New Delhi: Hundreds of protesters from the Kuki community assembled at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on Thursday in a large-scale demonstration seeking urgent intervention from the central government over escalating violence in Manipur. The protest was organized to highlight recent killings of Kuki civilians in Tamenglong and Noney districts and to press for accountability over what community organizations allege are targeted attacks by armed Naga groups operating in the region.
The demonstrators, carrying the national flag and scores of placards, raised slogans demanding justice and enforcement of the rule of law. The protest site was lined with messages that reflected both grief and anger over the recent developments. Among the placards displayed were slogans reading “Silence Protects Killers,” “Faith Cannot Be Killed,” “We Demand Arrest,” “MHA Enforce Your Own Laws,” and “The Indo-Naga Ceasefire Does Not Apply in Manipur.” The gathering remained peaceful but vocal, with protesters calling on the Ministry of Home Affairs to act decisively.
A significant portion of the demonstration focused on the demand for the dismantling of alleged camps of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) and its presence in Kuki-inhabited areas. Placards specifically asked for the removal of what protesters described as illegal camps and questioned why armed groups were allowed to operate in Kuki villages. Other signs read “Dismantle Illegal NSCN-IM Camps” and questioned the applicability of the ceasefire agreement between the Government of India and the NSCN-IM within the territory of Manipur.
The protesters also drew attention to alleged attacks on women and children, which has become a central emotional point of the agitation. Several placards carried harrowing messages such as “Parents Executed, A 6-Year-Old Shot, Children Left Orphaned,” “What Sort of Armed Revolution Targets Pregnant Women & Nurses?” and “Are the Lives of Kuki Women Expendable?” These references relate to recent incidents reported from the hill districts where Kuki families were allegedly attacked, leaving children orphaned and women injured. Community leaders present at the protest said such targeting of non-combatants, if proven, constitutes a serious violation of human rights.
Another prominent message seen at the protest was “Kukis Are Indians,” displayed alongside the Tricolour, underscoring the community’s appeal to national identity and constitutional protection. Protesters said they had gathered in Delhi to remind the central government that Kuki citizens in Manipur are entitled to equal protection under the law. Many participants had traveled from different parts of the country, including students and working professionals based in Delhi-NCR, to join the demonstration and express solidarity with the affected families in Manipur.
The demonstration comes in the wake of renewed tensions in Manipur’s western districts. In recent weeks, reports have emerged of civilian killings in Tamenglong and Noney, two districts that have witnessed a fragile security situation since the ethnic violence broke out in May 2023. Kuki organizations have alleged the involvement of NSCN-IM and ZUF-Kamson faction in these attacks, including alleged firing incidents near Kholen and Chawangkining villages. However, official investigations are still underway and authorities have not yet established responsibility in all incidents through formal chargesheets or arrests.
At Jantar Mantar, speakers representing Kuki bodies raised pointed questions over the role of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the implementation of existing security arrangements in Manipur. They argued that the continued operation of armed cadres in civilian areas undermines the Suspension of Operation and other security frameworks that govern armed groups in the state. Protesters demanded that the MHA enforce its own ground rules and ensure that the Indo-Naga ceasefire agreement, which was signed for Nagaland, is not extended de facto to Manipur to allow armed movement.
Some protesters also alleged political patronage and selective enforcement in Manipur. A section of demonstrators claimed that the state machinery had allowed armed Naga groups to operate against the Kuki community, drawing parallels with earlier allegations made against Meitei radical groups like Arambai Tenggol during the tenure of former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. These are allegations made by the protesters and have not been independently verified by security agencies. The protesters said a uniform policy of disarming all illegal groups, irrespective of community affiliation, was essential for restoring peace in Manipur.
The core demands placed before the central government during the demonstration included five points: immediate arrest of those responsible for the recent killings of Kuki civilians, a time-bound judicial inquiry into the incidents, dismantling of alleged illegal NSCN-IM and ZUF-Kamson camps from Kuki areas, withdrawal of armed cadres from the peripheries of Chawangkining, Kholen and neighboring villages, and deployment of neutral central forces to protect Kuki villages in Tamenglong and Noney. Organizers said they would submit a memorandum to the MHA and the National Human Rights Commission outlining these demands.
The protest at Jantar Mantar reflects a broader pattern of growing mobilization by Kuki groups outside Manipur to draw national attention to the situation in the state. Since 2023, Kuki civil society organizations have repeatedly staged demonstrations in Delhi, citing what they describe as a pattern of inaction, impunity and failure to protect civilians in the hill areas. Security analysts note that the emergence of Naga-Kuki tensions in Tamenglong and Noney adds a new layer of complexity to the already volatile Meitei-Kuki conflict that has displaced over 60,000 people in the state.
As of Thursday evening, there was no official statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs or the NSCN-IM regarding the allegations raised at the protest. Police in Delhi said the demonstration was peaceful and concluded without any untoward incident. In Manipur, security forces have reportedly increased patrolling around the disputed areas near Kholen and Chawangkining after reports of firing earlier this week. For the families of those killed in Tamenglong and Noney, and for the hundreds who gathered in Delhi, the demand remains the same: accountability, protection of civilian lives, and strict enforcement of the law to prevent further escalation in the hill districts of Manipur.
