The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) has expressed profound sorrow and anger over the death of 20-year-old Nengtinlhing Haokip, a Kuki-Zo woman who died from injuries sustained during the ethnic violence in Manipur. The forum described her death as a painful symbol of the continued suffering faced by the Kuki-Zo community since the outbreak of the conflict.
In a statement issued to the press, the ITLF alleged that Nengtinlhing was abducted in the early days of the unrest from an ATM kiosk in Imphal’s New Checkon area by a Meitei women’s group known as the Meira Paibis. The forum further claimed that she was subsequently handed over to members of Arambai Tenggol with directions to kill her.
According to the statement, she was taken to Langgol, where she was sexually assaulted, before being abandoned in Bishnupur and left to die. Although she initially survived, the ITLF said she endured serious physical injuries, deep psychological trauma, and severe uterine complications. She was later moved to Guwahati for advanced medical care, where she passed away on January 10, 2026.
The ITLF said her death highlighted what it described as a larger pattern of targeted violence against the Kuki-Zo people, including killings, sexual assaults, torture, arson, and forced displacement from the Imphal Valley. The forum alleged that houses were destroyed, churches vandalized, and communities forcibly divided along ethnic lines.
Maintaining that peaceful coexistence under a shared administrative system with the Meitei community was no longer feasible, the ITLF once again called for a separate administrative arrangement for the Kuki-Zo people to safeguard their security, dignity, and future.
As a tribute to the deceased, the forum announced a candlelight vigil to be held on Saturday at 5 pm at the Wall of Remembrance. The ITLF invited the public to participate in honoring Nengtinlhing Haokip and to stand in solidarity with all victims of the ongoing violence.
