The Foothills Naga Co-ordination Committee (FNCC) on Tuesday expressed shock over press statements issued by certain Kuki civil society organisations regarding the alleged arson at what was described as K. Songlung village, terming the claims as false, misleading and misreported by sections of the media.

In a clarification, the FNCC stated that the incident in question involved the dismantling and razing of at least three farmhouses near the Waphong Inthan area, an action reportedly claimed by the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) as part of its ongoing drive against illicit poppy cultivation and related activities.

According to the FNCC, the structures were being used by individuals engaged in large-scale poppy cultivation, employing several labourers.

The committee категорically denied assertions made by the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), the Sadar Hills Chiefs’ Association and the Committee on Tribal Unity that a village named “K. Songlung” or “K. Songlung (II)” was set on fire. It maintained that no such village exists, either on the ground or in official records.

Citing the Manipur (Hill Areas Village Authority) Act, 1956, the FNCC pointed out that a village must have a minimum of 20 households to be legally recognised. It further stated that there is no mention of K. Songlung (II) in the Manipur Gazette, and that the site comprised only temporary and rudimentary structures erected for poppy cultivation on Naga ancestral land.
According to the FNCC, the land historically belonged to an Inpui village known as Tamphoimon. The original Inpui inhabitants reportedly abandoned the area during the Kuki rebellion of 1918, after which the land remained under the care and jurisdiction of Waphong Inthan Inpui village. The committee alleged that individuals identified as Kukis arrived in the area only in early 2017, constructed two temporary farmhouses and began poppy cultivation on surrounding hill slopes, causing forest destruction and laying claim to the land.

The FNCC further stated that despite repeated warnings and appeals from the state government and other organisations to desist from poppy cultivation and illegal settlement, such activities continued unabated. It asserted that the recent action was directed solely against illegal farmhouses linked to poppy plantations and not against any recognised village or civilian settlement.

While clarifying that it does not condone or encourage the destruction of villages, the FNCC reiterated its firm opposition to illicit poppy cultivation, describing it as a serious social, moral and security threat to the region. It expressed regret over the loss of property but maintained that the affected site was ancestral Inpui land and not a Kuki village called K. Songlung.