and along the Indo-Myanmar border.

In a memorandum submitted in New Delhi on May 9, the organisations described the violence as a “proxy war” against the Nagas and alleged that it violates the spirit of the Indo-Naga Framework Agreement signed between the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) on August 3, 2015.

The memorandum was jointly submitted by the United Naga Council (UNC), Naga Women’s Union (NWU) and the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM). It was signed by UNC president Ng Lorho, NWU president Ch Priscilla Thiumai and ANSAM president Th Angteshang Maring.

Seeking what they termed the Prime Minister’s “personal and urgent intervention”, the organisations alleged that Kuki militant groups operating under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, along with the Myanmar-based Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-B) were carrying out attacks in Naga-inhabited areas.

The memorandum accused the armed groups of engaging in “targeted killings, burning of ancestral villages, highway terrorism and systematic extortion” in several parts of the region.

The organisations further alleged that the SoO arrangement had effectively become a “licence for territorial expansion” and claimed that the ground rules governing the agreement were being repeatedly violated.

Referring to the 2015 Framework Agreement, the Naga bodies said continued violence and the alleged “appeasement” of Kuki armed groups undermined the peace process and posed a threat to frontier security in the region.

The memorandum also alleged that several Naga villages, which had earlier sheltered displaced Kuki civilians and refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar after ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur in May 2023, later came under attack.

Citing incidents in areas such as Sinakeithel, Litan, S Laho, Sakarphung, Thoyee and Ringui, the organisations alleged repeated attacks and sieges targeting Naga villages.

Referring to incidents reported on May 7 in Namlee-Wanglee, Z Choro and Kaka villages along the India-Myanmar border, the memorandum alleged that nearly 100 KNA(B) militants crossed into Indian territory and launched coordinated attacks on the villages.

The organisations also expressed concern over the alleged use of drones, rocket launchers and other military-grade weapons during the attacks, describing the situation as a “foreign-backed invasion” rather than an instance of internal communal violence.

Questioning the preparedness and role of security forces deployed in the region, the Naga groups sought a judicial inquiry into the recent attacks and the alleged security lapses.

Among the key demands raised in the memorandum were immediate action against KNA(B), the People’s Defence Force (PDF) and SoO militant groups allegedly operating in Naga areas, protection of Naga territorial integrity, restoration and security of national highways, particularly the Ukhrul-Imphal route, and an early conclusion of the Indo-Naga political settlement based on the Framework Agreement.

The organisations said the Naga people had consistently chosen the path of peace and urged the Centre to translate the Framework Agreement into a permanent political solution.

Copies of the memorandum were also submitted to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.