Hundreds of people staged sit-in protests across Manipur on Thursday as a day-long mass cease-work call disrupted normal activities following two days of demonstrations in the Imphal Valley over the killing of three Meitei farmers in an ambush on Monday. The unrest has intensified amid a fresh cycle of violence involving the Meitei and Kuki communities.
A committee formed following the killings called for a day of mass cease-work and urged people to hold sit-ins in their localities, offices, educational institutions and marketplaces. Markets, including Khwairamband Ima, opened at around 9.30am before businesses were forced to shut.
The protests followed shutdowns across much of Manipur on Tuesday and Wednesday. At least six protesters were injured when police dispersed a crowd attempting to storm a stadium to meet Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand.
Highway blockade turns tense
Protesters blocked the Imphal-Dimapur national highway at Khurai Lamlong junction. An altercation between security forces and demonstrators prompted police to use tear gas, mock bombs and stun grenades to disperse the crowd and clear the road.
Protesters retaliated by using slingshots and throwing stones rather than vacating the highway, further escalating tensions.
The demonstrations began after three Meitei men were killed in an ambush on Monday. The victims’ families alleged that the attackers belonged to the Kuki community, while the suspected assailants were described as armed Kuki militants.
Police have arrested three suspects in connection with the ambush, according to reports. Two of them reportedly admitted to being part of the group involved in the killings, while investigators continued to examine the third suspect’s role.
Protesters refuse to accept bodies until arrests
The families and supporters of the three slain Meiteis have refused to take the bodies until everyone involved in the killings is held accountable.
On Monday, Meitei protesters brought two of the bodies to the main gate of the chief minister’s residence in Imphal. The demonstration was intended to highlight what they described as the government’s failure to protect civilians following the attack.
Security forces fired tear gas shells after the crowd breached security outside the residence and parked a truck carrying the bodies. The bodies were subsequently removed from the site.
The killings were followed by further violence against the Kuki community. A 45-year-old Kuki man was shot dead while collecting bamboo shoots, and at least six Kuki houses were set ablaze. The incidents have heightened fears of renewed clashes between the communities.
The ambush on Monday marked the first reported violence between Meiteis and Kukis since July 13, when armed Kuki groups attacked Meiteis at Torbung Bangla in Bishnupur district. At least 50 people have died in Manipur in recent months, with most of the deaths occurring in clashes between Naga and Kuki groups.
Manipur’s ethnic conflict and recent violence
The broader ethnic conflict between the dominant Meitei community and the tribal Kuki community began in May 2023. Since then, at least 360 people have been killed, while a breakdown of law and order has resulted in the creation of separate ethnic enclaves. Around 55,000 people have been displaced, and 49,000 remain missing, according to the figures cited in reports.
The state has also witnessed deadly attacks and hostage-taking involving the Naga and Kuki communities.
On May 13, four people, including three church leaders, were killed in a twin ambush in Kangpokpi district. On the same day, 48 civilians from the Kuki and Naga communities were taken hostage by members of the two groups.
Fourteen people from each community were released two days later. However, 14 Kukis and six Nagas remained in captivity.
Following 27 days of protests and appeals for the unconditional release of the hostages, the 14 Kuki captives were released on June 9. The next day, the mutilated bodies of six Naga hostages were recovered, fuelling tensions further.
The latest killings and retaliatory incidents have renewed concerns about the fragile security situation in Manipur, where violence between communities continues to disrupt daily life and efforts to restore normalcy.