Nagas stage mass rallies in Manipur to end ‘proxy war’, withdraw Assam Rifles

Naga groups rallied in Ukhrul and Kamjong to demand urgent intervention from the Centre in Manipur’s continuing political crisis. They wanted the alleged “proxy war” to end and Assam Rifles personnel withdrawn from Naga-inhabited areas. These demands show that the protest was about both immediate safety and wider political accountability.

The rallies followed firing on passenger vehicles along the Imphal–Ukhrul highway. Protesters displayed banners calling for an end to the alleged arming of Kuki militant groups. They also demanded that the Suspension of Operations agreement be abrogated and those groups be declared terrorist organisations.

The Tangkhul Naga Long and other organisations submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. TNL president Sword Vasum said the representation required serious attention, not routine handling. Protesters warned that continued violence and government inaction could harm people in both Manipur’s hills and valley.

The immediate trigger was gunfire directed at passenger vehicles on the Imphal–Ukhrul highway. The incident occurred between TM Kasom in Ukhrul district on Wednesday evening. Although nobody was reported killed or injured, the shooting created panic among people using the road.

The attack mattered because the highway is a route used by civilians travelling between areas of Manipur. TNL president Sword Vasum criticised the government for failing to guarantee safe movement, even along a stretch of barely five kilometres. He said people should be able to travel freely during both day and night.

The firing led Naga groups to hold rallies at the district headquarters of Ukhrul and Kamjong. Protesters connected the incident to broader concerns about repeated violence, alleged use of Kuki militants, and the role of Assam Rifles. They demanded urgent security and political action from the Centre.

The Nagas are an Indigenous ethnic community spread across parts of Northeast India and northwestern Myanmar. Manipur’s Tangkhul Nagas are one Naga group, concentrated especially in the state’s hill areas. The article presents them as a community seeking security, political recognition, and protection for Naga-inhabited areas.

The Tangkhul Naga Long, or TNL, is described as the apex body of the Tangkhul Nagas. It organised the rallies with other Tangkhul frontal organisations. Its president, Sword Vasum, spoke about highway security, alleged violence, and the responsibilities of the state government.

The United Naga Council, or UNC, provided the aegis under which the participating organisations acted. In general, such an umbrella body coordinates shared Naga positions across organisations. Here, it helped frame the demonstrations as a broader Naga response rather than only a local protest by Ukhrul or Kamjong residents.

The article does not provide a map or a complete list of affected districts. It does show that the crisis reaches beyond Ukhrul and Kamjong. The protest concerned the Imphal–Ukhrul highway, and TNL president Sword Vasum warned that government indifference would ultimately affect both Manipur’s hills and valley.

A concrete example is the shooting at passenger vehicles near TM Kasom in Ukhrul district. The route links the Imphal area with Ukhrul, so insecurity on it affects civilian movement beyond one district. The rallies themselves were held at two district headquarters, showing concern across more than one local area.

The current reality described is a wider Manipur crisis expressed through specific incidents. Repeated violence and killings have, according to Vasum, become normalised. The article does not quantify the conflict’s full geographic spread, but it clearly presents consequences for communities in both the hills and the valley.

The Assam Rifles is an Indian paramilitary force associated with security duties in Northeast India. In general, it operates under the Union government’s administrative framework while working closely with the Army on operations. The article focuses less on its formal structure than on its conduct in Manipur’s hill areas.

Naga leaders questioned why Assam Rifles personnel stationed close to violence-affected areas allegedly did not intervene when houses were being burnt and gunfire was reported. That allegation is the key mechanism behind the controversy: a force expected to provide security is accused of failing to protect civilians during violence.

The rallies therefore demanded withdrawal of Assam Rifles from Naga-inhabited areas. The article records the allegation and demand, not an independent finding about the force’s conduct. The dispute adds to wider distrust over security arrangements and increases pressure on authorities to explain how civilians will be protected.

A Suspension of Operations, or SoO, agreement is generally a formal ceasefire framework between a government and armed groups. It pauses offensive operations and sets conditions for contact, monitoring, designated locations, and political dialogue. Its purpose is to reduce fighting while negotiations continue, though the exact terms depend on the agreement.

In this article, protesters demanded that the SoO agreement be abrogated. They displayed placards calling for alleged Kuki militant groups to be disarmed or no longer covered by the arrangement, and for those groups to be declared terrorist organisations. These are protest demands, not findings established by the article.

The controversy reflects a basic tension in ceasefire policy. An agreement can create space for talks, but alleged violations or perceived political protection can undermine public trust. The article shows that Naga groups want the Centre and state government to change the current approach and address civilian security more forcefully.

A proxy war is an indirect conflict in which a government or larger actor supports armed groups to pursue goals without openly fighting itself. Support can include weapons, money, intelligence, protection, or political backing. The source does not establish that such a war is occurring; it reports Naga groups’ allegation that Kuki militants were used against other communities.

The mechanism is dangerous because armed groups may operate with blurred responsibility. Civilians can face attacks while authorities deny direct involvement or fail to control their alleged partners. In the article, protesters linked alleged arming of Kuki militant groups with violence against Indigenous people and demanded an end to that practice.

Such accusations can deepen ethnic mistrust and encourage retaliation. They can also weaken confidence in security forces and agreements such as SoO. The article reports repeated violence, killings, fear, and uncertainty among young people. It says unchecked instability could damage both the present and future generations.