The Zeliangrong United Front (S Kamson) has rejected the statements issued by the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) concerning the gunfire incident of January 8, which inaccurately sought to portray the situation as an act of intimidation against so-called “innocent villagers”, saying that such assertions are misleading and fail to reflect the factual circumstances prevailing on the ground. In a statement, ZUF (S Kamson) said that credible and verified inputs indicate the systematic establishment of fortified bunkers by Kuki underground outfits at village entry points, residential courtyards, and across the surrounding areas. It said that the deliberate militarization of these locations fundamentally contradicts any attempt to characterize them as purely civilian or non-combatant zones. The outfit expressed grave concern over the reported actions of KNF-P cadres, including the vandalization of public infrastructure such as the waiting shed and other properties belonging to Ireng Zeliangrong Inpui Naga Village, along with alleged threats to burn down the entire village and cause harm to its residents. Such actions constitute serious violations of law and order and represent a direct infringement upon indigenous land rights and public safety, it said.
ZUF reiterated that encroachment upon ancestral land, accompanied by intimidation, coercion, or the misrepresentation of indigenous status, cannot be legitimized through propaganda or force. The outfit will not remain a mute spectator to illegal encroachment, organised criminal activities, or the presence of illicit drug networks within its ancestral territory, it said. The outfit reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to safeguarding its people, land, and property from all forms of illegal encroachment. The ancestral heritage of the Zeliangrong Inpui people is inviolable, and not even an inch shall be conceded, it added.
