A document carrying the names of nine Naga MLAs has surfaced on the eve of the Manipur Assembly session, placing grave allegations against Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen and the Kuki National Front-Progressive directly before Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The letter is no routine memorandum. It seeks the arrest of Kuki-Zo leaders accused of claiming responsibility for the killing and dismemberment of six Naga men. It demands the arrest of KNF-P leader Thangboi Kipgen, identified in the document as Nemcha Kipgen’s husband. It also calls for action against the Deputy Chief Minister herself, alleging that her office is colluding with the militant group led by her husband.
These are allegations contained in the legislators’ letter. They have not been judicially established, and the individuals named must be given an opportunity to respond. Arrest and punishment must follow evidence, investigation and due process—not political accusation alone.
But allegations of this magnitude, made by legislators supporting the same government, cannot be treated as another political letter sent quietly to Delhi. The question before Manipur is now unavoidable: will the Naga legislators place these charges before the Assembly, or will the House meet without confronting the political and security crisis revealed by their own appeal?
A direct accusation from within the Government
The letter bears the name of Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho along with Naga Legislators’ Forum convenor Awangbow Newmai, secretary J. Kumo Sha and MLAs Dinganglung Gangmei, Khashim Vashum, Leishiyo Keishing, Janghemlung Panmei, Ram Muivah and SS Olish.
However, the circulated copy raises verification questions of its own. Its date field is blank. Although nine legislators are named, visible signatures appear against seven names on the signatory page, while no signatures are apparent against the names of Dinganglung Gangmei and SS Olish.
This does not automatically invalidate the document. But because it contains accusations against a serving Deputy Chief Minister and demands action against armed groups under a formal peace arrangement, the Naga Legislators’ Forum should publicly authenticate the final letter, clarify when it was submitted and identify precisely which members endorsed it. The Chief Minister’s Office must also state whether it has received or been informed about the allegations.
The killings are already matters of official investigation
The legislators’ appeal does not arise in an evidentiary vacuum. The National Investigation Agency’s official register confirms that it has taken over the May 13 case involving the kidnapping and assault of 18 civilians at Leilon Vaiphei village. The case is registered as RC-07/2026/NIA/IMP, and the NIA’s own title attributes the abduction to “Kuki militants.”
Six of the Naga hostages were subsequently reported dead, with Naga organisations alleging that their bodies had been mutilated. The legislators now accuse KNF-P cadres and named leaders of responsibility. That specific attribution remains subject to investigation and must not be presented as a concluded judicial fact.
The NIA has also registered RC-08/2026/NIA/IMP over the April 18 attack on vehicles travelling from Imphal to Ukhrul. Its official case title states that the vehicles were attacked by Kuki militants, resulting in two civilian deaths and injuries to several others.
The latest letter additionally cites the August 27 ambush along the Imphal–Tamenglong Road, in which four Naga civilians were killed, and the August 14 attack at Langka, where two farmers were killed. Initial reports alleged the involvement of armed Kuki militants, but the identities and organisational affiliations of the attackers must be conclusively established by investigators.
These cases demand more than condemnations. Manipur deserves to know what arrests have been made, what evidence has been gathered and whether any armed organisation covered by the Suspension of Operations agreement has violated its ground rules.
The SoO question can no longer be postponed
The Naga legislators have called for the immediate abrogation of the Suspension of Operations agreement with all Kuki militant groups, alleging repeated violations and attacks on civilians. That demand goes to the heart of the Government’s peace policy.
The SoO framework is intended to stop armed activity while creating space for dialogue. If groups protected by that arrangement are credibly accused of abduction, killing or intimidation, the Government must explain how compliance is monitored, what constitutes a violation and what penalties follow.
At the same time, collective punishment cannot replace a case-by-case legal assessment. The Government should disclose which group is accused in each incident, what the investigation has established and whether the evidence justifies suspension or termination of the agreement concerned.
A vague defence of the peace process will no longer be sufficient. Neither will the indiscriminate labelling of an entire community for crimes allegedly committed by particular armed actors.
What does this mean for Nemcha Kipgen?
The most politically explosive part of the letter is the allegation that Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen’s office is colluding with a militant organisation headed by her husband. A direct allegation against a constitutional office-holder cannot be left circulating unanswered.
Nemcha Kipgen should issue a clear response. The Chief Minister should state whether any inquiry has been ordered and whether the Government considers her position compatible with an impartial investigation. If evidence supports the allegation, action must follow. If it does not, the Government and the Deputy Chief Minister should place the facts before the public.
Silence will only deepen suspicion. Her expected mode of participation in the Assembly also matters. If she attends through video conference rather than appearing physically in Imphal, that arrangement should not prevent legislators from seeking answers about her office, her responsibilities and the allegations contained in the letter.
A warning about continued support
The legislators’ warning is politically significant. They state that unless action is initiated, they may be unable to defend or adequately respond to public questions about their “continued support to the Government of Manipur.”
That is more than an expression of concern. It raises a question about the Government’s stability and the terms on which the Naga legislators will continue supporting it.
If their support has genuinely become conditional, they must explain the conditions openly. Will they move an adjournment motion, demand a special discussion, seek a statement from the Chief Minister or reconsider their position in the ruling arrangement? A warning delivered to Delhi but withheld from the Assembly would weaken the legislators’ own claim of accountability.
The Assembly must become the forum for answers
A three-day sitting cannot become an excuse for avoiding these questions. The letter has already placed them in the public domain.
Within those three sittings, the House must seek answers to at least five questions:
- What is the present status of investigations into the killing of the six Naga hostages?
- What progress has been made in the April 18, August 14 and August 27 attacks?
- Has any evidence emerged showing violations of SoO ground rules by KNF-P or other signatory groups?
- Has the Government examined the allegation against Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen’s office?
- Will the Naga legislators act on their warning concerning continued support for the Government?
Sending an urgent appeal to Amit Shah may draw the Centre’s attention. But the Manipur Assembly is where elected representatives must put their accusations on record, demand responses and accept responsibility for the Government they continue to support.
The coming session should therefore be measured not by who attends physically or virtually, but by whether Manipur finally receives accountable answers about killings, armed groups, the SoO framework and allegations reaching into the office of a Deputy Chief Minister.
A letter to Delhi has opened the question. The Assembly must not close without answering it.
Editorial verification note
The circulated document has an unfilled date field. Nine legislators are named, but the available signatory page visibly carries signatures against seven names. Signpost News should describe it as a letter “bearing the names of nine Naga legislators” unless the Naga Legislators’ Forum confirms that all nine endorsed the final submission. The allegations against Nemcha Kipgen, Thangboi Kipgen, KNF-P and other Kuki-Zo leaders are claims made in the letter and have not been independently or judicially established. Their responses should be incorporated when available.
