One week after armed men abducted a group of Naga civilians in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, the fate of six missing men remains unknown, deepening fears of fresh ethnic unrest in the violence-hit state.
Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam today appealed to the captors to release all innocent hostages, admitting that authorities still have no information about the missing men.
The abductions took place on May 13 against the backdrop of growing tension in the hill districts. Earlier that day, three church leaders from the Thadou-Kuki community were killed in an ambush in Kangpokpi district. Following the killings, 18 Naga civilians, including women, couples and at least two pastors, were reportedly abducted from Leilon Vaiphei village while travelling towards Konsakhul (Konsaram), a Liangmai Naga village.
According to survivors who were later released, the group was intercepted by armed Kuki militants or villagers. Twelve of the abducted civilians were eventually freed through local negotiations and community pressure, but six men are still missing.
Naga organisations identified the missing persons as Rev. Dr. Manu Thiumai (45), Phenrongwi Thiumai (43), Phenrilung Chawang (36), Kaliwangbou Abonmai (23), Pastor Kenpibou (28), and Dilip Thiumai (33). All are residents of Konsakhul or nearby areas.
Families of the missing men and Naga community leaders said there has been no proof of life so far.
“No lead yet,” Konthoujam said while appealing for the unconditional release of all civilians held hostage across ethnic lines. Earlier, he had said that more than 38 people from Naga and Kuki-Zo communities were initially held in reciprocal abductions. Civil society groups and political leaders reportedly worked through backchannel talks to secure releases. Some reports said around 14 people from each side were freed, but the six Nagas remain untraced.
The incident has triggered strong protests across Naga-dominated hill districts. On May 20, thousands of women under the banner of the Naga Women’s Union (NWU) and allied organisations staged sit-in protests in Senapati, Ukhrul, Kangpokpi and Imphal East districts.
Protesters blocked roads and raised slogans demanding “Bring Them Home Alive.” They also accused security forces of failing to act despite the presence of central forces near the abduction sites.
The United Naga Council initially set deadlines for the government to secure the release of the hostages. The deadlines were later extended before the organisation announced economic blockades on national highways passing through Naga areas.
The All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur also demanded that the six missing men be produced “dead or alive” and rejected claims made by Kuki Inpi Manipur that it had no information about the incident.
Released Naga women reportedly claimed that armed Kuki elements were directly involved in the abductions and that some survivors saw the six men being separated from the larger group.
The latest crisis has once again highlighted the fragile ethnic situation in Manipur. The conflict between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, which began in May 2023 over issues such as Scheduled Tribe status, land rights and political representation, has already left hundreds dead and displaced tens of thousands.
Although the violence largely began as a valley-versus-hills conflict between Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups, Naga communities have increasingly become involved due to overlapping territorial claims, competition over resources and old ethnic tensions dating back to the 1990s.
Naga groups have also demanded the removal of certain Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements, alleging that some armed groups linked to Kuki factions have become more powerful under the arrangements.
The Manipur government led by Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh is facing criticism from multiple sides over the deteriorating security situation. Search operations by central forces are continuing, but tensions remain high in several villages, including Sapermeina, where Kuki women have reportedly blocked security access while demanding the release of members from their own community allegedly held by Naga groups.
