Manipur Spirals into Chaos: Ethnic Riots Fuel Violence and Threaten Regional Stability
IMPHAL, June 11, 2025 – India’s northeastern state of Manipur has been engulfed by a fresh wave of ethnic violence, with riots erupting across multiple districts, exacerbating long-standing tensions between the majority Meitei and minority Kuki-Zo communities. The unrest, which has claimed at least 20 lives this month and displaced thousands, has raised alarm about the region’s stability, with security forces struggling to restore order amid curfews, internet blackouts, and widespread destruction.
The latest violence, sparked on June 7, follows the arrest of Kanan Singh, a leader of the Meitei militant group Arambai Tenggol, in Imphal. Protesters, enraged by the arrest, torched the homes and offices of at least 12 lawmakers, mostly from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and clashed with security forces in Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, and Kakching districts. Visuals from East and West Imphal show charred vehicles and damaged buildings, with authorities restricting gatherings of four or more people to curb the chaos.
The conflict traces back to May 2023, when protests by Kuki and Naga tribes against the Meitei community’s push for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status ignited widespread violence. The ST designation, which grants affirmative action benefits like job and education quotas, has been a flashpoint, with Kukis arguing it would further empower the already dominant Meiteis, who make up 53% of Manipur’s 3.2 million population and control the fertile Imphal Valley. The Kuki-Zo, predominantly Christian and residing in the less-developed hills, fear losing land and opportunities.
Since 2023, the violence has killed over 258 people, displaced 60,000, and seen 4,786 homes and 386 religious structures, including churches and temples, vandalized or burned. A November 2024 incident, where the bodies of a missing Meitei family were found in a river in Jiribam district, further escalated tensions, prompting retaliatory attacks on Kuki settlements and lawmakers’ residences.
Critics accuse Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, a Meitei and BJP member, of fueling the conflict through partisan policies, including evictions of Kuki villagers from reserved forest lands and inflammatory rhetoric labeling Kukis as illegal immigrants or drug traffickers. Allegations of state complicity with Meitei militant groups like Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun have deepened distrust, with Kuki-Zo leaders demanding a separate administration, calling coexistence under Meitei rule “as good as death.”
The central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has faced criticism for its response. Despite deploying 7,000 additional troops and extending the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the situation remains volatile. Home Minister Amit Shah, who canceled rallies in Maharashtra to address the crisis, has promised strict action and handed key investigations to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). However, Modi’s silence on the broader conflict and his support for Singh have drawn ire, with opposition leaders and Kuki groups alleging bias toward the Hindu Meiteis.
The unrest has devastated Manipur’s economy, particularly its tourism and hospitality sectors, with hotel occupancy dropping to 30% and tourist arrivals plummeting from 160,000 to under 20,000 in 2024. Internet shutdowns, extended in Imphal Valley, Kangpokpi, and Churachandpur until at least November 20, 2024, have crippled businesses and communication.
Human rights groups, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, have called for impartial investigations and de-escalation, citing reports of sexual violence, looting of 4,500 weapons from police armories, and ethnic cleansing tactics. Kuki-Zo women protested in New Delhi, rejecting immigrant labels and demanding federal intervention.
As Manipur teeters on the brink of civil war, with militarized buffer zones separating communities, the path to peace remains elusive. The state’s strategic location near Myanmar and China, coupled with its history of insurgencies, amplifies concerns about regional stability. Without addressing root causes—land disputes, ethnic rivalries, and governance failures—experts warn that Manipur’s descent into chaos could have far-reaching consequences for India’s northeast.
