In Manipur, the work of peace is still to be done

Why in the News

At least nine people were killed in a single night across Manipur‘s hill districts of Kamjong, Kangpokpi and Ukhrul, in ambushes and gunfights between armed Kuki and Naga groups. After three and a half years of ethnic violence, the State has only a fragile calm. The killings show the State government cannot heal or contain its divides.

What has the Manipur conflict become?

1. What it is: Manipur’s conflict is a chain of ethnic clashes over land and identity, begun in May 2023 between the valley’s Meiteis and the hill based Kuki-Zo. Like a fire opening new fronts, it now involves the Nagas.
2. Kuki-Naga fault line: The old Kuki-Naga rivalry that fuelled bloodshed in the 1990s has reopened. Since February, dozens from both communities have been killed and houses torched.
3. Overlapping conflicts: Meiteis, Kukis and Nagas are now caught in overlapping conflicts, so a settlement between any two groups no longer ends the violence.
4. Blockades: Civilians bear the violence and also blockades across the hill districts that cut their access to essential supplies.
5. The takeaway: A two sided conflict has become three cornered, so restoring order now needs the State to act across every hill district at once.

Why have President’s Rule and an elected government not restored peace?

1. President’s Rule: After the N Biren Singh government was dissolved in February 2025, central rule was expected to bring an administration seen as less partisan.
2. Partial calm: Large scale clashes declined under President’s Rule, but normalcy stayed elusive and the deep divides between communities persisted.
3. Elected government: As calls for an elected government grew, Yumnam Khemchand Singh, a Meitei like his predecessor, became Chief Minister, with a Kuki and a Naga Deputy Chief Minister.
4. Representation without settlement: Power sharing raised hope that political representation would lead to a lasting settlement, but Kuki-Naga violence has grown since.
5. Central support: The Prime Minister met the Chief Minister last Saturday and promised all possible assistance to the State government.

Why have weapons surrender appeals failed?

1. Looted armouries: Thousands of firearms have been looted from State armouries since the conflict began, and armed groups still hold them.
2. Governor’s appeal: Soon after President’s Rule was imposed, the Governor called for the surrender of weapons.
3. Chief Minister’s ultimatum: In August the Chief Minister set a 15 day ultimatum for the voluntary surrender of illegal firearms.
4. Continued gun violence: Shootings have gone on after both appeals, which shows that voluntary surrender has not worked.

Challenges

1. Physical separation: The communities remain split by security manned buffer zones, which block movement, trade and contact.
2. Displacement: Thousands cannot return home. Eg. Around 60,000 people displaced since 2023 (government figures).
3. Rival political demands: Kuki-Zo organisations demand a separate administration, which remains the central unresolved issue.
4. Porous Myanmar border: Cross border drug and arms trafficking funds armed groups. Eg. The Moreh drug corridor in Manipur.

Way Forward

1. Demilitarise society: Recover looted and illegal firearms and re-establish the State’s authority across the hill districts.
2. Disarm and prosecute: Disarm the armed groups and prosecute those responsible for the killings as an immediate priority.
3. Freedom of movement: Reopen roads and end blockades so people can move freely and live safely alongside one another.
4. Sustained dialogue: Create conditions for continuing dialogue among Meitei, Kuki and Naga representatives as the start of a long reconciliation.

Conclusion

Manipur has moved from central rule to a power sharing elected government, but neither has disarmed the groups driving the violence. Recovery of looted weapons and safe movement across the hills will show whether the State has begun to restore its authority.

Back2Basics: President’s Rule (Article 356)

1. Constitutional basis: Article 356 lets the President take over a State’s government when its constitutional machinery fails, usually on the Governor’s report.
2. Effect: The State’s Council of Ministers is dismissed and Parliament exercises the State legislature’s powers. The Assembly may be suspended or dissolved.
3. Judicial review: S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994) made a proclamation under Article 356 open to judicial review.
4. Manipur’s spell: The Assembly was kept in suspended animation rather than dissolved, and President’s Rule was revoked in February 2026.

Matching Previous Year Question

“[2025, GS3, 15 marks] What are the major challenges to internal security and peace process in the North-Eastern States? Map the various peace accords and agreements initiated by the government in the past decade.”