In a detailed press statement issued on June 9, the apex Kuki body termed NSCN-IM’s allegations against the Centre and Kuki groups “baseless and inflammatory,” and called for urgent measures to curb cross-border insurgent activity from Myanmar.
By St. Ginth Haokip, Songpi, June 9, 2026
The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kuki Tribes, on Monday issued a sharp rebuttal to recent allegations made by the NSCN-IM, which claimed that the Government of India is using Kuki groups to wage a “shadow war” against the Naga movement. KIM dismissed the charge as completely unfounded and politically motivated.
In a press statement released from its Secretariat in Lamka, KIM said the allegation, which was carried by the Nagalim Voice was part of a repeated pattern by the NSCN-IM to divert public attention. The Kuki body described the move as “yet another attempt by warmongering NSCN-IM to deflect attention from its own long and documented history of armed intimidation, extortion, territorial expansionism, and violence against communities that refuse to submit to its political agenda.”
Addressing the question of indigenous rights, the apex Kuki body said the NSCN-IM “has no moral authority to lecture others” on the subject. The statement argued that the group cannot claim to speak for indigenous peoples while simultaneously laying claim to vast territories that are home to multiple distinct ethnic communities. KIM added that portraying every contested area as “exclusive Naga ancestral land” effectively erases the historical realities and sacrifices of other indigenous groups who have lived on those lands for generations.
The statement also took issue with what it called the “hypocrisy” of NSCN-IM sympathisers. KIM said it was contradictory for them to project themselves as champions of peace and Christian values while staying silent on alleged atrocities committed against Kukis and other communities critical of the NSCN-IM. “Invoking the name of Christ while justifying violence, intimidation, defamation, and ethnic hostility is a grave contradiction of the very teachings they claim to uphold,” the press release noted.
Call for immediate border action:
A major part of KIM’s statement focused on security along the Indo-Myanmar border. The organization urged the Government of India to “immediately strengthen border management and its mechanisms” to prevent what it described as the “swarming of Ukhrul and Kamjong districts by Tangkhul terrorist NSCN-IM & Eastern Flank from Myanmar.”
KIM alleged that for decades, Tangkhul insurgent groups have taken advantage of the porous international border to move cadres, transport weapons, and maintain logistics networks that undermine law and order. This, the statement said, has directly contributed to destabilising local communities across the hill districts. KIM further stated that “continued inaction by the Government of India has allowed these armed groups to evade accountability, sustain extortion networks, and perpetuate cycles of violence and insecurity” in the region.
Photo: A copy of the press statement released by Kuki Inpi Manipur on June 9, 2026, signed by Janghaolun Haokip, Secretary, Information & Publicity. The statement termed NSCN-IM’s “shadow war” allegation as “baseless and inflammatory” and called for immediate steps to check the movement of NSCN-IM and its Eastern Flank from Myanmar into border districts
‘Not proxies of New Delhi’:
The press statement also addressed NSCN-IM’s accusation that Kuki groups function as “proxies of New Delhi.” KIM rejected this outright, calling the claim “disingenuous and immature.” It stressed that Kuki political aspirations, grievances, and demands are rooted in the lived experiences and historical realities of the Kuki people, and cannot be dismissed as externally engineered simply because they contradict the NSCN-IM’s narrative.
Offering a suggestion to the Naga group, KIM said that if the NSCN-IM “truly believes that Nagas should think outside the box,” it should start by giving up “exclusivist territorial claims.” The statement called on the group to acknowledge the rights and histories of other communities in the region and to pursue “honest dialogue based on mutual respect rather than intimidation.”
KIM also recalled past incidents, alleging that the NSCN-IM “should not use beheaded photos of Kukis to claim refugee status in the UN again,” and noted that such a claim had been rejected earlier.
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In its concluding remarks, the Kuki Inpi Manipur stated that the future of the hills cannot be determined by “revisionist history, threats, or propaganda.” Instead, it said, lasting peace and stability must be founded on “truth, accountability, coexistence, and respect for all indigenous communities.”
