On 3 May 2023,
ethnic violence
An ethnic conflict is a conflict between two or more ethnic groups. While the source of the conflict may be political, social, economic or religious, the individuals in conflict must expressly fight for their ethnic group's position within so ...
erupted in India's
north-eastern
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—eac ...
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
of
Manipur
Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...
between the
Meitei people
The Meitei people, also known as Meetei people,P.20: "historically, academically and conventionally Manipuri prominently refers to the Meetei people."P.24: "For the Meeteis, Manipuris comprise Meeteis, Lois, Kukis, Nagas and Pangal." are a Ti ...
, a majority that lives in the
Imphal Valley
Imphal Valley ( /ˈɪmpɑːl/; ) or Manipur Valley () is located in the Indian state of Manipur and is an irregular almost oval shaped canyon that was formed as a result of the multiple small rivers that originate from neighbouring hill regions ...
, and the
Kuki-Zo tribal community from the surrounding hills.
According to government figures, as of 22 November 2024, 258 people have been killed in the violence and 60,000 people have been displaced.
[90 more CAPF troops to be deployed in Manipur; total death toll of ethnic violence at 258: State security advisor](_blank)
The New Indian Express, 22 November 2024.[Manipur groups mark one year of conflict with cry for peace, justice](_blank)
The Hindu, 3 May 2024.[Manipur: 219 killed in ethnic violence since May, 10,000 FIRs registered, says governor](_blank)
Scroll.in, 29 February 2024. Earlier figures also mentioned over 1,000 injured, and 32 missing. 4,786 houses were burnt and 386 religious structures were vandalised, including temples and churches.
Unofficial figures are higher.
The proximate cause of the violence was a row over an
affirmative action
Affirmative action (also sometimes called reservations, alternative access, positive discrimination or positive action in various countries' laws and policies) refers to a set of policies and practices within a government or organization seeking ...
measure. On 14 April 2023, the Manipur High Court passed an order that seemingly recommended a
Scheduled Tribe status for the dominant Meitei community,
[Manipur HC directs state to recommend inclusion of Meetei/Meitei community in ST list](_blank)
Imphal Free Press, 19 April 2023.
[Schulu Duo]
ST status demand grows in Manipur: STDCM submits memorandum
Borderlens, 18 April 2023.
a decision later criticised by the
Supreme Court
In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
. On 3 May, the tribal communities held protest rallies against the Meitei demand for Scheduled Tribe status, while the Meitei community held counter-rallies and counter-blockades.
After one of these rallies, clashes broke out between Kuki and Meitei groups near the mutual border of the
Churachandpur
Churachandpur ( IPA: ''/tʃʊRVːˌtʃaːnɗpʊr/),'' locally known as Lamka is the second largest town in the Indian state of Manipur and the district headquarters of the Churachandpur district.
The name "Churachandpur" was transferred from ...
and
Bishnupur districts, followed by house burning.
Feelings were already inflamed prior to 3 May due to the policies of the state government headed by chief minister
N. Biren Singh, himself a Meitei, who was seen vilifying Kukis with vices such as "poppy cultivation", "forest encroachment", "drug smuggling", and harbouring "illegal immigrants".
Kukis had held a rally in March 2023 against his policies, and in another incident, burnt down a venue the chief minister was meant to inaugurate. The chief minister also patronised Meitei nationalist militias, named
Arambai Tenggol
Arambai Tenggol (Meitei language, Meitei for "dart wielding cavalry") is a Meitei people, Meitei activist organisation in the Indian state of Manipur founded by Manipur's titular king and Rajya Sabha member Leishemba Sanajaoba,Angshuman Chou ...
and
Meitei Leepun, which carried the flag for his policies and were primed to target the Kuki community.
[Explained: Who Are Meitei Radical Group Arambai Tenggol And Why Did They Summon Manipur Lawmakers?](_blank)
Outlook, 25 January 2024. "Reports suggest that the group enjoys the patronage of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba. The group's Facebook page displays images of its members interacting with the chief minister, emphasising the close ties." They were active in the 3 May rallies of the Meiteis.
Once initiated, the violence quickly spread to the Kuki-dominated
Churachandpur
Churachandpur ( IPA: ''/tʃʊRVːˌtʃaːnɗpʊr/),'' locally known as Lamka is the second largest town in the Indian state of Manipur and the district headquarters of the Churachandpur district.
The name "Churachandpur" was transferred from ...
town and the Meitei-dominated
Imphal Valley
Imphal Valley ( /ˈɪmpɑːl/; ) or Manipur Valley () is located in the Indian state of Manipur and is an irregular almost oval shaped canyon that was formed as a result of the multiple small rivers that originate from neighbouring hill regions ...
, targeting the minority community in each area. While the Kukis limited themselves to house-burning,
[Surinder Kaur]
Meitei Christians Caught in Middle of Manipur Violence
Christianity Today, 30 May 2023. “At least the Kukis had the burden to give safe passage to Meiteis before things went out of their hands, as the mob culture was growing on both sides. Unlike the Kukis who were massacred in the valley, there was no casualty of the Meiteis in the hills,” he said. the Meitei mobs in the valley, mobilising in thousands, engaged in wanton killing of Kuki civilians living amongst them, including students, officials, soldiers and even legislators.
[Hannah Ellis-Petersen, Aakash Hassan]
Video of women attacked in Manipur breaks silence on systematic gang rapes in India
The Guardian, 22 July 2023. "Yet the speed at which the violence suddenly took hold and spread across the state by early May took many by surprise as Meitei mobs quickly mobilised in their thousands and began setting fire to Kuki villages, and Kuki women who fell into their clutches were brutalised."[Shivnarayan Rajpurohit]
At least 36 dead in violence in Manipur; mob came with 'JCB, arms’
Newslaundry, 6 May 2023. "A tax assistant, a CRPF jawan and a class 10 student are said to be among those found dead."
According to
Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency ...
, 77 Kukis and 10 Meiteis died within the first week.
On 18 May, the 10 elected legislators belonging to the Kuki community unanimously demanded a 'separate administration' for Kukis, claiming that the Kukis could no longer live amongst the Meiteis. A month later, the influential Meitei civil body
COCOMI
, known professionally as Cocomi, is a Japanese model and flutist.
Personal life
Cocomi Kimura was born on May 1, 2001, in Tokyo, Japan. She is the elder daughter of actor Takuya Kimura and singer Shizuka Kudo. Her younger sister, Kōki, is a m ...
declared a "Manipuri national war" against "Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists", essentially pitting the two communities against each other.
By this time, the situation had already taken the shape of a civil war with both the communities arming themselves, some with licensed guns and some with advanced weapons, and setting up bunkers to defend themselves.
Meitei militias led mobs of civilians to raid state police armouries and loot sophisticated arms matching those of Kukis, whose militant groups were presumed to supply arms to civilians. By October, 6,000 arms and 600,000 rounds of ammunition were said to have been looted, in addition to mortars, grenades, bullet-proof vests, police uniforms etc.
[Ritika Chopra]
Manipur: Almost six months after clashes began, only 25% of looted arms found
The Indian Express, 29 October 2023.
Chief minister Biren Singh stuck to his position through the mayhem, claiming to work towards peace and defying many calls for his resignation.
Partisan state and police bias were widely alleged.
In the general election for the Union Parliament, Singh's
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
lost both the seats in the state to opposition
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...
.
[Sukrita Baruah]
Close to midnight, House empty, Congress Manipur MP seeks to rouse Modi govt from ‘silence’
The Indian Express, 2 July 2024.
Eventually, a Kuki civil body approached the
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judiciary of India, judicial authority and the supreme court, highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final Appellate court, court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India. It also ...
with purported audio tapes of Singh, where he is heard claiming that he himself instigated the violence,
[India: Authorities must uphold human rights and end violence in Manipur following Biren Singh’s resignation](_blank)
Amnesty International, 11 February 2025.
and a reputed forensic laboratory said that the voice belongs to him with 93% certainty.
Facing the threat of a no confidence motion in the impending
Assembly session, Singh resigned on 9 February 2025, after 20 months of intermittent violence.
President's Rule was declared a few days later, whereby the Union government has taken direct control of the state administration through its appointed
Governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
.
Background

Manipur is a state in
northeast India
Northeast India, officially the North Eastern Region (NER), is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political Administrative divisions of India, administrative division of the country. It comprises eight States and ...
, bordering Myanmar to its east and south. The
Imphal Valley
Imphal Valley ( /ˈɪmpɑːl/; ) or Manipur Valley () is located in the Indian state of Manipur and is an irregular almost oval shaped canyon that was formed as a result of the multiple small rivers that originate from neighbouring hill regions ...
constitutes about 10% of the geographical area of the state with 57% of the population, predominantly
Meitei, who are majority
Hindus
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, with minorities of
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
and native
Sanamahism
Sanamahism , also known as Meiteism , or Lainingthouism is an ethnic religion of the Meitei people of Manipur, in Northeast India. It is a polytheistic religion and is named after Lainingthou Sanamahi, one of the most important deities of ...
followers.
The surrounding hills constitute 90% of the geographical area of the state with 43% of the population belonging to 34 tribal groups broadly categorised as
Nagas and
Kukis
The Kuki people, or Kuki-Zo people,Rakhi BoseIn Tense Manipur, Sub-Categorisation And 'Creamy Layer' Could Open A Pandora's Box Outlook, 11 September 2024. uoting general secretary of the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), Kangpokpi''At prese ...
, who follow
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
.
The Nagas dominate the northern districts while the Kukis are predominant in the south. The tribal people have the
Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, whereas the Meitei have been accorded
Other Backward Class (OBC) status, with some classified as
Scheduled Castes (SC) in certain areas.
Scholars write that the hill tribes, whose administration had largely been left to the respective chiefs known as Khullakpa by the
Meitei Kings, came to be administered by the British after the
Anglo-Manipur War of 1891. The British administrative control became more intensive after the
Kuki Rebellion of 1917–1919 and they continued to administer the hill areas directly until 1947.
Scholars believe the colonial administration employed the "
divide and rule
The term divide and conquer in politics refers to an entity gaining and maintaining political power by using divisive measures. This includes the exploitation of existing divisions within a political group by its political opponents, and also ...
" policy which widened existing divide between the peoples.
On the contrary, the hill regions are noted by some scholars as forming part of
Zomia inhabited by "non-state" peoples. They came to be administered only after the Kuki Rebellion, After
Indian independence, the hill tribes continued to enjoy a protected status. Even though the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act, 1960, prohibits transfer of tribal land to non-tribals except by special permission, the seventh amendment (2015) is seen as an attempt by the valley dwellers to grab tribal land. The valley-based Meitei dominate the political establishment. Of the 60 constituencies of the
Manipur Legislative Assembly
The Manipur Legislative Assembly is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Manipur.
Description
The seat of the Manipur Legislative Assembly is at Imphal, the capital of the sta ...
, 40 are held by the valley and 20 are in the hill districts.
The tribal population is not prohibited from settling in the valley region.
Kukis state that they do not want to come to the valley but they have to since there are no roads, schools or hospitals in the hills.
Tribal groups have complained that the government spending is unduly concentrated in the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley.
Scheduled Tribe status for Meitei
The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) began demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Meitei people in 2012. The STDCM claims the status will restore the harmonious relationship between the valley and the hills peoples before the Manipur's merger with India in 1949. On the other hand, the hills people view this demand as an attempt to reduce the effectiveness of the Naga and Kuki demands, and enable the Meitei to make inroads into the hill regions.
It was reported later that the Union government and the state government had considered the issue of ST status for Meitei twice, once in 1982 and a second time in 2001, and rejected it both times. This fact was not publicised at the beginning of the conflict.
Political background
Okram Ibobi Singh
Okram Ibobi Singh (born 19 June 1948) is an Indian Politician who is currently serving as a member of the Manipur Legislative Assembly representing Thoubal Assembly constituency since 2007, from Khangabok Assembly constituency from 2002 to 200 ...
of the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...
(INC) had been in power for three terms from
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
. The
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
(BJP) came to power in
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
for the first time under the leadership of
N. Biren Singh who managed to out-maneuver the INC, the single largest party, and formed a minority government in alliance with the hill based
Naga People's Front
The Naga People's Front (NPF) is a regional political party in Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. It headed the Nagaland government with the Bharatiya Janata Party, as part of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland from 2003 to 2018. NPF ...
&
Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party
The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) is a regional political party that currently governs the Indian state of Nagaland. Chingwang Konyak is the president of NDPP. The symbol of the party is a globe.
The NDPP was formed by Naga ...
. In the
2022 Manipur Legislative Assembly election
Legislative Assembly elections were held in Elections in Manipur, Manipur from 2022 elections in India, 28 February to 5 March 2022 in two phases, to elect List of constituencies of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, 60 members of the Manipur Leg ...
, Biren Singh led the BJP to a clear majority increasing the seat tally from 21 (2017) to 32 (2022) in an Assembly of 60 and continued as the
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...
. The rise of BJP power in Manipur has empowered the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS,, ) is an Indian right-wing politics, right-wing, Hindutva, Hindu nationalist volunteer paramilitary organisation. It is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar ( ...
(RSS) to incite the Vaishnavite Meitei to assert
Hindutva
Hindutva (; ) is a Far-right politics, far-right political ideology encompassing the cultural justification of Hindu nationalism and the belief in establishing Hindu hegemony within India. The political ideology was formulated by Vinayak Da ...
politics against religious minorities. This included giving rise to Meitei-based organisations and increased
vigilantism
Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating, and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority.
A vigilante is a person who practices or partakes in vigilantism, or undertakes public safety and retributive justice ...
, cultural policing, and anti-minority rhetoric.
Refugees from Myanmar
The
renewed outbreak of civil war in Myanmar in the neighbouring
Chin State
Chin State (, ) is a state in western Myanmar. Chin State is bordered by Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the east, Rakhine State to the south, the Chattogram Division of Bangladesh to the west, and the Indian states of Mizoram to th ...
&
Sagaing Region
Sagaing Region (, ; formerly Sagaing Division) is an administrative divisions of Myanmar, administrative region of Myanmar, located in the north-western part of the country between latitude 21° 30' north and longitude 94° 97' east. It is border ...
has also been claimed to be a reason for the violence in Manipur.
Fighting in the
Chin theatre has caused an influx of
Chin
The chin is the forward pointed part of the anterior mandible (List_of_human_anatomical_regions#Regions, mental region) below the lower lip. A fully developed human skull has a chin of between 0.7 cm and 1.1 cm.
Evolution
The presence of a we ...
refugees in the states of Manipur and
Mizoram
Mizoram is a states and union territories of India, state in northeastern India, with Aizawl as its Capital city, capital and largest city. It shares 722-kilometres (449 miles) of international borders with Bangladesh to the west, and Myanmar t ...
. As of May 2023, according to the chief minister, 2,000 refugees had entered Manipur and were housed in refugee shelters. Other estimates put the number between 5,000 and 10,000. Rumours have circulated that Chin refugees are receiving assistance from Kuki villagers helping to enhance the "political clout" of the Kukis.
This has caused the Meiteis to brand all Kukis as "illegal immigrants".
Minister of Home Affairs
An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
Amit Shah
Amitbhai Anilchandra Shah (born 22 October 1964) is an Indian politician who is currently serving as the 32nd Ministry of Home Affairs (India), Minister of Home Affairs since May 2019 and the 1st Ministry of Co-operation, Minister of Co-operat ...
stated that the influx of Kuki people from Myanmar created "insecurities amongst the Meiteis" and triggered the violence.
International factors
China perceives that India's
Act East policy, and closer relations with
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
n nations pose a serious threat to its ambition to establish its hegemony in the region. On 15 August 2023, Chief Minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh said that certain misunderstandings, actions of vested interests and foreign conspiracies to destabilise the state led to widespread violence in Manipur.
Antecedents

On 7 November 2022, the Government of Manipur passed an order setting aside previous orders from the 1970s and 1980s that excluded villages from proposed
Churachandpur-Khoupum protected forest, which automatically placed 38 ancestral villages in Churachandpur in the encroaching category. In February 2023, the
BJP state government began an eviction drive in districts of Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal, declaring the forest dwellers as encroachers—a move seen as anti-tribal.
In March, the
Manipur Cabinet decided to withdraw from the
Suspension of Operation agreements with three Kuki militant groups, including the
Kuki National Army
The Kuki National Army (KNA) is a Kuki people, Kuki Insurgency, insurgent group active in Upper Myanmar and in pockets of Northeast India. It is the armed wing of the Kuki National Organisation.
History
The Kuki National Army (KNA) was founde ...
and the
Zomi Revolutionary Army
The Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) is a Zomi nationalist militant group formed in 1997, following an increase in ethnic tensions between the Thadou-Kuki people and the Paite people in Churachandpur district of Manipur, India. Its parent organi ...
, though the central government did not support such a withdrawal.
Several Manipuri organisations also demonstrated in New Delhi to press for a
National Register of Citizens
The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is meant to be a register of all Indian citizens whose creation was mandated by the 2003 amendment of the Citizenship Act, 1955. Its purpose is to document all the legal citizens of India so that the illeg ...
(NRC) to be created with 1951 as the base year, complaining of abnormal population growth in hill areas.
The first violence broke out as five people were injured in a clash in the Kangpokpi district, where protesters gathered to hold a rally against "encroachment of tribal land in the name of reserved forests, protected forests and wildlife sanctuary".
While, the state cabinet stated that the government will not compromise on "steps taken to protect the state government's forest resources and for eradicating poppy cultivation".
Social scientists, such as Dhanabir Laishram, have argued that targeting those poor Kuki cultivators alone would be futile. A rich section of the Meitei community is blamed to be one of the major funders. On 11 April, three churches in
Imphal
Imphal (; , ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace (officially known as Kangla Fort), the royal seat of the former Kingdom of Manipur, surrounded by a ...
's Tribal Colony locality were razed for being illegal constructions on government land.
On 20 April 2023, a judge of the
Manipur High Court
The Manipur High Court is the High Court of the state of Manipur, India. It was established in 25 March 2013, after making suitable amendments in the Constitution of India and North-Eastern Areas (Re-organisation) Act, 1971. The seat of the H ...
directed the
state government
A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonom ...
to "consider request of the Meitei community to be included in the
Scheduled Tribes (ST) list." The Kukis feared that the ST status would allow the Meiteis purchase land in the prohibited hilly areas.
The
Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) called for a total shut down on 28 April in protest of the state government actions, a day that also happened to have been scheduled for the chief minister
N. Biren Singh to visit Churachandpur for the inauguration of an open air gym. The day before the visit, a mob set fire to the gym and vandalised it. The ITLF claimed that it started the agitation as the state government was not addressing the plight of the people.
Section 144
Unlawful assembly is a legal term to describe a group of people with the mutual intent of deliberate disturbance of the peace. If the group is about to start an act of disturbance, it is termed a rout; if the disturbance is commenced, it is then t ...
was invoked on 28 April as well as a five-day Internet shutdown. The protesters clashed with the police and tear gas shells were used to disperse the mobs.
What has been said, openly, including by Chief Minister Biren Singh, is that too many “foreign” (Myanmar Kukis) are involved, there is foreign (Chinese, he insinuated) hand, and that the Kuki tribals are forest encroachers, illicit poppy growers, drug smugglers and terrorists. “Terrorist” is an expression he has used for them more than once and it has been widely reported in the national broadsheets.
Overview
Initial riots
On 3 May 2023, i.e. Day 1 of the Manipur Violence, the tribal organisation All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM), opposing the Meitei demand for ST status, conducted a "Tribal Solidarity March". Tens of thousands of protesters participated in the march across all hill districts of Manipur.
According to the Union Home Ministry, the call for the march also generated a "counter response" by the Meiteis,
[Special Leave Petition (Civil) Diary No 19206 of 2023: Dinganglung Gangmei vs. Mutum Churamani Meetei & Others](_blank)
The Supreme Court of India, August 2023.
"... large-scale violence broke out in the State of Manipur on 3 May 2023 ''after'' a Tribal Solidarity March undertaken by All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM).... The call for this march led to a ''counter response'' by Meiteis. Thereafter large-scale violence broke out in the State of Manipur...". and protests and rallies were called at various locations in the Imphal Valley. Reports were received of a counter-blockade at
Torbung near the
Bishnupur–Churachandpur district border,
[Counter-blockade unjustified: ATSUM](_blank)
Imphal Free Press, 3 May 2023. [Watch , Meitei Pride Group's Threat: 'Kukis Mainly Illegal, Modi Must Intervene or There'll Be Civil War’](_blank)
The Wire, 6 June 2023. ' ramot Singh isalso questioned about his tweet of 2 May (24 hours before the troubles began) where the Meitei Leepun official Twitter handle called for a counter-blockade adding, “it's our duty to enforce our position physically”. and a counter-agitation in the surrounding valley areas (such as the Kangvai village), where houses were attacked by Meitei mobs.
[Manipur erupts in violence even as massive crowd show up for tribal solidarity rally](_blank)
Borderlens, 4 May 2023. "Unidentified men attacked tribal houses in Kangvai along the Bishnupur-Churachandpur border. Police personnel could be seen following the mob as it went on rampaging and vandalising houses."
Two dead bodies were discovered in the Kangvai village and tyres were burnt at the base of the Anglo-Kuki War Memorial gate at Leisang as an apparent provocation.
[Lien Chongloi]
Dispelling Some Misleading Claims About the Violence in Manipur
The Wire, 27 May 2023. "On May 3, while a peaceful protest was underway at the Kuki-majority Churachandpur town, news had reached the hill areas that the Anglo-Kuki Centenary Gate at Leisang-Monglenphai was set on fire by unidentified Meitei miscreants. According to eyewitness accounts, many Meitei volunteers who were held up at Kakwa waktaareas started moving towards Torbung and Kangvai areas and began torching Kuki houses. The first victim of that mob attack was Haopu Kipgen from Torbung Village; he was bludgeoned to death. The first casualty with torching of houses, therefore, was a Kuki."[Kham Khan Suan Hausing]
Manipur riots: The chilling methods in the madness
The Indian Express, 5 May 2023. . "The immediate spark for the violence was provided by the retaliatory destruction of the Anglo-Kuki War Memorial Gate in Leisang and razing of Vaiphei houses in Kangvai village by Meitei mobs following the beating up of a Meitei driver whose tripper truck hit a bike and ran over a stock of water bottles kept for use by peaceful tribal protestors in Lamka on the same day."
After the reportedly peaceful rally in the Churachandpur town in which 100,000 people participated,
rallyists returning to the Torbung–Kangvai area faced the "counter-blockade" by the Meitei groups. This resulted in stone-throwing and arson of vehicles and properties. Kangvai Bazar adjacent to Torbung was burnt down.
These events caused a large number of Kuki-Zo people from Churachandpur side to rush to the clash site and participate in the clashes, including the burning of the
Bangla
Bangla () may refer to:
*Bengali language, an eastern Indo-Aryan language
*The endonym of Bengal, a geographical and ethno-linguistic region in South Asia
*''Bangla-'', a prefix indicating Bangladesh
*West Bengal, a state in eastern India, also kn ...
village in Churachandpur district.
About 80 people were injured in the violence who were taken to the Churachandpur District Hospital, of whom at least three people died.
By the evening of 3 May, clashes spread to the Churachandpur town, where Meitei settlements were attacked, and the
Imphal
Imphal (; , ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace (officially known as Kangla Fort), the royal seat of the former Kingdom of Manipur, surrounded by a ...
City, where Kuki-Zo settlements were attacked. Violence continued through the night of 3 May. Residences and churches of the Kuki tribal population were attacked in the valley areas.
According to the police, many houses of the tribal population in Imphal were attacked and 500 occupants were displaced and had to take shelter in
Lamphelpat
Lamphelpat ( Meitei pronunciation: /ləm.pʰel.pát/) is the district headquarter of Imphal West district in the state of Manipur, India. It is a suburb of Imphal city.
Etymology
The name "Lamphelpat" (/ləm.pʰel.pát/) is made up of two Mei ...
. Around 1000 Meiteis affected by the violence also had to flee from the region and take shelter in Bishnupur. Twenty houses were burnt in the city of
Kangpokpi
Kangpokpi ( Meitei pronunciation:/kāng-pōk-pī/), is the headquarter of Kangpokpi district and the Sadar Hills Autonomous District Council in the Indian state of Manipur.
Geography
It is located at an elevation of 1000 m above sea level.ht ...
.
Violence was observed in
Churachandpur
Churachandpur ( IPA: ''/tʃʊRVːˌtʃaːnɗpʊr/),'' locally known as Lamka is the second largest town in the Indian state of Manipur and the district headquarters of the Churachandpur district.
The name "Churachandpur" was transferred from ...
,
Kakching
Kakching ( Meitei pronunciation:/kək.ciŋ/) is a town in the southeastern part of the Indian state of Manipur. It serves as the headquarters of Kakching district and is a major commercial hub in the state. In 2018, Kakching was declared as the ...
, Canchipur, Soibam Leikai, Tengnoupal, Langol, Kangpokpi and Moreh while mostly being concentrated in the
Imphal Valley
Imphal Valley ( /ˈɪmpɑːl/; ) or Manipur Valley () is located in the Indian state of Manipur and is an irregular almost oval shaped canyon that was formed as a result of the multiple small rivers that originate from neighbouring hill regions ...
during which several houses, places of worship and other properties were burnt and destroyed.
On 4 May, fresh cases of violence were reported. The police force had to fire several rounds of
tear gas
Tear gas, also known as a lachrymatory agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the Mace (spray), early commercial self-defense spray, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the ey ...
shells to control the rioters.
Kuki
MLA Vunzjagin Valte (
BJP), who is the representative of the tribal headquarters of Churachandpur, was attacked during the riots while he was returning from the state secretariat. His condition was reported to be critical on 5 May, while a person accompanying him died.
The government said around 1700 houses and numerous vehicles were burned down during the violence.
Government response
A curfew was imposed across eight districts, including non-tribal dominated
Imphal West
Imphal West district ( Meitei pronunciation:/ˈɪmfəl or ɪmˈfɑːl/) is one of the sixteen districts of Manipur state in northeastern India. As of 2011, it is the most populous district in the state.
Geography
Lamphelpat city is the administ ...
,
Kakching
Kakching ( Meitei pronunciation:/kək.ciŋ/) is a town in the southeastern part of the Indian state of Manipur. It serves as the headquarters of Kakching district and is a major commercial hub in the state. In 2018, Kakching was declared as the ...
,
Thoubal
Thoubal is a town and municipal council with 18 wards, serving as the district headquarters in Thoubal district, in the Indian state of Manipur. The name 'Thoubal' derives from 'Athouba,' meaning brave people, symbolizing the courageous resid ...
,
Jiribam, and Bishnupur districts, as well as tribal-dominated Churachandpur,
Kangpokpi
Kangpokpi ( Meitei pronunciation:/kāng-pōk-pī/), is the headquarter of Kangpokpi district and the Sadar Hills Autonomous District Council in the Indian state of Manipur.
Geography
It is located at an elevation of 1000 m above sea level.ht ...
, and
Tengnoupal
Tengnoupal ( Meitei pronunciation:/teŋ-nə́u-pəl/) is a hill town at the highest point of a road ( NH-2) between Imphal and Moreh at the end of northwestern Myanmar; the ASEAN Highway passes through the village. It is the district headquarte ...
districts.
The Manipur government issued a
shoot at sight order on 4 May.
By the end of 3 May 55
columns
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...
of the
Assam Rifles
The Assam Rifles (AR) is a paramilitary force of India responsible for border security, counter-insurgency, and maintaining law and order in Northeast India and in Jammu & Kashmir in lines of Rashtriya Rifles. Its primary duty involves guard ...
and the
Indian Army
The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...
were deployed in the region and by 4 May, more than 9,000 people were relocated to safer locations.
By 5 May, about 20,000 and by 6 May, 23,000 people had been relocated to safe locations under military supervision.
The central government airlifted 5
companies
A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...
of the
Rapid Action Force
The Rapid Action Force (RAF), is a specialized rapid reaction wing of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) of India established in October 1992 to deal with riot and crowd control situations.
History
RAF was established on 11 December 1 ...
to the region.
Nearly 10,000 army, paramilitary and
Central Armed Police Forces were deployed in Manipur.
As of 14 May, the total military build up in Manipur stood at 126 army columns and 62 companies of paramilitary forces.
On 4 May, it was widely reported that the
Union government
The Government of India (ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of 36 states and union territor ...
had invoked the
Article 355
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India, and the longest written national constitution in the world. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and ...
of the Indian Constitution to take over the security situation of Manipur. However, no notification was issued to this effect.
Nevertheless, the Home Ministry appointed a security advisor to the Manipur chief minister, Kuldip Singh, who previously headed the
CRPF, and an overall commander for the law and order situation, Ashutosh Sinha.
The insertion of troops led to several engagements between hill-based militants and the
Indian Reserve Battalion
In India, the police forces of the states and union territories are responsible for law enforcement in the states and union territories. Police and Public Order are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India.
Histo ...
, resulting in at least five militant deaths. In a separate encounter, four militants were killed. By 6 May the situation had calmed down to a degree.
According to journalist Moses Lianzachin, at least twenty-seven
churches were destroyed or burned down during the violence.
As of 9 May, according to the Manipur government, the death toll was over 60 people.
The situation was described as "relatively peaceful" on 10 May, with the curfew being relaxed in places, though unknown militants fired on Indian troops in an incident in Manipur's Imphal East district, injuring one.
On 12 May, suspected Kuki militants ambushed policemen in Bishnupur district, killed one officer and injuring five others.
In a separate incident, a soldier was stabbed and three Meitei community members kidnapped in Torbung, Churachandpur district.
A day later, the security advisor to the Manipur Government Kuldeep Singh raised the total fatality count from the violence to more than 70 deaths. This included the discovery of three Public Works Department labourers found dead in a vehicle in the Churachandpur from unknown causes.
He added the number of internally displaced people living in camps had been significantly reduced, and that about 45,000 people had been relocated to other areas.
On 14 May, a delegation of state ministers led by Manipur Chief Minister
Biren Singh left for New Delhi to meet Union home minister
Amit Shah
Amitbhai Anilchandra Shah (born 22 October 1964) is an Indian politician who is currently serving as the 32nd Ministry of Home Affairs (India), Minister of Home Affairs since May 2019 and the 1st Ministry of Co-operation, Minister of Co-operat ...
to discuss the situation.
The internet blackout and curfew remained in place on 16 May.
Food was also reported to be scarce, with shops, schools and offices closed, and thousands of people stranded in refugee camps. Fresh violence over the weekend had led to further displacements.
On 17 May, the internet blackout was extended for five more days.
Recurrent violence
On 14 May, reports of fresh violence surfaced in the Torbung area, with unidentified arsonists torching more property, including houses and trucks. Five companies of Border Security Forces were deployed. In a separate incident, two Assam Rifles personnel were injured.
Fresh violence occurred on 29 May during which at least five people including one policeman was killed.
On 14 June, at least 11 people were shot, including nine Meitei men. Additionally, 14 were injured in a fresh outbreak. According to doctors and other senior management officials at the state's capital, the latest clash has been so extreme that many bodies have been hard to identify.
A 21 year old Kuki youth was arrested for sharing a post against CM Biren Singh on social media. He was beaten to death on a street in Imphal when he was supposed to be in police custody.
Warring groups
Both Meitei civil society organisations,
Arambai Tenggol
Arambai Tenggol (Meitei language, Meitei for "dart wielding cavalry") is a Meitei people, Meitei activist organisation in the Indian state of Manipur founded by Manipur's titular king and Rajya Sabha member Leishemba Sanajaoba,Angshuman Chou ...
,
Meitei Leepun and Kuki militants under SoO agreement with the government were repeatedly mentioned as being involved in this ongoing violence as attackers of each other's villages.
[Probe involvement of 2 radical Meitei groups in Manipur pogrom: tribal student bodies](_blank)
The Hindu, 19 May 2023.[Mercy Vnghianuang Guite]
Why has the Supreme Court abandoned the Zomi-Kuki Tribals of Manipur?
India Today NE, 15 June 2023.[Manipur human rights activist's home vandalised](_blank)
The Indian Express, 6 October 2023. 'Around the month of May – the same time violence had first broken out in the state – uman rights activistLoitongbam in an interview with NewsClick pointed out the emergence of “some new groups called Meitei Leepun and Arambai Tenggol”. While discussing the causes of the violence in Manipur, he said these groups had “injected militancy” into the Meitei community.'[Kuki militants erasing Meitei villages, SC told](_blank)
Times of India, 23 September 2023.[Manipur assembly adopts resolution to abrogate SoO deal with Kuki outfits](_blank)
Hindustan Times, 29 February 2024.
Surrendered cadres of Meitei insurgent groups, officially called "Valley-based Insurgent Groups" (VBIGs), are believed to have trained them in using arms looted from state armouries.
[Arunabh Saikia]
The return of Meitei insurgents marks a new turn in Manipur conflict
Scroll.in, 2 September 2023. " he attack on Thawai Kuki villagesignalled that Meitei insurgent groups, largely relegated to the jungles of Myanmar across the border, had returned to fight on behalf of their community... An intelligence officer in the Indian Army said they believe around 100-odd cadres of the KYKL and PLA had crossed over through the Taret Lok river..."[Dorment Terror Groups Like UNLF, PLA Becoming Active In Manipur During Ethnic Conflict, Creating Unrest: Report](_blank)
Outlook, 11 September 2023. "Central security agencies have warned that militant groups like UNLF and PLA have started mingling with mobs during protests to stoke further tensions, reported PTI."
In one instance, a fierce gunfight was reported between militants operating under the Arambai Tenggol banner, and a unit of Assam Rifles.
On 26 May, Arambai Tenggol issued an announcement stating it was "dissolving itself".
But its cadres were spotted at
Pallel
Pallel is a town in Kakching district of Manipur, India. It is the gateway to the Tran-Asian super Highway. It is situated in NH-39, 46 km southeast of the capital Imphal
Imphal (; , ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipu ...
in September, dressed in police commando uniforms, attempting to break through security check posts.
Casualties and victims
Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency ...
reported that, during the first week of violence, 77 Kukis and 10 Meiteis were killed.
[Krishn Kaushik]
Bunkers, sniper rifles: Deepening sectarian war in India dents Modi's image
Reuters, 28 July 2023.
The majority of the Kuki deaths were caused by murderous Meitei mobs, who roamed the streets of the Imphal city and other locales in the valley, attacking people in their homes and on the streets.
[Rokibuz Zaman]
In Imphal, two families recount two days of horror that ended in death
Scroll.in, 5 May 2023. By 14 May, the government's tally of casualties and property damage from the violence stood at 73 dead, 243 injured, 1809 houses burned down, 46,145 people evacuated, 26,358 people taken to 178 relief camps, 3,124 people escorted evacuation flights, and 385 criminal cases registered with the authorities.
On 19 July, a video went viral showing two Kuki women, one aged in her forties and another in her twenties, being stripped, paraded naked on the streets, slapped, sexually assaulted and gang-raped by presumably Meitei men.
The women were forcibly taken away from the police station when they were fleeing mob violence. The younger victim was allegedly gang-raped and one of the victims' father and teenage brother were killed by the mob while trying to protect the victim. Despite the complaint being lodged no action was taken by the police for more than 2 months until the video emerged. The Kuki community have accused the police of siding with the Meitei community. The video emerged after more than two months since the incident took place as internet was shut down in Manipur.
One of the victims said that they have been “left to the mob by the police”.
On 20 July, Manipur
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...
Biren Singh defended his decision to curtail Internet access in the state, citing hundreds of similar incidents occurring in the past. The Union government ordered social media platforms to remove all posts showing the viral video. Seven arrests were made in the case, all of them after the viral video surfaced.
The
Supreme Court
In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
responded within hours after the circulation of the video, warning that the court will intervene if the government fails to act.
After the media reports circulated about the National Commission of Women (NCW) having knowledge of the incident as they received a complaint in the month of June, the chairperson of NCW said that she did not receive a response from authorities in Manipur, even after she forwarded the complaint thrice.
The CBI took over the case on 29 July. On 1 August, the Supreme Court stopped CBI from recording the two women's statements which was scheduled just two hours before the Supreme Court hearing on the case, due to objections by the women.
The home of Babloo Loitongbam, human rights activist and director of Human Rights Alert, was vandalised on 5 October 2023 for his activism. The radical Meitei organisation, Meitei Leepun, issued a "boycott call" to Loitongbam. The
said "We are alarmed by threats to human rights defender Babloo Loitongbam by Meitei Leepun and Arambai Tenggol groups in Manipur for speaking out on communal violence since May. We urge authorities to protect him, his family and home, and hold perpetrators accountable".
Supreme Court proceedings
On 31 July, the Supreme Court asked Manipur government to provide complete break-up of around 6000 FIRs related to the violence in the state. The court also expressed shock after learning that it took 14 days for the police to register even a zero FIR in the case of two women being paraded naked by a mob and were assaulted sexually in public. During the hearing on 1 August, the Supreme Court called the police investigations as "tardy", and said that the state underwent "absolute breakdown of the constitutional machinery".
On 7 August 2023, the Supreme Court took ''
suo moto'' cognisance and formed a committee consisting of retired Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice
Gita Mittal (who will lead the committee), former Bombay High Court judge Justice Shalini Phansaklar Joshi and former Delhi High Court judge
Asha Menon to look into relief and rehabilitation, and appointed former Mumbai Police Commissioner
Dattatray Padsalgikar to oversee the probe. In March 2025, six Supreme Court judges are set to visit relief camps housing internally displaced people in Manipur.
Reactions
The
Chief Minister of Manipur
The Chief Minister of Manipur is the head of government, chief executive of the Indian state of Manipur. As per the Constitution of India, the Governors of states of India, governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive auth ...
,
N. Biren Singh, stated that the riots were instigated by “prevailing misunderstanding between two communities” and appealed for restoration of normality.
Shashi Tharoor
Shashi Tharoor (; born 9 March 1956) is an Indian politician, author, and former diplomat, who has been serving as Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, since 2009. He is currently the Chairman of Committee on External Affairs. ...
, a Member of Parliament, called for
President's rule and blamed the BJP-led government, saying it has failed to govern the state.
Peter Machado, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Bangalore, expressed concern that the Christian community is being made to feel insecure, adding that "seventeen churches are either
vandalised,
desecrated or defiled."
Olympic medallist
Mary Kom
Mangte Chungneijang "Mary" Kom (born 24 November 1982) is an Indian Amateur boxing, Olympic boxer, politician, and former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Member of Rajya Sabha. She is the only woman to win the World Amateur Boxing Champions ...
, a native of Manipur, tweeted an appeal seeking help for her home state. The Union Government
Minister of Home Affairs
An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
Amit Shah
Amitbhai Anilchandra Shah (born 22 October 1964) is an Indian politician who is currently serving as the 32nd Ministry of Home Affairs (India), Minister of Home Affairs since May 2019 and the 1st Ministry of Co-operation, Minister of Co-operat ...
cancelled his campaign programs for the
Karnataka election and held meetings with Biren Singh monitoring the situation in Manipur.
A BJP MLA,
Dinganglung Gangmei, petitioned the
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judiciary of India, judicial authority and the supreme court, highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final Appellate court, court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India. It also ...
against the High Court's recommendation to the state government to add Meitei people to the Scheduled Tribes list.
On 12 May 2023, all 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs, including those from the ruling
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
, issued a statement demanding a separate body be created to administer their community under the constitution of India in the wake of the violent ethnic clashes.
They alleged that the violence had been “tacitly supported” by the BJP-run state government, and that living under a Meitei-majority administration after the violence would be “as good as death” for their community.
Five organisations of tribal students of Manipur in New Delhi also demanded a probe into the alleged involvement of two radical Meitei groups, Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun in the violence.
The
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is a department of the United Nations Secretariat that works to promote and protect human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Univers ...
Volker Türk
Volker Türk (born 27 August 1965) is an Austrian lawyer and United Nations official. He has been the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights since October 2022.
Career Early years
In 1991, Türk became a UN Junior Professional Officer and ha ...
said in a statement that the violence in Manipur "revealed the underlying tensions between different ethnic and indigenous groups". He urged the authorities to "respond to the situation quickly, including by investigating and addressing root causes of the violence in line with their international human rights obligations".
On 29 May, hundreds of women from Kuki, Mizo, and Zomi tribes staged a protest at
Jantar Mantar
A Jantar Mantar ( Hindustani pronunciation: ͡ʒən̪t̪ər mən̪t̪ər is an assembly of stone-built astronomical instruments, designed to be used with the naked eye. There were five Jantar Mantars in India. All were built at the comm ...
in
New Delhi
New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
, demanding intervention by the central government to end communal tensions in Manipur. The women waved national flags and held posters declaring themselves as Indians, not immigrants, while criticising the state government stirring tensions by evicting of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land.
On 30 May 2023, eleven international and national award-winning sportspersons from the state said that they will return their awards if the territorial integrity of the state is compromised. The sportspersons said that if the government does not meet their demands, they will not represent India and will not help in training new talent.
On 1 July 2023,
Joseph Pamplany, Archbishop of Thalassery in
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
, said the violence is sponsored by the Modi government to destroy Christian communities in Manipur.
On 14 July 2023, the BJP's vice-president from the state of
Mizoram
Mizoram is a states and union territories of India, state in northeastern India, with Aizawl as its Capital city, capital and largest city. It shares 722-kilometres (449 miles) of international borders with Bangladesh to the west, and Myanmar t ...
, R. Vanramchhuanga, resigned from his post accusing BJP governments in the centre and the state of supporting demolition of churches.
On 20 July 2023, Modi broke his months-long silence after a video of two women being paraded naked and subjected to blatant acts of sexual assault by a group of men went viral. He said the incident shamed India and that no guilty will be spared. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India since 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Par ...
has been criticised for being silent on the violence for almost three months, for not visiting the state and for avoiding the broader situation in his statement after a video showing two women being paraded naked went viral.
On 27 July 2023, the BJP's Bihar wing leader, Vinod Sharma, resigned alleging that the violence in the state has defamed the country.
On 7 August 2023,
Kuki People's Alliance withdrew their support to the BJP government of the state led by N. Biren Singh.
The parliamentary opposition under the
Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is a big tent Political group, multi-party political alliance of several List of political parties in India, political parties in India led by the country's largest opposition party ...
(INDIA) tabled a no confidence motion about the crisis on 10 August in order to make Modi address the situation in more detail to parliament. Modi delivered a two-hour speech mainly focused on the accomplishments of his government and criticising the opposition for "defaming India" through the vote, to which opposition MPs walked out. Afterwards, Modi addressed the conflict, stating that "there would soon be peace in Manipur" and that the whole country would get behind resolution efforts. The motion failed as expected due to the overwhelming BJP majority, with it being seen more as a way to force Modi to speak about the matter and showcase the unity and power of the INDIA grouping.
In November 2024, the
National People's Party withdrew support government over violence.
Media coverage
Mainstream television channels from India ignored the Manipur conflict for a while due to the
nexus
NEXUS is a joint Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection-operated Trusted Traveler and expedited border control program designed for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. Members of the program can avoid waits at border ...
between the media & BJP, and covered it only after a viral video surfaced showing two naked women being paraded by a mob. Also, as per "
The Wire
''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...
", major newspapers and broadcast media from Manipur and the rest of India have avoided reporting on violence faced by the Kukis, who are predominantly Christian, while highlighting violence by Kuki militants upon Meiteis, who are predominantly Hindu, cementing the Hindu nationalist narrative of
Hindus being the victims of
Christian aggression, perfectly following up the pre-existing
insurgency in the state caused by
nationalism among the Nagas, another tribal Christian demographic. It is argued that three of the most read English newspapers in the region did not even report on the incident of a mob burning a woman and a boy alive.
The Sangai Express
''The Sangai Express'' is a daily newspaper based in Imphal
Imphal (; , ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace (officially known as Kangla Fort), the ro ...
referred to Kukis by the adjective "aliens" in an editorial, while an editorial in the
Imphal Free Press
''Imphal Free Press'' is an English-language daily published in Manipur, India. Alongside the Sangai Express, it is one of the two most widely read newspapers of Manipur. It is considered as one of the "good quality" newspapers, among approxim ...
justified the villagers looting arms from the security forces in the state.
However, a team of independent researchers on national media coverage of Manipur violence argued that "The study finds some discernible patterns in this regard that indicate shortcomings and perceptible
biases
Bias is a disproportionate weight ''in favor of'' or ''against'' an idea or thing, usually in a way that is inaccurate, closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair. Biases can be innate or learned. People may develop biases for or against an individ ...
in the ways in which the crisis in Manipur has been covered by the ‘national’ newspapers", and it has been found that the ''Kuki'' sources are quoted far more than the ''Meitei'' sources in the news reports of the mainstream media.
On 21 July,
ANI incorrectly reported that a Muslim man has been arrested in connection to the incident in which two naked women were seen paraded forcibly by a mob in a viral video. ANI later apologised for the tweet, saying that it was based on an erroneous reading of previously published tweets by Manipur Police.
Allegations of state sponsorship
Critics of the Manipur state government have alleged that, during the 2023–2025 violence, state policies and rhetoric contributed to an atmosphere of heightened inter-ethnic tension. Opponents claim that measures taken under Chief Minister N. Biren Singh—such as limiting internet access, endorsing polarizing narratives, and the alleged patronage of armed groups like Arambai Tenggol—created conditions that not only failed to quell the conflict but further inflamed divisions between the majority Meitei and the minority Kuki communities. These allegations include accusations that security forces operated with bias and that state actions helped manufacture an environment conducive to the escalation of violence, claims that have been reported by human rights groups and opposition parties, though the government has consistently denied them.
[Business Standard]
See also
*
1993 Manipur riot
*
2016 Manipur unrest
*
Aigejang Shooting
*
Kuki–Paite ethnic clash of 1997–1998
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manipur violence, 2023
Violence
Violence is characterized as the use of physical force by humans to cause harm to other living beings, or property, such as pain, injury, disablement, death, damage and destruction. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence a ...
2020s crimes in India
20th-century mass murder in India
Mass murder in 2023
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
Racism in India
Anti-Christian riots in India
Violence against indigenous peoples in Asia
Anti-immigration politics in India
Violence against Christians in India
Church arson in India
Arson in the 2020s
Arson attacks on vehicles in India
Residential building arson attacks in India
Looting in India
2020s in Christianity
Gang rape in India
Rape in the 2020s
Sexual violence at riots and crowd disturbances
2020s riots
Myanmar civil war (2021–present)
Riots and civil disorder in Manipur
Riots and civil disorder in India
Violence in India