Kanggui: The Kuki Civic Action Committee (KCAC) has strongly and unequivocally condemned the deadly attack on Lasan and Songpibung Kuki villages along the IT Road in Kangpokpi district, in which Paojangam Chongloi, 36, an electric lineman from Wakotphai Village, was killed while on duty to repair an electricity line in Lasan. In a press statement issued under Ref. No. MPRD/PR/24628 dated 23/09/2026 from its Head Office at Phaijang, Lamka, the Committee said the killing of a civilian government employee engaged in essential services marks a dangerous escalation in the ongoing violence along the IT Road corridor. The statement, signed by Jacob Lenminthang, Chief Coordinator, Media and Public Relations Division of KCAC, said the organization, established in 2026 with the motto “Justice, Security, Dignity”, views the incident as not an isolated act but part of a sustained pattern of armed attacks targeting Kuki settlements in the area.
The KCAC stated that the incident is particularly alarming because it comes amid a series of deadly attacks along the IT Road, including the attacks affecting Lasan, Govajang and N. Teikhang. The Committee expressed deep concern that Kuki civilians living along the IT Road are increasingly being exposed to armed violence while essential services and humanitarian access remain severely constrained. According to KCAC, residents of Lasan and Songpibung reported heavy firing in the early hours of Tuesday, with the attackers firing indiscriminately towards the villages. Paojangam Chongloi, who was on his way to restore power supply disrupted by earlier incidents, was caught in the firing and succumbed to his injuries. The Committee said his death highlights the vulnerability of civilians who continue to perform essential duties despite high risks, and that targeting areas where essential workers operate amounts to a direct assault on civilian life and basic services.
What is particularly disturbing, the KCAC noted, is the growing perception among affected Kuki communities that the Naga armed groups can attack Kuki civilian settlements repeatedly with impunity. The Committee observed that this perception has been reinforced by the absence of visible action, arrests or public accountability following previous incidents along the same road. The Government must demonstrate that no armed group, irrespective of its identity, political affiliation or ceasefire status, is above the law, the statement said. KCAC emphasized that ceasefire arrangements, where they exist, are meant to pave way for political dialogue and peace, and cannot be used as a shield to carry out attacks on civilians. The Committee warned that if such attacks continue without investigation and prosecution, public faith in the rule of law and in the neutrality of security enforcement in the region will be further eroded.
Under the section titled “IT ROAD COMMUNITIES CANNOT BE LEFT TO SUFFER”, the KCAC highlighted that the security crisis is compounded by the continuing difficulties in transporting essential commodities to Kuki settlements along the IT Road. The Committee said residents along the IT Road are facing the combined burden of security threats, restricted movement, disrupted supplies and inadequate access to essential services. Villages such as Thonglang, Chawangkining, Lasan and Songpibung have been experiencing shortages of food, medicines and fuel, with road restrictions and fear of fresh attacks preventing normal commercial transport. The killing of a lineman has also raised fears that electricity repair and other essential maintenance works will be further delayed, leaving villages in darkness and without communication. The Committee said that humanitarian access, including emergency medical evacuation, has become extremely difficult, with patients unable to reach hospitals on time.
In view of the deteriorating situation, the KCAC has put forward a six-point charter of demands to the Government of India and the Government of Manipur. First, it calls for conducting an independent, impartial and time-bound investigation into the killing of Paojangam Chongloi and previous attacks on civilians along the IT Road. Second, it demands that authorities identify, arrest and prosecute all perpetrators, regardless of their organisation or affiliation, through due process of law. Third, it urges the government to ensure that the Naga armed groups operating under ceasefire arrangements are not permitted to attack civilians with impunity, and that violations of ceasefire ground rules, if any, are acted upon firmly and transparently.
Fourth, the Committee has sought guarantee of the unrestricted movement of food, medicines and other essential commodities to civilians along the IT Road, stating that no civilian population should be subjected to an economic blockade or supply choke. Fifth, it calls for establishing reliable emergency medical and evacuation arrangements for the Kuki population in IT Road areas cut off by insecurity and road restrictions, including provision for ambulance movement and referral support. Sixth, it demands that the authorities take immediate steps to prevent further attacks and restore a secure environment in which civilians can travel, work and access essential services without fear. The KCAC said these measures are minimum requirements to restore normalcy and to demonstrate that the state remains committed to protecting all citizens equally.
The KCAC made it clear that the lives of ordinary civilians must not become collateral damage in the competing political and territorial claims of armed groups. The Committee said that while political negotiations and territorial demands are pursued by various groups at different levels, the burden of violence should not be borne by villagers, women, children and essential workers who have no role in those processes. It urged all armed groups to refrain from targeting civilian settlements and essential infrastructure, and called upon civil society organizations across communities to denounce attacks on civilians irrespective of where they occur. The statement reiterated that lasting peace cannot be achieved by silencing or displacing civilian populations along strategic roads.
Finally, the KCAC urged all responsible authorities to act immediately before the situation along the IT Road deteriorates further. The Committee, which can be reached at keacadmin@gmail.com and phone number 0385-2456789, said it will continue to document incidents, provide assistance to affected families and pursue advocacy for justice, security and dignity for Kuki communities along the IT Road. It also extended condolences to the bereaved family of Paojangam Chongloi and solidarity with the residents of Lasan and Songpibung, who have faced repeated attacks in recent weeks, including the incidents reported at Govajang and N. Teikhang. The Committee said the coming days will be critical in determining whether the rule of law can be upheld and humanitarian access restored, or whether communities along the IT Road will be left to suffer in silence.
