Nine Naga lawmakers boycott Manipur Assembly, demand action against deputy CM Kipgen

Nine Naga legislators stayed out of Manipur Assembly proceedings on Monday, turning their absence into a protest over the killing of six Nagas in May. They also demanded action against Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, whose husband they accuse of responsibility for the killings.

The legislators include Losii Dikho, the state’s second deputy chief minister. Naga People’s Front chief Awangbou Newmai announced the boycott before the session and said the group would not return until the House suspended or removed Nemcha Kipgen. “Her husband is the prime accused of abduction and killing of six Nagas,” he said.

The six Nagas were abducted and killed after being held for almost a month in Kangpokpi, according to the article. Their deaths followed a twin ambush on May 13 that killed four people, including three church leaders and one Naga. Newmai said the bodies remain at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Science in Imphal, awaiting justice.

Nemcha Kipgen rejected allegations last week that she and her husband were involved in the Naga-Kuki clashes, calling them unverified claims that could further damage trust between communities. The National Investigation Agency arrested four people after taking over the killings investigation, while Naga groups have demanded more arrests and the cancellation of the ceasefire pact with Kuki militants.

The dispute is unfolding against a wider conflict that began in 2023 between Meitei and Kuki communities before involving nearly every community in Manipur. A new government formed in February included representatives of the three major communities, but sporadic violence has continued. The article says 306 people have died and 49 remain missing since May 2023.

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We will not participate in the House until the House suspends or removes Kipgen from her post. Her husband is the prime accused of abduction and killing of six Nagas.