Tensions are escalating in Manipur as Naga organizations voice strong opposition to the relocation of Kuki-Zo camps, particularly in areas they consider their ancestral lands. The extension of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement between the Central Government and Kuki-Zo militant groups has further fueled the controversy.

The Foothills Naga Coordination Committee (FNCC), representing Nagas living on the periphery of the Imphal Valley, has been at the forefront of these protests. They claim that the renewed agreement would lead to the shifting of Kuki-Zo armed groups from the Thingsat camp under the Kangpokpi police station to Kharam Vaiphei village, which they assert is Naga ancestral land. The FNCC has strongly condemned this reported shift, warning of potential violence and holding the government accountable for any Kuki-Naga clashes. They view the presence and proposed relocation of these camps as a serious threat to communal harmony, constitutional order, and national security in the state.

The FNCC has made it clear that no SoO camps, whether existing or proposed, should be allowed within Naga-inhabited areas without the knowledge and informed consent of the Naga people. They specifically mentioned the regions of Kharam Vaiphei and Kotlen as part of historically and culturally significant Naga territories. The committee warned that any attempt to establish camps in these areas would be seen as an act of provocation and aggression, likely to incite communal unrest.

Adding to the complexity of the situation, the FNCC has been enforcing an "indefinite bandh" against the movement of Kukis within the foothill regions of Naga-inhabited areas. This blockade has also impacted key roads between Kuki-dominated districts, further exacerbating tensions. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the areas inhabited by the Nagas overlap with those where the Kukis reside.

The Naga's apprehension stems from reports suggesting an agreement between the Home Ministry and Kuki-Zo militant groups to relocate at least seven camps from near Meitei-populated areas to "Naga territories". The FNCC views this as undermining the rights of the Naga people. They argue that the SoO agreement itself poses a threat to communal harmony and national security.

The Kuki-Zo organizations have clarified that while restrictions on the movement of Meitei and Kuki-Zo people into each other's territory remain, the highway was never closed to vehicles carrying essential goods.

In a related development, another Naga group, the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), denounced the UNC's "indefinite economic blockade" ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the State. The UNC is opposed to the border fencing as Nagas believe the boundary was imposed by the British to divide the Naga homeland straddling Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Nagaland, and Myanmar's Sagaing Division.