Imphal, July 21: The Foothills Naga Coordination Committee (FNCC) has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Governor of Manipur, strongly opposing the continued presence and proposed relocation of Suspension of Operations (SoO) camps of Kuki militant groups within and around Naga ancestral territories. The committee contends that the existence of these camps, along with the SoO agreement itself, poses a serious threat to communal harmony, constitutional order, and national security in Manipur.
The FNCC warned that no SoO camps—whether existing or proposed—should be permitted within Naga-inhabited areas without the informed consent of the local Naga population. Specific areas such as Kharam Vaiphei and Kotlen were cited as historically and culturally significant to the Nagas. The committee stated that any attempt to establish camps in these locations would be regarded as provocation and aggression, potentially triggering communal unrest worse than the violence seen on May 3, 2023.
Tracing the history of the SoO pact, the FNCC noted that it began as a bilateral arrangement on August 1, 2005, and was converted into a tripartite agreement in 2008 between the Government of India, the Manipur Government, and Kuki militant groups, notably the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF). However, the committee claimed that the agreement has failed to achieve its intended goals and has instead empowered militant groups to commit violent and criminal acts with impunity.
In its memorandum, the FNCC laid out five major demands:
- Immediate dismantling of all SoO camps located in or near Naga territories.
- Total abrogation and non-renewal of the SoO agreement with KNO, UPF, and all Kuki militant groups involved in violations.
- Immediate halt to the construction of roads such as the “German” and “Tiger” roads, which the FNCC claims infringe upon Naga territorial rights.
- Formation of a high-level inquiry commission to investigate all violations committed under the SoO framework.
- Any attempt to create Separate Administration for Kukis should not touch an inch of Naga ancestral territories.
The FNCC accused Kuki militants of repeatedly breaching the terms of the SoO pact, pointing to numerous incidents of violence—including kidnappings, arson, extortion, land encroachment, and attacks on civilians—between March 2023 and July 2025. These incidents, the committee alleged, represent a coordinated campaign of territorial aggression, ethnic domination, and demographic manipulation.
The committee also claimed that SoO camps have become operational hubs for militant expansion, intimidation, and illicit activities, including widespread poppy cultivation, especially in Naga areas such as Makhan and Leikhampokpi.
Despite what it termed as “well-documented violations,” the FNCC criticized the regular annual renewal of the SoO agreement without accountability. The group blamed both the central and state governments for pursuing what it described as dangerous appeasement policies that have emboldened lawlessness and weakened faith in democratic governance.
The memorandum urged the Prime Minister to take urgent and firm action to dismantle SoO camps near Naga areas, permanently abrogate the agreement, and stop any administrative or infrastructural encroachments such as the German and Tiger roads. It also called for legal accountability for all violations under the SoO framework through a central inquiry commission.
Reaffirming the Naga people’s commitment to peace, the FNCC emphasized that while they have always upheld the values of coexistence and dialogue, they will not allow their land, dignity, and security to be undermined. The memorandum concluded as a call for justice, a return to constitutional order, and the protection of a community that, according to the FNCC, “has endured far too long in silence.”
