The Political Tinderbox of Manipur

The façade of calm in Manipur is a mirage. The state is a political tinderbox characterised by a fractured society in which the three largest communities—Meiteis, Nagas and Kuki–Zo tribes—do not see eye to eye. The Meiteis seek an independent Manipur nation while the tribal communities aspire for separate homelands.

Although Manipur was historically a kingdom, it never underwent a process of conquest of the hill areas, subjugation of tribes or coercive assimilation of culture, language or religion. The kingdom had virtually no administrative presence in the hills, and the tribes were left to their own devices. It was only after the Maharaja entered into a subsidiary alliance with the East India Company in 1762 to expel the Burmese forces, and later under British rule from 1824, that rudimentary administration began in the hill areas. With no historical bonding between the communities, there was little that held them together. Instead, the practice of untouchability within Hindu society widened the distance between the Meitei Hindus and the animistic tribes. It was only in the late nineteenth century that Christian missionaries introduced education among the tribes, who gradually adopted Christianity and added another aspect that kept them apart from the valley people.

With each community living separate social and cultural lives, communal feelings have become deeply entrenched. Actions, whether right or wrong, are often viewed through a communal lens. This appears to have been the case on the night of 7 February 2026 in Litan.

A Tangkhul youth, allegedly intoxicated, shone a torchlight that illuminated the faces of six or seven Kuki persons, who were also reportedly drunk. The act offended the group, leading to an assault that reportedly broke the man’s jaw. The incident soon acquired a communal colour, with each side accusing the other of initiating the fight. What began as a drunken brawl escalated into stone-pelting and blank firing. The district administration and police, aided by the armed forces, managed to control the situation during the day, but as night fell, houses were allegedly set on fire. Videos circulated on social media have alleged that some armed forces personnel were involved in the arson. Panic-stricken villagers began fleeing in small numbers, and the situation has since turned into an exodus.

The Tangkhuls had largely avoided confrontations with the Kuki–Zo people despite provocations following the May 2023 clashes with the Meitei community. This time, however, it appears that vested interests are stoking communal tensions. May 2023 witnessed a deep fracture between the Meiteis and the Zo–Kuki tribes; now, another fault line seems to be emerging between the Tangkhuls and the Kukis. Without deliberate design, the Kuki-Zo community appears to be drawn into conflicts on multiple fronts—first with the Meiteis, then with the Zeliangrong people, and now through a drunken brawl that has spiralled into an ethnic confrontation. In all such conflicts, the worst sufferers are always innocent children, women, and the elderly. Political leaders need to consider a different strategy to address this problem and prevent its recurrence.