NSCN-IM accuses Centre of policy failures over six Liangmai Naga killings, demanding justice and accountability in Manipur violence
DIMAPUR — The NSCN-IM has launched a blistering attack on the government of India over the killing of six Liangmai Naga civilians in Manipur, accusing the Centre of failing to protect innocent lives and alleging that the incident reflects deep-rooted policy failures in handling the state's ethnic conflict.
In an editorial titled "Beyond Murder: The Weaponisation of Desecration" published in the latest edition of its monthly mouthpiece Nagalim Voice, the organisation described the killings as one of the "most horrifying and morally repulsive atrocities" witnessed in recent times.
The NSCN-IM alleged that the six civilians were abducted, tortured and murdered by "Kuki terrorists", maintaining that they were unarmed civilians and not combatants. It asserted that no political cause, ethnic grievance or territorial claim could justify violence against innocent people.
The editorial further alleged that the reported mutilation of the victims reflected the "complete moral collapse" of those responsible for the killings.
Targeting the Centre, the NSCN-IM accused the government of India of failing to prevent the continuing violence in Manipur, alleging that the state had descended into bloodshed, ethnic division, displacement and lawlessness despite repeated assurances of restoring normalcy.
Also read: ANSAM demands NIA probe into killing of six Nagas in Manipur
NNC lauds release of Kuki hostages, condemns killing of Nagas
It claimed that New Delhi's delayed response and alleged inaction had reinforced the perception that the concerns of the region's indigenous communities were not receiving adequate attention.
According to the editorial, the killings should serve as a warning that the Centre must fundamentally rethink its policies towards the indigenous peoples of the Northeast. It argued that ignoring longstanding grievances and security concerns while responding inadequately to the state's complex political situation would continue to undermine peace and public safety.
Calling for immediate justice, the NSCN-IM stated that the deaths of the six civilians must become a turning point rather than another forgotten episode in the region's prolonged cycle of violence. It demanded that those responsible for the killings, as well as anyone alleged to have aided or protected them, be brought to justice through a transparent and accountable process.