Ukhrul, June 28: The Foothills Naga Coordination Committee (FNCC) has issued a strong statement condemning what it described as a “heinous and unprovoked” assault on a Naga woman and the driver of a Winger vehicle near Mongkot Chepu Kuki village on June 26. The vehicle was reportedly en route to Ukhrul when it came under attack.
In a press release issued on June 27, the FNCC labeled the incident as not just an act of violence, but “an act of war,” claiming it was a direct attack on the dignity, safety, and integrity of the Naga people.
The committee stated that such attacks were no longer isolated incidents, but part of a broader, sustained campaign of aggression targeting Naga civilians. “These are not coincidences, they are coordinated, deliberate, and carried out with impunity by Kuki refugees emboldened by silence and inaction,” the statement read.
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Citing a string of attacks in villages including Longsai, Kaiphundeijiang, Nungnang, Thangbuk, Leimanei, Tingpui, Satang, Yaingangpokpi, Lungwiram, Kazanga, Konsakhul, and Tumoyon Khullen, the FNCC accused Kuki elements of attempting to instill fear and assert illegitimate control in Naga areas through strategic violence.
The statement further accused Kuki refugees of engaging in systematic land grabbing across Naga territories, calling it part of a “dangerous and premeditated expansionist agenda.” The FNCC characterized these actions as a direct assault on Naga identity and ancestral rights, warning that such encroachments are seen as declarations of “territorial encroachment and ethnic clash.”
Issuing a stark warning, the FNCC said if the alleged hostilities and expansionist activities do not cease immediately, there will be “grave and irreversible” consequences. “Bloodshed is no longer an option, it is imminent,” the statement warned, adding that the Nagas will defend their land and people “with force.”
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The FNCC then held the “Kuki aggressors” solely responsible for any fallout from what it termed “impending retaliation.” “The burden of responsibility for any further escalation will not be shared, it will be theirs alone,” the release stated.