Manipur Naga Council bars Congress MP, two others for 7 years from public platforms

An apex body of Nagas in Manipur, the United Naga Council has barred Congress MP Alfred Arthur from public platforms for seven years. 

The other two are S. Kho John and Allyson Abonmai, who contested the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency as independents. 

They finished third and fourth behind Arthur and Kachui Timothy Zimik of the Naga People’s Front (NPF).

This decision was made during an emergency assembly on June 13, based on a resolution taken on May 29, 2024, in Chamdil, Manipur. 

The three individuals, from different tribes, were allegedly found to have defied the Council's position in the recent Lok Sabha elections. 

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All Naga units are directed to enforce this resolution immediately.

In a public notification on June 13, the United Naga Council (UNC) said it took action against the trio as they “purposively defied and failed to respect and honour the position“ of the UNC in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and “their wilful attempt to challenge the Naga peoples’ position and its spirit of unity”.

They “are hereby debarred from public platforms, and holding any position or leadership in the Naga society for a period of seven years with immediate effect,” the notification signed by H. James Hau, the information and publicity secretary of the UNC read.

The Naga body directed all its constituent units, subordinate or associate units and the Naga populace to uphold the resolution and enforce it accordingly in their respective jurisdiction.

Arthur and Zimik belong to the Tangkhul community while John is a Poumai and Abonmai a Liangmai.