Imphal: A candlelight vigil was held at Kangla Gate in Imphal on Saturday evening to demand justice for six slain Liangmai Naga civilians, even as the Kuki Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Working Committee of Ukhrul suspended its proposed counter-blockade.
The vigil was organised by the Justice for the Six Sons of Koubru United Committee under the Joint Tribes Council (JTC). During the programme, Rongmei Naga Luh Phuam (RNLP) president Chingdinliu Panmei announced that the families would not claim the bodies from the JNIMS mortuary until their demands are met.
Protesters said they had not received any official written confirmation that the arrested suspects were the same individuals named in their charter of demands.
After the abduction and killing of six Liangmai Naga civilians in May 2026, the JTC submitted five demands to the government.
The demands include the immediate arrest and prosecution of all those involved in the killings, the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the militant groups concerned, the declaration of the Kuki National Front-P (KNF-P) as a terrorist organisation, the resignation or removal of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, and the eviction of alleged illegal villages in the area.
As part of the protest, Naga bodies, including the United Naga Council, have imposed an indefinite economic blockade on Kuki-Zo-inhabited areas of the state.
Meanwhile, the Kuki CSO Working Committee of Ukhrul suspended its proposed counter-blockade following a joint leadership meeting held in Kangpokpi.
The committee said further talks with government authorities are scheduled to seek a lasting resolution to the ongoing economic crisis, and that updates will be shared with the public after the discussions.
The committee appealed to the public to remain calm during the talks and said its next course of action would be announced after the meeting.