The Naga organizations declared that their agitation would continue until justice is delivered for six Naga men who were abducted and killed during the conflict. Although Kuki representatives issued an apology in an effort to reduce tensions, the Naga leadership rejected the gesture, stating that it came two weeks after the mutilated bodies of the six victims were recovered near a Kuki-Zo village on June 10.
In a joint resolution adopted on June 29, the Naga People's Organization (NPO), Tribe Hohos, the Senapati District Women's Association (SDWA), and the Senapati District Students' Association (SDSA) instructed their members to strictly enforce a blockade on the transportation of food grains and other essential commodities to Kuki villages.
The organizations also announced the formation of a supervisory committee tasked with closely monitoring and strengthening the agitation, with a particular focus on preventing the inter-district movement of essential goods. In an official statement, the Naga People's Organization urged community members to extend full cooperation to the supervisory committee in the interest of the collective movement.
The organization further warned that any individual or group found violating the agitation measures would face strict action, emphasizing that no violations would be tolerated under any circumstances. All Naga villages were directed to remain vigilant within their respective areas to ensure the effective implementation of the blockade.
According to the sequence of events outlined by the Naga organizations, the six deceased men were among 15 Naga individuals abducted by members of the Kuki community on May 13. The abductions were reportedly carried out in retaliation for the killing of three Kuki church leaders, allegedly by armed Naga men.
In response, members of the Naga community abducted several Kuki individuals but released all of them unconditionally by June 9. The Kuki group subsequently released nine of the abducted Naga individuals while acknowledging that six had been killed.
The bodies of the six deceased Naga men remain in a morgue in the state capital, Imphal. Community leaders have pledged not to conduct the funeral rites until those responsible for the killings are identified and brought to justice.
The latest developments are part of the continuing Naga-Kuki conflict that began after two Naga men were killed in an ambush on April 18. Following that incident, Naga organizations imposed an economic blockade against the Kuki community on May 17.
The decision to intensify the blockade is expected to have severe consequences for residents of districts including Kamjong, Kangpokpi, and Ukhrul. A Kuki church leader based in the state warned that the worsening restrictions could result in widespread hunger.
Speaking on June 30, the church leader, who requested anonymity, said starvation deaths could not be ruled out, adding that many families were already surviving on no more than one meal a day.
Local media have reported an acute shortage of food, fuel, and essential medical supplies across the affected areas. Another church leader stated that the price of a domestic cooking gas cylinder had increased from approximately 1,000 rupees to nearly 6,000 rupees, while the cost of a 50-kilogram bag of rice had risen to around 4,000 rupees.
The church leader warned that if the Naga organizations further intensified the economic blockade, it could become a devastating blow for Kuki residents living in remote villages across the affected districts. The leaders also stated that even church organizations were unable to provide humanitarian assistance because such efforts could be treated as violations by Naga organizations, which maintain significant influence in the hill districts.
Church representatives further pointed out that after violence erupted in April, 14 members of the Kuki community were also killed. They argued that these deaths had received little public attention and emphasized that the abduction and killing of the six Naga men should be viewed within the broader context of the continuing cycle of violence.
Appealing for reconciliation, the church leaders stressed that both communities should now work towards lasting peace by putting past hostilities behind them and embracing forgiveness.
The Naga-Kuki conflict is unfolding against the backdrop of the wider ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, between the predominantly Christian Kuki-Zo community and the largely Hindu Meitei community.
The prolonged ethnic conflict has claimed more than 260 lives, displaced over 60,000 people, most of them Christians, and resulted in the destruction of more than 11,000 homes, approximately 360 churches, and numerous church institutions. The renewed economic blockade and rising humanitarian concerns have further intensified fears that the already fragile situation in Manipur could deteriorate further unless meaningful efforts are made to restore peace and ensure justice for all affected communities.
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