WC-JTCM to boycott Manipur CM’s visit to Naga relief camp

IMPHAL, AUG 6 (NPN): The Working Committee, Joint Tribes Council Manipur (WC-JTCM) on Thursday announced its decision to boycott Manipur chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh’s proposed visit to the Makhan Relief Camp in Kangpokpi district on August 8, where displaced Liangmai Naga villagers from Kansakhul are sheltered.
According to sources, the chief minister is scheduled to tour Kangpokpi district on August 8 to meet leaders of civil society groups as part of his government’s peace initiative. During the visit, he is expected to interact with displaced Konsakhul villagers, mostly women and children, taking refuge at Makhan Relief Camp. The camp currently shelters around 35 internally displaced persons affected by tensions following the abduction and murder of six Naga villagers by Kuki armed groups.
Meanwhile, Kuki organisations under the Unified Command (a conglomerate of armed groups under suspension of operation) had earlier resolved to invite the chief minister to Kangpokpi headquarters on the same day for a reception aimed at easing tribal tensions. In a statement, the WC-JTCM said it opposed the chief minister’s visit to the relief camp, insisting that justice for the six slain Liangmai Naga men must be delivered before any official programme is undertaken in Naga areas.
“We categorically and unequivocally state that the WC-JTCM does not approve of this visit at this juncture,” the statement read. The apex body of Inpui, Liangmai, Rongmei and Zeme tribes alleged that more than 84 days have passed since the abduction and killing of the six Liangmai hostages at Leilon (Vaiphei) village on May 13, 2026. Their mortal remains still lie unclaimed at the JNIMS morgue, Imphal, with no arrests made and no investigation concluded.
The WC-JTCM maintained that under such circumstances, any official programme in Naga areas would be inappropriate until justice is secured for the victims’ families.
“Justice first, then everything else,” it asserted, urging Naga people, civil society organisations and community leaders to abstain from participating in the programme and to boycott all engagements that bypass the collective will of the Naga community.
It further called upon Naga leaders, village authorities and organisations to refrain from meeting government officials for development projects, relief assistance or political dialogue until the larger interests of all Naga communities are addressed. “No individual or group shall speak for the Nagas without the collective mandate of the people. Let it be known that our silence is not for sale, and our patience is not without limit,” the statement added. Notably, if the visit materialises, it will be the chief minister’s second trip to the camp. He had earlier visited on May 28, before the discovery of the mutilated remains of the six hostages, and assured that the missing men would be traced soon.