Nagaland: NSCN (I-M) terms Litan incident ‘premeditated arson’

NSCN (I-M), through its Ministry of Information and Publicity (MIP), has alleged “scorched-earth tactics” by Kuki militants in collusion with Indian security forces in connection with the recent Litan burning incident.
In a press statement, NSCN (I-M) rejected the narrative presented by Kuki frontal bodies, describing it as misleading and claiming that security forces were complicit in the arson.
The group alleged that the incident began with an assault on a Tangkhul by “Kuki drunkards,” which was then used as a pretext by militants to target Tangkhul houses. According to NSCN (I-M), security personnel were seen joining the attackers, with some reportedly using masks to conceal their identities.
The statement further claimed that Kuki militants operated with the patronage of security forces and a “green signal” from the Ministry of Home Affairs, terming the incident a premeditated attack against the Tangkhul Naga community.
It accused Kuki organisations of playing the victim card and shifting blame onto Tangkhuls, while citing the World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council’s letter to the Prime Minister as part of this narrative.
NSCN (I-M) described the alleged involvement of security forces as a grave violation of human rights and a breach of the rule of law.
It said the Litan burning represented “brute aggression” against Tangkhuls and symbolized an assault on the Naga nation.
NSCN (I-M) asserted that Kuki militants were being used as a “frontal body” of the Government of India to undermine Naga political rights. Declaring its resolve, NSCN (I-M) stated it would “stand its ground” to defend the land and people of the Naga nation.