New Delhi, June 27, 2026: The United Naga Council (UNC), the apex body of the 21 Naga tribes of Manipur, addressed the national media at the Press Club of India, New Delhi, on Friday, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Government to immediately intervene in the deteriorating situation in Manipur, particularly in Naga-inhabited areas.
The press conference, facilitated by the Delhi Solidarity Group, placed before the national media the recent memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister by the UNC, Naga Women’s Union and the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur. The memorandum sought urgent action against what the UNC described as a “proxy war” against the Nagas by SoO Kuki militants and Myanmar-based KNA(B), stating that the situation poses a serious threat to India’s frontier security and violates the spirit of the Indo-Naga Framework Agreement signed on August 3, 2015.
The media briefing was led by senior Naga leaders and elders, including Ng Lorho, Vareiyo Shatsang, Samson Remei, AC Thotso, KS Paul Leo and L Adani. The delegation has been in Delhi meeting political leaders, civil society organisations, women’s groups, peace workers and concerned citizens to present the position of the Naga people and seek immediate constitutional and political intervention.
The UNC said the Naga people and their land have been directly threatened and dragged into the continuing conflict in Manipur at a time when communities are still reeling from the Meitei–Kuki conflict that began in May 2023. It alleged that the recent violence reflects a deeper conspiracy against the Naga people and their commitment to peace.
Referring to the abduction of Naga civilians on May 13, 2026, the UNC said 20 Naga civilians were taken hostage by Kuki militant groups at Leilon Vaiphei village and Sapermaina Kuki village following the killing of three Thadou church leaders earlier that day. Fourteen were released on May 15, while six remained missing despite repeated appeals and deadlines given to the Government of Manipur to trace and secure their release.
The Council said that on June 9, Naga village guards released 14 Kuki detainees through the facilitation of the UNC and Naga People’s Organisation, Senapati, describing the move as a humane act despite intense public anger. However, on June 10, the six Naga civilians who had remained in captivity were recovered as lifeless, mutilated and dismembered human remains.
The UNC said the incident has caused immense pain and trauma to the bereaved families and the Naga people at large, while also shaking public faith in the Government’s ability to protect innocent civilians.
The Council demanded a time-bound, independent and court-monitored investigation into the abduction and killing of the six Naga civilians. It also sought concrete security guarantees for all Naga-inhabited areas in Manipur, especially vulnerable zones where civilians have allegedly faced intimidation, hostage-taking and armed movement.
The UNC further stated that large parts of present-day Kangpokpi district are historically Zeliangrong Naga ancestral lands, adding that any violence, militarised assertion or demographic intimidation in these areas must be treated as a serious matter concerning Naga security and territorial protection.
Citing its memorandum to the Prime Minister, the UNC maintained that the present situation should not be treated merely as a routine law-and-order issue or an internal communal clash. It alleged that the May 7 attacks on Naga villages in Ukhrul and Kamjong, including Namlee-Wanglee, Choro and Kaka, involved cross-border armed movement, military-grade weapons, drone attacks, rocket launchers and coordinated assaults by armed cadres.
The memorandum invoked Article 355 of the Constitution, under which the Union Government is bound to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance.
“Our appeal to the Prime Minister is direct. Honour the Framework Agreement, secure the Naga areas and stop treating armed aggression against Naga civilians as a local disturbance. This concerns the credibility of India’s peace process and the security of its eastern frontier,” the UNC stated.
The Council said the Naga people have shown restraint, including the release of detainees at a time of heightened public emotion. However, it said restraint should not be mistaken for abandonment, adding that justice for the six killed civilians and security guarantees for Naga areas are the minimum obligations of the Union Government.
The UNC reiterated its key demands, including the immediate arrest and prosecution of all KNF-P personnel allegedly involved in the abduction of Naga civilians and the killing of six of them. It also demanded action in connection with the killing of Wilson Thanga Chiru at Joujangtek, arrest and prosecution of the chief of Leilon Vaiphei village and others allegedly involved in the crime, and action against serving Manipur Police personnel named by the UNC for alleged personal involvement.
The Council also demanded that the Kuki National Front-President group be declared a terrorist organisation and called for the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations agreement with Kuki militant groups. It alleged that SoO groups continue to operate outside designated camps and engage in violence, thereby weakening the moral and administrative legitimacy of the agreement.
The UNC further demanded the removal of Mrs. Nemcha Kipgen from the position of Deputy Chief Minister of Manipur, citing allegations of conflict of interest due to her family connection with the KNF-P leadership.
The Council also urged the Union Government to uphold the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015; end all forms of appeasement towards armed groups violating ground rules; evict illegal armed cadres from Liangmai, Inpui, Ukhrul, Kamjong, Kangpokpi and other Naga areas; guarantee that no separate administration, autonomy or territorial council shall affect Naga ancestral lands; restore and sanitise National Highways; and institute a time-bound judicial inquiry into the May 7 cross-border attacks and other sustained attacks since February 7, 2026.
The UNC also called for expediting a final, honourable and inclusive Indo-Naga political settlement, stating that it remains key to the future of India’s eastern frontier.
The Council emphasised that the Naga people are acting through a unified civil and traditional platform, with the 21 Naga tribes of Manipur standing under the collective authority of the UNC. It said the Naga position remains committed to peace, coexistence and lawful redressal, but warned that the abandonment of Naga civilians by the State or Union Government would not be accepted.
The UNC appealed to civil society organisations, women’s groups, church bodies, traditional institutions and democratic forces across the country to support what it called a just peace based on truth, accountability, territorial security and protection of civilians.
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