Beyond Meitei vs Kuki, 7 dead in 5 days: What’s really fuelling deadly new Naga-Kuki front in Manipur?

The latest violence has roots in the long-running Naga-Kuki dispute over land and territorial control. Armed groups have been accused of carrying out recent attacks. The conflict has spread across Manipur’s hill districts, even as the Centre and state government hold talks with community groups to ease tensions.

New Delhi: Manipur’s ethnic violence has opened a new front in the state, with a series of attacks involving the Kuki-Zo and Naga communities leaving civilians dead across several hill districts.

A 17-year-old Liangmai Naga boy, Nk Wiphenbou, was killed in an ambush in Tamenglong district on September 21. The police recovered his body after the attack, which took place at around 10.05 am near the Tamei subdivision. He was walking from Upper Nkou towards Malek village when armed assailants attacked him, according to reports.

The teenager was from Nkou Naga village and was a grade 11 student. His killing came days after a series of attacks on Kuki-Zo civilians in Tamenglong and nearby Noney.

The violence then spread to other Naga-majority areas. Four Tangkhul Naga civilians were killed in an attack at Pilong village in Kamjong district near the Myanmar border on September 25. The police said suspected militants entered the village and opened fire on residents. The victims included a father and his son.

Two more Naga civilians were shot dead at Kalenjang village in Senapati district on September 26. The police said the two men were attacked in the house of the village chief. Two others were injured in the attack. The victims were identified as Rocky Mao and Kumar Poumai.

These incidents left seven Naga civilians dead in three separate attacks between September 21 and September 26. The latest reports put the number of people killed in suspected militant attacks across Manipur during September at at least 13.

How Naga-Kuki conflict rose this year

The Naga-Kuki violence has its own history in Manipur’s larger ethnic crisis. The ongoing phase began in February in and around Litan in Ukhrul district.

On February 7, a fight broke out between youths from the Kuki and Tangkhul Naga communities at Litan. The police and local reports described the initial incident as a drunken brawl. The following day, several houses were set on fire and residents began leaving the area. Security forces were deployed and a curfew was imposed in Litan.

The violence soon spread beyond Ukhrul. By March, reports of abductions, armed attacks and clashes had emerged from Ukhrul, Kangpokpi and neighbouring areas. Security officials have described the conflict as involving armed groups from both sides.

The geography of the conflict is important. Naga-majority districts include Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong and Kamjong. Kuki-Zo communities have a large presence in Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, Tengnoupal and Chandel. Several areas have mixed populations, creating points where villages and roads used by the two communities meet.

The violence has also affected important roads. The Imphal-Dimapur highway has faced disruptions during periods of fighting, with security forces deployed around sensitive areas. In August, a CRPF sub-inspector was injured in firing near the Senapati-Kangpokpi border.

The old Kuki-Naga fault line

The conflict also has roots in the Kuki-Naga clashes of the 1990s. The two communities fought a prolonged conflict from 1992 to 1998, resulting in large-scale deaths and displacement.

The period left divisions in the hill areas. The Kuki community observes September 13 as a day of mourning in memory of those killed during that period. Recent attacks on Kuki-Zo settlements in Tamenglong and Noney on September 13 came on this day and killed four people.

The latest violence has revived memories of that period for both communities. Civil society organisations from the Naga and Kuki-Zo sides have accused armed groups associated with the other community of carrying out attacks on civilians.

Kuki-Zo organisations have accused Naga armed groups of killing members of their community. Naga organisations have made similar allegations against armed Kuki groups.

Those allegations have also become part of the political demands being placed before the Centre and the Manipur government.

Armed groups accused in civilian killings

Security officials and community organisations have repeatedly referred to the role of armed groups in the new conflict.

The National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) has a long history in the Naga insurgency and is involved in peace talks with the Centre. The group has a strong presence among sections of the Tangkhul Naga community.

Kuki groups have accused the NSCN-IM and other Naga armed organisations of attacks on Kuki civilians. Naga organisations have accused Kuki armed groups, including the Kuki National Army-Burma, of attacks on Naga villages.

The police have blamed suspected Myanmar-based Kuki National Army-Burma militants for the September 25 killings in Pilong. A senior Naga political leader also accused the group of involvement in the attack. The Kuki National Army-Burma operates from across the Myanmar border, according to reports.

Investigations into the latest cases are still underway, and no convictions have been secured over these allegations.

Why the violence is spreading

The conflict now involves several issues, including land ownership, control of villages, movement on roads, territorial claims and the presence of armed groups.

Security officials cited by The Indian Express have also referred to fears among Naga groups over a possible Kuki corridor through mixed-population areas. Kuki groups have their own allegations about attempts to push their community out of areas where they have lived for years.

The February clash in Litan therefore became much larger than the incident that started it. Armed mobilisation followed, civilians were caught in attacks and the conflict spread towards Kangpokpi, Tamenglong and the India-Myanmar border.

The scale of the latest violence has also affected local efforts to restore normal movement. The United Naga Council agreed on September 26 to temporarily suspend its more than three-month economic blockade of Manipur’s highways after talks with the Centre and the state government. The Naga body has sought action against Kuki armed groups under the Suspension of Operations agreement, along with justice in cases involving Naga civilians.

The latest killings happened around the same time. They have added to the violence in the hill districts.

Security forces, including the Assam Rifles, the Army and central armed police units, have been deployed in several affected areas. Police investigations are underway into the recent attacks. Officials are saying that security operations are being carried out against those responsible. The September attacks have included victims from both communities.

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