INVOLVEMENT OF KACHA NAGA IN MEITEI-KUKI CONFLICT

Involvement of Kacha Naga (Tangkhul, Rongmei, Liangmai) in the Meitei vs Kuki Conflict and the Impact of Kacha Naga vs Kuki Clash.

It started in February 2025 in the Ukhrul/Litan area with a small village altercation involving a drunken individual, which could have been solved through customary law. However, the Tangkhuls kacha nagas wanted war against the Kukis to include it in their Greater Nagalim movement, because they cannot wage war against the Meiteis if they do, all the Kacha Nagas living in Imphal will be targeted by Meitei radicals. The war between Kuki and Kacha Naga then spread to Kangpokpi, Senapati, Kamjong, and Tamenglong. As of August 2026, at least 34 people have been killed on this front alone.

Main Impact:

1. Humanitarian:

- Villages were burnt in Ukhrul, Shongphel, Mullam, and Sinakeithei areas. At least 20+ houses were torched.

- Abductions and hostage crises both sides allegedly detained civilians, including women, children, and pastors. Church leaders had to mediate for their release.

- Fresh displacement of Kuki families who were displaced from the valley in 2023 and had moved to Kacha Naga-majority hills are now being displaced again.

2. Economic Blockade:

This is the biggest impact for the common people:

- Kacha Naga groups blocked NH-2 and NH-37, the only lifelines to Imphal. This blockade was not for Meiteis but targeted Kukis alone

- In Kangpokpi and Churachandpur, petrol and gas cylinder prices went up to Rs 5,000, with shortages of medicine, milk powder, and rice.

- Kukis from Kangpokpi cannot travel to Dimapur (Nagaland) via Senapati, and Tangkhul Nagas from Ukhrul cannot go to Imphal via Kuki areas. The state government is considering helicopter services for Ukhrul, Tamenglong, and other Kacha Naga areas, but has neglected Kuki areas, especially Kangpokpi, which is totally blocked by Meiteis and Kacha Nagas from the north in Kanglatongbi Namdilong and from the south in Senapati.

3. Security:

- The focus of security forces has also shifted from Meitei-Kuki buffer zones to kacha Naga-Kuki hill districts. Many additional companies of the RAF have been deployed to Kangpokpi and Senapati.

- NSCN-IM, NSCN-Eastern Flank, and ZUF-Kamsom armed groups and so-called Naga village guards Kacha Naga pastor got heavily involved by using heavy weapons and arson.

- This resembles the 1992-97 Kacha kacha Naga-Kuki clash which killed around 1,000-1,450 Kukis and displaced over 1 lakh people.

4. Political:

- It breaks Kacha Naga neutrality. Earlier, Kacha Nagas stayed away from the Meitei-Kuki conflict. Now the UNC (United Naga Council) lead the kacha Naga and has asked all thier kacha Nagas to suspend all social and economic ties with Kuki-Zo.

- Nine kacha Naga MLAs have also written to the Home Minister for intervention.

- It makes trifurcation of Manipur more likely Valley (Meitei), Kuki-Zo hills, and Naga hills.

- The Kacha Nagas and Kukis were never enemies after the 1993 clash. However, the involvement of Kacha Nagas in the Meitei vs Kuki conflict is for selfish political gain to include their Greater Nagalim demand in it. The Kukis were never against the Kacha Naga political movement of Greater Nagalim until and unless Kuki areas and Kuki hills were not tough and included in it. The Kacha Nagas joined the conflict the main reason they fear that if a political solution is made for the Kukis, the Kacha Nagas will be left behind and neglected. Therefore, they could not hold their neutral position any longer and joined the Meitei vs Kuki conflict by aligning with the Meiteis. They started by killing two Kuki men who had gone to repair their village water pipeline and by burning Kuki houses in Litan Kuki village.

- Moreover, when joining the conflict, the Kacha Nagas cannot target any Meiteis, because if they do, all the Kacha Nagas in Imphal will be targeted. So instead, they targeted and killed Kukis and burned their villages to earn Meitei sympathy and build an alliance.

As a result of the Kuki vs Kacha Naga war, the Tangkhul-led NSCN-IM, NSCN-Eastern Flank, and all Kacha Naga groups who demand a separate Constitution and separate flag have seen their political movement fail. They cannot talk about their political movement for Greater Nagalim, because if they do, it will be against the Meiteis, and all the Kacha Nagas living in Imphal will be brutally targeted by Meitei radicals.

Meanwhile, the political demand of the Kukis remains the same they want separation and a separate administration, a Union Territory with Legislature, from both Meiteis and Kacha Nagas, to live peacefully. It is only because of some money-minded Kuki MLA Ministers, CSO leaders and SoO groups that their movement is stuck. 

~ KUKI GRAND CHRONICLE