Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: The central and Manipur governments combined forces to push 1,556.53 crore rupees into relief and housing. This cash covers survivors of the violence that ripped through the state on May 3, 2023. About 60,000 people lost their homes. Right now, 24,000 refugees still live in camps. Another 36,000 people have managed to return or find new housing.
The Home Department confirms the Centre put up 789.72 crore while the state added 768.81 crore. Money flowed between August 2023 and May 2026. Officials spent 111 crore just to keep the camps running. This paid for food, hygiene kits, and TVs. The Centre also authorized 122.17 crore for 3,000 temporary shelters and 119 crore for permanent housing. Another 217.14 crore went toward general recovery.
Compensation reached those who lost everything. The government handed out 70 crore to 7,000 families to cover destroyed property. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh noted the ongoing struggle, as the state provides monthly cash to 59,000 displaced people because they "continue to face serious livelihood difficulties."
District authorities handled the state funds. They dispersed 48.01 crore across 11 districts like Imphal West, Imphal East, Churachandpur, and Kangpokpi. Churachandpur grabbed the biggest slice of the electronics budget with 1.17 crore for television sets. Farmers also got help. The state distributed crop assistance in several phases starting February 2024 to keep local agriculture alive.
Updated at 10th September 2026 at 6:00pm
Compensation for household losses was split evenly between families whose homes were completely leveled and those facing only partial damage. The central government also provided specific funding to backfill the relief camp tab: 45.35 crore for running operations, 32.35 crore to cover past bills, and 5.88 crore in advance payments. Another 44.60 crore was earmarked for nutrition and hygiene supplies.
Farmers hit by the conflict saw a second wave of support in October 2024, when the government pushed out a 13.30 crore crop package to district officials. Chandel district pulled in an additional 32.95 lakh specifically for its agricultural recovery. State records note that some of these housing and cash payments were eventually reimbursed by the Centre.
Updated at 11th September 2026 at 1:48pm
Political friction reached a breaking point on September 10, when Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho boycotted a Cabinet meeting at the Civil Secretariat. Dikho, acting on the position of the Naga Legislators Forum, declared it inappropriate to sit with Nemcha Kipgen, a BJP minister from Kangpokpi. He alleged that Kipgen breached her oath of office by sharing state secrets with her husband, Thangboi Kipgen, whom he identified as the president of the Kuki National Front.
Dikho laid out severe accusations against the couple, claiming they actively fueled division rather than peace. He cited the deaths of six Naga civilians, whose bodies he claimed remain unclaimed in a morgue, and slammed the state for failing to act against those involved in the violence. While Dikho remains on the job, his absence signals deep fractures within the government, even as Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh moved forward with the meeting alongside other senior officials and ministers.
Updated at 11th September 2026 at 5:49pm
Dikho, a Naga People Front legislator representing the Mao constituency, tied his move to a wider consensus within the Naga Legislators Forum. The boycott stems from his claim that Thangboi Kipgen, the husband of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, leads the Kuki National Front (Presidential) militant faction. Dikho referred to Thangboi as Gen. Tiger Kipgen.
The fallout centers on accusations of state compromise. Dikho claims Nemcha Kipgen violated her constitutional oath by leaking state secrets to her husband. He blasted the state leadership for maintaining silence on these claims and for what he calls a failure to address the killings of six Naga citizens, whose remains stay in the morgue.
Updated at 11th September 2026 at 9:51pm
Political fault lines are shifting. On September 7, Naga and Meitei civil society groups formed an unlikely alliance, demanding the state cancel the Suspension of Operations pact with Kuki armed factions. This coalition includes the Manipur Naga Youth Organization, Zeliangrong Union, Meitei Alliance, and the Meetei/Meitei Tribe Union. They argue that the government must prosecute cadres involved in criminal activity rather than granting them immunity under the existing peace framework.
The Kuki National Organisation and United People Front fired back, rejecting any return to the pre-conflict status quo. The groups formally requested a Union Territory with a legislature under Article 239A of the Constitution to manage their own land and security. They also slammed calls for an NRC update based on a 1951 baseline, labeling the proposed move a targeted effort to exclude their community from the electoral rolls.
Violence remains a daily reality for those moving goods. The Sadar Hills Inland Transporters and Drivers Union reported that truckers are being pelted with stones and bricks during an ongoing economic blockade on state highways. Union president Samson Kipgen warned that these attacks on essential supply lines act as a direct challenge to the authority of the government.
Security forces are stepping up pressure on armed camps. Operations near Gampum and Phaibong recently resulted in the arrest of eight cadres and the seizure of automatic weapons. These raids target Kuki formations that officials claim have violated established ground rules, further inflaming the dispute between state authorities and militant leadership.
Updated at 12th September 2026 at 1:48pm
The Manipur Drivers Association (MDA) has joined the push against highway violence, aligning with the Sadar Hills Inland Transporters and Drivers Union to call for an immediate government response. MDA General Secretary Sanjoy Kshetrimayum announced a steering down strike for oil tanker drivers following an ambush in Noney that injured five men and trashed 20 vehicles. With roughly 200 fuel tankers and cargo trucks currently sitting idle at Keithelmanbi, the transport sector is near collapse.
Drivers stuck on the Imphal-Jiribam route report that road rot has pushed travel times to 20 days. Beyond the stone-throwing and blockades, operators face persistent extortion and illegal tax collection, even when security escorts are supposedly present. The unions are now demanding the state deploy a dedicated Highway Protection Force and ramp up regular road opening operations to clear the routes and protect their crews.
Updated at 12th September 2026 at 5:48pm
Official state records now place the death toll at 306 since the violence ignited in May 2023, with another 49 people still missing. The human cost continues to climb as political and civil society groups ramp up pressure on the government to dismantle existing peace frameworks.
Security forces conducted a sweep in the Thangjing Ridge area on September 11, pulling an arsenal out of the brush. The haul included two 82 mm mortars, a rocket, an MP5 with a scope, four carbines, and an assortment of rifles, mortar bombs, and radio gear. The same day, a joint team at Munpi village picked up three armed cadres and seized five assault rifles along with nearly 300 rounds of ammo.
Border security remains a front line concern. Police and Assam Rifles caught a 36-year-old Myanmar national near Border Pillar 41 on Friday. They cuffed the man after finding 11 soap cases stuffed with roughly 154 grams of suspected heroin in his possession. Authorities are moving forward with criminal proceedings against the suspect.
Updated at 12th September 2026 at 9:51pm
The All Manipur Petroleum Products Drivers Association upped the ante on Saturday, holding a sit-in at the Malom Oil Depot gate. The move follows the September 10 ambush in Noney, where drivers reported stones raining down on their petroleum convoy. Injured driver Aheibam Punsi, who took a blow to the head, described a scene of pure panic as the convoy rolled into the danger zone.
Drivers are now calling out specific security failures. They want a departmental inquiry into why CRPF personnel allegedly ordered the tankers to press forward through Noney Bridge without first cutting a deal with protesters or securing the route. Union members are refusing to get back behind the wheel until they receive written safety assurances backed by a formal Gazette notification. Their demands also include unconditional compensation for the medical bills and the wreckage left behind in Noney, along with a total overhaul of the standard operating procedures for escorting essential goods.
Updated at 13th September 2026 at 1:47am
Security pressure intensified along the border in Chandel district after an Assam Rifles team recovered a hidden cache near Border Pillar 54. Following an eight hour search operation that stretched into the early morning of September 12, troops pulled three Pompis, six single-barrel rifles, three carbines, two Lathod guns, two hand grenades, and two improvised explosive devices from the brush. The seizure follows intelligence reports identifying the area as a staging ground for concealed weapons.
Police also identified the three suspects detained at Munpi village on September 11. The men, ages 25 to 35, include locals from Munpi, Nungrai, and Nghathal villages. Authorities seized five assault rifles and nearly 300 rounds of ammo during that sweep. Investigations are still picking through the networks behind these caches to determine who planned to use the firepower.
Updated at 13th September 2026 at 9:47am
The United Naga Council (UNC) officially took credit for the escalating supply chain chaos, confirming they launched the economic blockade across NH-2, NH-37, NH-202, and NH-102A on September 9. While the UNC insists they exempted vehicles carrying medical, power, water, and telecom supplies, transporters on the ground see it differently. Drivers stuck at the New Keithelmanbi gridlock report the situation has spiraled into a humanitarian disaster for those behind the wheel.
Drivers are speaking out about the relentless toll of the job. Purushottam Kumar, a trucker from Bihar, described a ten-day ordeal trapped in the blockade, ignored by authorities while facing constant harassment. The unions are now naming the UNC's movement as the specific catalyst for the current standstill. Even with these new revelations, MDA General Secretary Sanjoy Kshetrimayum signaled a willingness to talk, stating, "While the UNC's grievances regarding the killing of six Naga civilians may be legitimate, targeting drivers who transport essential commodities for the state is deeply unfortunate."
Updated at 13th September 2026 at 10:16am
Security forces expanded their dragnet beyond the border regions, nabbing nine insurgents linked to the PLA, UNLF, PREPAK, and KKL in a 24-hour blitz. In Imphal West, police tracked down PLA cadre Angom Jeeten Singh, 55, who led them to a hidden stash at Phayeng Awang Leikai containing eight TNT slabs, seven live bombs, and 10 detonators. Another raid in the same district landed Pukhrambam John Singh, 39, who authorities claim was moving black-market weaponry for PREPAK.
Recruitment and extortion rackets also took a hit. In Imphal East, commandos caught 19-year-old Moirangthem Sanathoi Meitei, accused of enlisting fighters for the RPF/PLA since August. Thoubal and Tengnoupal operations pulled in three more suspected UNLF and KYKL cadres, including a self-styled 2nd Lieutenant, Thoudam Ibungo Meitei, 46, seized near Heirok. In a separate incident on September 10, police arrested Sheleibam Yaima, 56, for allegedly opening fire on CRPF troops in Imphal West, leading to the seizure of his vehicle.
Updated at 13th September 2026 at 2:02pm
While security forces locked down combatants, the 33 Assam Rifles pivoted to community outreach in Irengbam village. Troops distributed 22 sewing machines under a Civic Action Programme intended to bolster local livelihoods through skill development. Village Sarpanch Gopen noted, "We would like to thank the 33 Assam Rifles for providing these sewing machines. On behalf of my village, I extend my sincere thanks. This is a great help to our village. Around 22 people received this help."
Intelligence reports further clarified the insurgent dragnet. Authorities confirmed the three suspects nabbed at Munpi village were affiliated with the United Socialist Revolutionary Army. Officials also detailed that the teenager arrested in Imphal East, Moirangthem Sanathoi Meitei, was specifically tasked with scouting new talent for the RPF/PLA since August 2026. The sweep in Thoubal netted a self-styled 2nd Lieutenant of the UNLF, Khundongbam Motilal Singh, while Bishnupur commandos hauled in a KYKL operative named Khoirakpam Rameshwor Singh.
Updated at 13th September 2026 at 5:48pm
Investigators pinpointed the attack to Khonghampat Awang Leikai around 5:20 pm on September 10, where a group of gunmen unleashed several rounds at CRPF troops. While Sheleibam Yaima, 56, was cuffed on Friday and handed over to Sekmai police, he is currently cooling his heels in an eight-day police remand as investigators hunt for his accomplices.
Police seized the getaway vehicle, a Maruti Alto with registration MN05A-9332, during the arrest. A search of the car turned up a single empty cartridge, providing a fresh lead in the ongoing probe into the ambush.
Updated at 14th September 2026 at 9:47am
Security forces tightened their grip on the Chandel border on September 12. A joint operation by Chandel Police and 1 Assam Rifles unearthed a fresh stash of war gear between Border Pillars 53 and 54. The haul included four single-barrel guns, two .22 rifles, five rounds of 7.62 ammunition, two .22 rounds, and five detonators.
Imphal West turned into a pressure cooker on September 13 as police and Assam Rifles teams picked up three suspected insurgents in separate raids. Thangjam Sanatomba Singh, 26, was cuffed in Moidangpok for alleged ties to the KCP (PWG). In Takyel Khongbal, authorities nabbed 26-year-old Sanjenbam Albert Meetei on extortion charges linked to the KCP (Apunba). A third operation in Patsoi Unik-Khong Bazar landed Khongbantabam Inao Singh, 48, a PRE-PAK (PRO) member also accused of shaking down locals. Officers seized 18,500 rupees in cash and a phone from the suspects.
Updated at 14th September 2026 at 2:01pm
A grenade blast rocked the area near the State Assembly in Chingmeirong on Sunday evening. The explosion shattered windows and tore through parked civilian vehicles at the Mazo Hub retail store, though no casualties were reported. Forensic teams are currently combing the scene for evidence.
The National Revolutionary Front Manipur has claimed credit for the September 10 ambush on the 152 Battalion of the CRPF. In a statement released by information secretary Sanajaoba Meitei, the outfit asserted that its armed wing carried out the strike on the Imphal-Dimapur highway. The group claims three CRPF personnel were wounded in the crossfire.
Authorities also tightened the net on extortion rackets in Imphal East. Commandos and 31st Assam Rifles troops collared Phijam Chingtam Meitei and Hijam Nanao Meitei in the Phaknung area. Officials accuse the pair of shaking down local businesses for illegal taxes.
Updated at 14th September 2026 at 5:48pm
Security pressure reached into the Thoubal district on September 13. A joint team from the Lilong Police Station and Thoubal commandos raided Lilong Usoipokpi, hauling in 66-year-old Bibi Leihan and 40-year-old Md. Faroque. Officers pulled 182 SP capsules and 133 grams of heroin, split between a soap case and 91 separate vials, off the pair.
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