COCOMI Blames Kuki Settlers for Attack on Liangmai Village Chief

Imphal, Apr 7: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has expressed its “strongest condemnation” against the recent violent assault on the village chief and the chairman of Konsakhul, a Liangmai (Naga) village under Kangpokpi district. “This brazen attack, reportedly perpetrated by newly settled groups from the Chin-Kuki community, is not an isolated incident but part of an escalating pattern of aggression and land encroachment targeting indigenous people of Manipur in the hill areas”, the COCOMI said in a statement.

The COCOMI also said Konsakhul is an ancestral village of the Liangmei people, who are one of the original inhabitants of these hills, with a deep-rooted historical and cultural presence in the region. “The physical assault on their traditional leaders is a direct affront to their inherent rights and dignity, but more alarmingly, it signifies a systematic attempt to displace Indigenous communities through violence, coercion, and illegal occupation of their land”, it stated.

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The COCOMI then said it has repeatedly warned of the dangerous trend of forced occupation and expansionist activities by “foreign-origin immigrant groups, many of whom are recent settlers crossing over from the porous Indo-Myanmar border for many decades”. These groups, under the guise of tenancy or temporary (leased) settlement, have engaged in aggressive land grabbing, illegal plantations, and violent intimidation of native villagers, the COCOMI alleged. “The ongoing encroachment not only threatens the security and survival of the Liangmei people but also risks igniting larger communal unrest in an already fragile region” it added.

The COCOMI then said that it is crucial to note that the present incident follows a series of similar attacks. The COCOMI cited the brutal assault on Hotngambou, ex-chairman of a Liangmai village, by Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) cadres in Chalwa, Kangpokpi, on September 5, 2023. It also cited the harassment and assault on a Naga woman at K. Lungwiram village by Kuki settlers in January 2025, as she attempted to build her home on her rightful land. “Multiple illegal checkpoints and road blockades staged by these militant-backed settler groups, further strangulating the native population’s freedom of movement and access to resources”, the COCOMI also said. Such targeted assaults are not mere law-and-order issues, they represent a dangerous challenge to the territorial integrity of Manipur and a direct threat to the livelihood, culture, and existence of the indigenous Liangmei people and other native communities, it added.

The COCOMI then called upon the Government of Manipur and the Union Government of India to immediately intervene and take decisive action to restore law and order in Konsakhul and other affected areas. It also called upon law enforcement agencies to arrest and prosecute all perpetrators of violence and illegal encroachment. It also said the authorities must recognise and safeguard the customary land rights of Indigenous people, ensuring their security and dignity are upheld without compromise.

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The COCOMI reiterated that the “forceful seizure of indigenous lands by foreign-origin settlers” carries serious implications for the future of Manipur. “If left unchecked, this will destabilize the socio-political fabric of the state and undermine the state’s territorial integrity,” it added. “We stand firmly with the Liangmai community and all indigenous peoples of Manipur in their rightful struggle to protect their lands, their culture, and their future securities,” the COCOMI further stated.

(Newmai News Network)