Manipur ethnic strife shows no sign of abating

Saturday (May 3) marked the second year of the ongoing ethnic strife in Manipur, which began on this date in 2023. The violence that broke out between the majority Meiteis and tribal Kukis shows no signs of abating despite the imposition of President's rule on February 13.

To mark two years of continued violence, a statewide shutdown brought Manipur to a standstill on Saturday. According to reports from Imphal, markets were shut, public vehicles remained off the roads, and private offices remained closed in both the Meitei-dominated Imphal valley and Kuki-majority hill districts.

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, a Meitei civil society organisation, urged people to cease their work on May 3 to attend the public convention held to mark two years of violence, while the Zomi Students’ Federation and Kuki Students Organisation (KSO) in the hills also held similar processions.

While Imphal witnessed a candlelight vigil and a ‘People’s Convention’ at Khuman Lampak Stadium to honour the victims, the Kuki-Zo community observed a solemn ‘Day of Separation’ with memorial events at the Wall of Remembrance and Sehken Burial Site in Churachandpur.

In the national capital, the Kuki Students Organisation held protests at Jantar Mantar, marking the occasion as 'Separation Day'. The Kukis have been seeking a separate union territory status in tribal majority areas of Manipur. The Meiteis on their part claim that there is no technical term as "Kukis" and have called it as unconstitutional, seeking the Centre's intervention to get the term removed from Manipur's list of tribals.

The Meiteis also seek urgent NRC update in Manipur and termination of Suspension of Operations agreement with Kuki rebel groups. They have also sought free movement within the state. Violence in the state has claimed over 260 lives, injured more than 1,500, and displaced more than 70,000 people.

Attacks on villages and incidents of arson have been taking place on a regular basis across Manipur, despite Union Home Minister Amit Shah having claimed in Parliament on April 2 that no violence has been reported in Manipur in the past four months (referring to January-March period of 2025), and that the Home Ministry will soon convene a meeting of both the communities to find a lasting solution in the state.

However, Gampal and its hamlet Hayang in Kamjong district of Manipur were set on fire by unidentified arsonists on April 23. As a precautionary measure to prevent further escalation, the district administration had imposed a curfew in the entire jurisdiction.

On April 13, hundreds of Kuki-Zo community members gathered at the Thangjing Hill in Manipur’s Churachandpur district and staged demonstrations to prevent Meiteis from undertaking their annual pilgrimage to the “sacred site” situated on the hill. Violence had broken out after Meiteis had tried to climb the hill, as several Kuki protestors clashed with them.