COTU Remind Liangmei Nagas of Manipur Not to Misinterpret Kuki-Zo Community's Restraint as Weakness

Amid the ongoing communal conflict between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities, the Committee on Tribal Unity has issued a strong call to action, urging all communities claiming neutrality to reassess their stance and uphold their responsibilities during this critical juncture.

COTU has called on all organizations representing the Liangmei Nagas in Manipur to immediately cease spreading ideas that foster discord or misunderstanding between the two tribal communities through misleading information and fabricated narratives in the press or on social media platforms. Such actions, it stated, risk exacerbating animosity among tribal communities.

The committee emphasized that any boundary disputes between villages, such as Leilon and Konsakhul, should be resolved directly by the respective village chiefs or stakeholders. Elevating localized issues into communal debates is counterproductive and unnecessary and should not be allowed to take on a communal dimension.

Highlighting the struggles of the Kuki-Zo community, COTU reminded the Liangmei Nagas of Manipur not to mistake the Kuki-Zo community's restraint in responding to their press releases as weakness. The Kuki-Zo people, victims of religious and ethnic persecution by the dominant Meitei community, have been courageously defending their rights, culture, and land against oppression and aggression for nearly two years, standing firm in the face of unrelenting tyranny.

Vehemently condemning the incident on the evening of January 8, COTU expressed deep sorrow and disbelief, stating that the act of poking a corpse inside a coffin for verification is not only disrespectful but utterly unbecoming of a true Christian. Such actions betray the sanctity of life and death, and any funeral procession on the roads must be treated with the utmost respect and reverence. This tragic and senseless incident, which occurred in the late hours of January 8, 2025, is condemnable in the strongest possible terms.

In a final call to action, the committee urged the Nagas of Manipur, who claim neutrality in the ongoing communal conflict, to uphold their good Samaritan values and take firm action against members of their own community, such as the Liangmei bodies, who are actively undermining the neutral stance held by the broader Naga community. The safety and security of public commuters traveling through Naga-dominated areas—now the sole lifeline for the Kuki-Zo community—must be prioritized above all else. Failure to do so will threaten to escalate the conflict further, it stated.

The Committee unequivocally warned the Liangmei Nagas against inflaming tensions with unsubstantiated claims or inflammatory rhetoric. "Any untoward incidents arising from such actions will be the sole responsibility of the Liangmei Naga organizations," the statement said.