Manipur Tensions Ignite as Highway Blockade Triggers Arson and Violent Clashes

Imphal: Manipur is reeling from a brutal expansion of violence. What began as a Meitei-Kuki conflict has spiralled into a volatile triangle involving Naga communities, centered on the strategic Kangpokpi district. The crisis deepened on May 13, when Rev. Dr. Vumthang Sitlhou, Rev. Kaigoulun, and Pastor Paogoulen were ambushed and killed on the Kotlen-Kotzim road. The Thadou Students’ Association (TSA) slammed the state government for administrative failure, demanding a National Investigation Agency probe.

The situation exploded further when 28 Kukis and 20 Nagas were abducted in Senapati and Kangpokpi. While 14 Kukis were eventually released, the bodies of six missing Naga abductees were recovered near Leilon Vaiphei on June 9. The Foothills Naga Coordination Committee (FNCC) and the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) remain locked in a war of accusations, trading blame over the killings and subsequent property destruction.

A 46-day blockade on National Highways 2 and 37 paralyzed the district, with basic supplies like rice and fuel hitting black-market prices of 5,000 rupees. Though CoTU briefly lifted the blockade on June 22 following security assurances from the Kangpokpi Superintendent of Police, tensions erupted again on July 11 at Leimakhong. Protesters clashed with those enforcing blockade checkpoints, resulting in arson at Chingmang Leimakhong. CoTU accused Kacha Naga individuals of burning Meitei homes, while the FNCC rejected these claims as “malicious, misleading and fabricated,” alleging that “video evidence, eyewitness accounts and other material evidence” pointed to Kuki refugees.

CoTU further criticized Inner Manipur MP Bimol Akoijam, claiming his presence at the Leimakhong site stoked public anger. Meanwhile, the Naga People’s Organisation and its affiliates continue to demand the arrest of the Leilon Vaiphei village chief, further complicating the standoff. Amid these competing narratives, civil society groups are urging the government to prioritize impartial investigations. The state remains on high alert as the cycle of retaliatory violence threatens to harden these new tribal divides into a long-term conflict.