UKHRUL, SEP 8: The Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) has condemned the arson attack on Lhungjang Primary School in Lhungjang village, T. Waichong Sub-Division, Kangpokpi district, and demanded an independent investigation into the incident and accountability over the handling of its earlier security warnings.
TIM said the attack had raised serious concerns over the safety of villagers and claimed that it had previously warned authorities about an alleged security threat to Lhungjang.
According to TIM, the Lhungjang Village Authority, through its village chief, had on June 11, 2026, declared that Lhungjang was a Thadou village, its residents belonged to the Thadou community, and that the village was committed to peace and coexistence.
TIM said it subsequently sought security protection after receiving information about an alleged imminent threat from Kuki armed groups.
The organisation claimed that the presence and activities of Kuki armed groups, including KNF (P), KRA and KNF (N), in and around Lhungjang and along the IT Road could provoke neighbouring Naga groups and expose villagers to serious danger.
TIM further alleged that Kangpokpi Superintendent of Police Rahul Gupta, IPS, had treated its security report as false. It said a subsequent counter-complaint led to the registration of FIR No. 22(7)/2026 at Kangpokpi Police Station against M. James Thadou, president of Thadou Inpi Manipur.
The organisation has called for an independent inquiry into the conduct of the SP, including allegations of association or coordination with individuals linked to Kuki groups. TIM also alleged that certain Kuki armed groups and police personnel had been operating in a provocative manner in the area.
The allegations have not been independently verified.
TIM questioned why security was subsequently deployed at Lhungjang if its earlier security concerns had been considered unfounded.
It asked the Government and police to make public the security assessment and the basis for the subsequent deployment at the village.
TIM said the arson attack had demonstrated the seriousness of the security concerns it had previously raised and demanded an independent investigation into the incident, immediate and sustained security for Lhungjang, and a review of how its earlier warnings were handled.
The organisation maintained that no armed group, whether Kuki or Naga, had the right to target, intimidate, occupy or use Lhungjang as an operational area.
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TIM also alleged that Kuki SoO and non-SoO groups, along with some Manipur Police personnel, had been operating in a provocative manner and allegedly planning to target neighbouring Naga villages. It called for these allegations to be independently investigated.
The organisation urged the Manipur Government to ensure the safety and security of the villagers and demanded the deployment of neutral Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in place of the State Police forces currently deployed in Lhungjang.
TIM further demanded that KRA, KNF-N and KNF-P vacate Lhungjang and cease their alleged activities in the village.
“Lhungjang is a peaceful Thadou village, not an operational area or battleground for any armed group,” TIM said, adding that it would continue to pursue the matter through constitutional and legal institutions until the safety and rights of the villagers were adequately protected.
