Elusive Peace in Manipur

After a brief lull, Manipur has once again seized national attention. A fresh wave of violence in April claimed eleven lives — including two minors — reigniting an already fragile situation and prompting Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh to seek legal opinion on implementing an Assam-style NRC (National Register of Citizens).

The stated aim was to identify what he termed "illegal Chin-Kuki migrants" crossing into the northeastern state from neighbouring Myanmar.

What makes the situation particularly alarming is that the violence has persisted almost throughout the month despite a robust security presence, effectively throwing a spanner into an already delicate peace process.

Successive Bloodshed

The bloodshed unfolded in grim succession. On April 7, five people — including two children — were killed at Tronglaobi village in Bishnupur district, a tragedy that shocked the state. Three days later, a BSF jawan was killed in an ambush at Litan in Ukhrul district. On April 18, two Tangkhul Nagas were shot dead on the Imphal-Ukhrul Road in an alleged attack on passenger vehicles by Kuki militants.

Then, on April 24, two Nagas and a Kuki were killed in fierce gunfire in Ukhrul district. Sporadic sectarian clashes in between left scores more injured, even as security forces intensified operations to contain the unrest.

Against this backdrop, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a prominent valley-based civil society organization, announced plans to hold a People's Convention on May 3 — to mark two years since the conflict first erupted in 2023. "The Convention aims to deliberate and chart a course of action acceptable to all stakeholders for resolving this ongoing conflict in Manipur as early as possible," said COCOMI convener Y.K. Dhiren.

Dhiren's announcement came closely on the heels of the chief minister's own statement, in which Mr. Singh revealed that his government is actively exploring the feasibility of extending the NRC framework to Manipur, and is in consultation with a Guwahati-based senior lawyer who was part of the Assam NRC exercise.

 A conclave of valley-based experts and organisations is being planned to gather broader views on the proposal.

CM’s Missives

Mr. Singh, who assumed office in February this year, has since made visible efforts at outreach — visiting hill and valley districts including Jiribam, Senapati, Kangpokpi and Ukhrul to engage with affected communities.

 "The people across communities have expressed a strong desire for restoration of peace. However, the unfortunate incidents have derailed the peace process," he said at the inauguration of several development projects in the Langthabal Assembly constituency, Imphal West.

At the heart of the conflict lies a deep, unresolved tension between the Meiteis — Manipur's majority community in the valley — and the Kuki community of the hill districts. The Meiteis have long demanded the detection and deportation of what they call "illegal Kuki infiltrators," while the Kukis, who contest this framing, have responded with agitation, protest, and — over the past three years — armed resistance.

The result has been one of the most sustained and devastating ethnic conflicts in the country's recent memory, with no clear resolution yet in sight.