The Foothills Naga Coordination Committee (FNCC) has rejected allegations made by the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) regarding the burning of Meitei and Naga houses at Chingmang Leimakhong, accusing the Kuki-Zo organisation of spreading misinformation and attempting to mislead the public.
In a statement issued on July 12, the FNCC described COTU’s account of the July 11 incident as “malicious, misleading and fabricated”. The committee alleged that the organisation had repeatedly circulated false narratives since the outbreak of the ethnic conflict in Manipur.
The Naga body denied allegations that members of the Naga community were responsible for the arson, claiming that the accusation was a deliberate attempt to divert attention from those actually involved. It asserted that “credible video evidence, eyewitness accounts and other material evidence” indicated that the houses belonging to Meitei and Naga families at Chingmang Leimakhong were allegedly set on fire by “Kuki refugees”.
According to the FNCC, despite the alleged existence of such evidence, COTU continued to promote what it termed a fabricated narrative to protect those responsible and influence public opinion.
The committee also questioned the consistency of statements issued by Kuki civil society organisations. Referring to an earlier incident involving the killing of six Naga hostages, it alleged that a prominent Kuki leader had initially described the killings as occurring in “an emotional outburst” before withdrawing the statement the following day. The FNCC claimed such contradictions weakened the credibility of Kuki organisations and highlighted the need for an impartial investigation.
Calling for an independent and transparent inquiry, the committee said accountability should be determined solely on the basis of evidence rather than “propaganda or manufactured narratives”. It also urged the Manipur government and investigating agencies to ensure that the probe proceeds without yielding to “pressure, intimidation or misinformation”.
The FNCC appealed to the public to reject misinformation and communal hatred while supporting efforts aimed at ensuring truth, justice and lasting peace in the region.
The allegations made by the FNCC could not be independently verified, and COTU had not issued an immediate response.
