National Highway Area Village Councils Forum submit memorandum to interlocutor AK Mishra

Forum demands action against armed faction involved in Unity Village incident, calls for amendment of Ceasefire Ground Rules

Members of the National Highway Area Village Councils’ Forum, a body comprising 13 villages along the highway belt, submitted a memorandum today to the District Administration in Chümoukedima, requesting that it be forwarded to AK Mishra, Interlocutor for the Naga Peace Talks. The memorandum comes in the wake of what the Forum described as a grave security lapse and violation of ceasefire ground rules by armed cadres of the NSCN (Khango) faction.

The Forum was formed following a violent incident on May 23, 2025, in Unity Village, where “some 30-odd armed cadres of the faction entered a private compound and attempted to assassinate one of their rival functionaries.”

According to the memorandum, “these cadres fired indiscriminately, thereby causing panic and fear psychosis in the minds of the villagers.” Several of the perpetrators were identified from CCTV footage, and their names have been mentioned in the FIR filed by the Unity Village Council.

The Forum acknowledged the swift response from the Ceasefire Monitoring Supervisory Board, which, upon receiving the complaint, coordinated with local police and the Assam Rifles to raid the residence of the alleged mastermind, Khekato Kinimi. However, the memorandum noted that “he was not present… since he, along with the other identified perpetrators, had taken refuge in the designated Ceasefire Monitoring Office,” which security forces could not enter “because of restrictions contained in the Ceasefire Ground Rules.”

Calling the incident “not the first time identified criminals have taken refuge in the designated Ceasefire Monitoring Offices of the various factions,” the Forum submitted five key demands to the Interlocutor.

The first demand is for crimes to be treated according to the law, regardless of whether the offenders belong to political groups. The perpetrators of the Unity Village firing should be immediately arrested and prosecuted without further delay.

The Forum also stressed the need for strict enforcement of the ceasefire ground rules. Armed cadres should not be allowed to roam in uniform, bear arms, or engage in illegal taxation, extortion, or abductions.

Abolition of all Ceasefire Monitoring Offices was also called for, with the assertion that these spaces have become “safe havens for criminals.” All armed cadres, it said, must be relocated strictly to their designated camps.

Another key appeal was for security forces to be empowered to enter any location — including factional offices or camps — to apprehend known offenders. For this, amendments to the existing ground rules are required.

Finally, the Forum reminded the Interlocutor that the Naga peace talks had been declared concluded on October 31, 2019, as stated by former interlocutor RN Ravi on the floor of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. “We demand that a logical conclusion be brought about without any delay so that the people of Nagaland can live normal lives like any of their fellow citizens in the rest of the country,” the Forum stated.

In a show of solidarity, the Highway Area Village Councils Federation also observed a six-hour shutter-down strike in protest against “violations of ceasefire ground rules and atrocities created by various NPGs.”

In support of the demand, the Mokokchung Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Zunheboto Town GBs Association displayed black flags on June 11 across commercial establishments in Mokokchung and Zunheboto Town respectively as a mark of protest.

MT