Kukiland Express Desk
By Elvish HaokipSongpi: April 29, 2026
The Kuki CSO Working Committee, Ukhrul has firmly rejected a recent statement by the NVG, asserting that no community can take the law into its own hands on issues like land disputes, poppy cultivation, or illegal immigration. In a press release dated April 28, 2026, the Committee said such matters lie with competent authorities and warned against “playing judge, jury, and executioner.”
The statement, titled “Hypocrisy Unmasked: NVG’s Narrative vs Ground Reality”, argued that had Tangkhul militants confined themselves to routine patrols within their village periphery, there would have been no armed confrontation. It dismissed claims to the contrary as “misleading” and said the notion of a “real owner” of land is unambiguous: ownership is definitive and unlawful intrusion cannot be justified under any pretext.
Detailing events of April 28, the Committee said Kuki village volunteers from five villages undertook preventive patrols along the Kampa range and adjoining ridges at around 9:00 AM, acting on credible intelligence regarding the movement of Tangkhul militants through the Tongou and Sirarikhong corridor. The move also followed incidents in Mulam on April 24, 2026, it added.
According to the release, at approximately 10:30 AM, Tangkhul militants opened indiscriminate fire on patrol teams of Chepu Yaolen and Mongkot Chepu, leading to an armed engagement at the Uiliphoi ridges of Kampa Mol from around 11:10 AM to 4:00 PM. The advancing militants were ultimately forced to retreat toward Ringuil village, which the Committee said foiled a potential coordinated attack on five Kuki villages: Mongkot Chepu, Chepu Yaolen, Lamlai Chingphei, Shongphei and Mulam.
The Kuki CSO Working Committee alleged that attempts to justify intrusion and armed assault under the pretext of a “war on drugs” are a “hollow disguise” that exposes NVG’s double standards. It accused the group of targeting the Kuki community while ignoring similar concerns elsewhere, calling such efforts to mask aggression with derogatory labels “irresponsible and unacceptable.”
The Committee further charged NVG with hypocrisy for selectively mentioning Mulam while omitting what it called publicly available, government-linked data on large-scale poppy cultivation in several Tangkhul villages in Ukhrul district. It listed Torah, Champhung, Phalee, Changta, Khamasom, Leingangching, Sihai Koulen, and Sinakeithel as villages engaged in poppy cultivation.
The release also claimed that around 6,000 illegal Tangkhul immigrants have settled in Kamjong District, naming Namlee, Wanglee, Shangkaklok, Pilong, Aloyo, Choro, K. Ashang Khullen, Aze, and Skippe as villages where they are settled. The Committee said NVG’s silence on these issues “only proves its hypocrisy.”
Reiterating its stance, the Kuki CSO Working Committee said that while the Kuki people do not promote aggression, they remain resolute in defending their land, people, and right to live with dignity. It warned that any further unlawful intrusion would be met with firm resistance, and responsibility for escalation would lie solely with those who initiate it.
