Tuithaphai, August 1, 2025: The Hmar Inpui (Hmar Supreme House) General Headquarters has issued a strong statement condemning the arrest of two Hmar brothers - Thanglienlal Hmar and Lalrosang Hmar-from Moinathol village, Cachar district, Assam. The arrest, made jointly by Assam Police and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on July 31, has triggered serious concerns over alleged procedural lapses and violation of constitutional rights.
The brothers, both daily wage earners with no known criminal background, have been accused by the NIA as key conspirators in the abduction and murder of three women and three children in Jiribam, Manipur, in November 2024. NDTV also named them as suspects in the case. However, the Hmar Inpui stressed that Thanglienlal Hmar, who also serves as an elder in the Independent Church of India, and his brother had no prior link to criminal activity.
Calling the arrest arbitrary and hastily executed under judicial pressure - just weeks after the Manipur High Court demanded a status report from the NIA - the Hmar Inpui questioned the credibility of the investigation and highlighted the broader issue of institutional overreach and ethnic targeting.
The statement emphasized that the arrests take place amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Manipur, now in its third year, which has seen widespread ethnic violence largely affecting the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar communities. The Hmar Inpui warned that the continued marginalization and repression of these communities risk further destabilizing the region.
“The targeting of the Hmar people is not an isolated incident,” the statement read, “but part of a broader political strategy to suppress civil society and erode fundamental rights.”
Urging the immediate and unconditional release of the two men, Hmar Inpui demanded an end to what it described as “coercive, militarized tactics” and called on authorities to uphold justice, equity, and constitutional safeguards for all citizens, regardless of state or ethnicity.
The press release concluded with a call for peace and a dignified resolution to the political aspirations of the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar communities.
