Hundreds of people from both Naga and Meitei communities staged a sit-in protest at Naga Namdilong village in Kanglatongbi, Imphal West, demanding justice for six slain Naga civilians. The protest was organised by the Justice for Six Sons of Koubru United Committee (J6SKUC) under the theme “Justice for the Six Naga Brothers”. Protesters displayed placards bearing slogans such as “Justice Delayed is Justice Denied”, “No More Silence, We Demand Justice”, and “We Want Justice for Our Brothers”.
The protesters reiterated five key demands: the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the killings; abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement; declaration of the Kuki National Front-Presidential (KNF-P) as a terrorist organisation; removal of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen from office; and eviction of what they described as illegal villages. The protest was organised to seek justice for the six Liangmai Naga civilians who were allegedly abducted on May 13 and whose mutilated bodies were recovered on June 10.
Jurish Abonmai, a committee member of the Joint Coordination Committee under the United Naga Council (UNC), alleged that despite repeated appeals over the past two-and-a-half months, the authorities have failed to arrest those responsible for the killings. He claimed that women survivors, including family members of the victims who were released after the abduction, had identified the alleged perpetrators, and that their names, photographs and other details had already been submitted to the authorities.
Abonmai urged both the state and Central governments to conduct a thorough investigation and bring those responsible to justice at the earliest. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case, has so far arrested four persons in connection with the killings. The six men were among a group of 18 Nagas who were reportedly abducted from Leilon Vaiphei village in Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district on May 13. The killings triggered widespread condemnation and protests by Naga civil society organisations, which demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible.
