Manipur Sees Fresh Ethnic Tensions: Prohibitory Orders in Ukhrul’s Litan

Manipur Sees Fresh Ethnic Tensions: Prohibitory Orders in Ukhrul’s Litan After Naga-Kuki Clash

DILIP DAIMARY

Manipur’s fragile post-conflict landscape faced renewed strain on February 9, 2026, as authorities maintained prohibitory orders in Ukhrul district’s Litan area following violent clashes between Tangkhul Naga and Kuki-Zo communities, while protests persisted in Kuki-Zo-dominated districts against community MLAs joining the state government.

In Ukhrul, a Naga-majority district, District Magistrate Asish Das enforced restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) from 7 p.m. on February 8, 2026, prohibiting public movement and activities that could disturb peace “until further orders.” The measure followed apprehensions of breach of peace after an alleged assault on a Tangkhul Naga youth, identified as Sterling (or A.S. Sterling), on the night of February 7 in Litan Sareikhong village.

Reports indicate the incident began as a minor altercation involving intoxicated individuals, escalating when Sterling switched on a torch in the dark, prompting a group from the Kuki-Zo community to assault him severely, claiming the light disturbed them. Naga villagers demanded the Kuki village chief produce the assailants on February 8, leading to failed customary mediation, intense stone-pelting, reported gunfire, and confrontations between the groups.

By late Sunday and into Monday (February 9), the situation deteriorated further with armed militants allegedly setting ablaze several houses belonging to the Tangkhul Naga community in Litan Sareikhong around midnight. Officials confirmed the arson amid simmering tensions, with security forces-including the Army and Assam Rifles-requisitioned as a preventive deployment. An FIR has been lodged, and local village authorities condemned the violence while urging resolution through dialogue and customary means.

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The Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) described the original incident as minor and under peaceful customary resolution in consultation with the injured party’s family. In contrast, the Katho Katamnao Long (KKL), a Tangkhul students’ body, rejected this and demanded retraction, insisting no rectification had occurred. Both sides appealed for harmony, but the flare-up highlights underlying Naga-Kuki frictions in hill areas, distinct yet potentially linked to broader ethnic divides.

Separately, in Kuki-Zo strongholds like Churachandpur, protests continued into early February against three BJP Kuki-Zo MLAs-Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, L.M. Khaute, and Ngursanglur Sanate-for joining the Yumnam Khemchand Singh-led government formed after President’s Rule lifted in early February 2026.

[Agitators in Churachandpur district of Manipur on February 6, 2026, during a rally jointly organised by Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR) and Women Wing of Indigneous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), to protest the participation of three Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs in the State government. | Photo Credit: PTI]

Thousands rallied, burning effigies and enforcing shutdowns called by the KSO and allied groups, accusing the MLAs of betraying community demands for a separate Union Territory-like administration amid lingering displacement from the 2023 Meitei-Kuki-Zo conflict. The Kuki-Zo Council condemned their actions as disregarding collective resolutions and suffering.

In response, locals in places like B. Vengnom felicitated four other Kuki-Zo MLAs for refusing to join. Of Manipur’s 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs (seven BJP), most oppose government participation without concessions. The Indigenous Tribes Advocacy Committee (ITAC) in Pherzawl and Jiribam warned against harming MLA Sanate, affirming his legitimacy while calling for no internal animosity.

Congress MP Angomcha Bimal Akoijam blamed “radical fringe elements” for obstructing peace. The state has recorded over 260 deaths and around 62,000 displacements since May 2023.

09-02-2026

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