Kuki Inpi Chandel blamed the state forces for reigniting trauma from last year’s ethnic violence and demanded answers from district authorities.
BY PC BUUREAU
June 26, 2025 — A fresh flashpoint has emerged in Manipur’s conflict-ridden hills as Kuki Inpi Chandel, the apex tribal civil body of the district, condemned what it termed a “deliberate and provocative incursion” by Sugnu Police Commandos into Thingkangphai village, a Kuki-Zo dominated settlement in the Chakpikarong subdivision of Chandel.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, triggered widespread panic among villagers and reignited painful memories of the ethnic violence that rocked the state last year. According to a press release issued by Kuki Inpi Chandel, the police personnel entered the village without any prior notice or coordination with district authorities, violating the buffer zone guidelines put in place to prevent clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.
Allegations of State-Sanctioned Intimidation
Describing the entry as a “renewed assault on Kuki territory,” the Kuki body linked the Sugnu Police Commandos to the May–June 2023 violence, during which hundreds of Kuki homes in the Sugnu area were set ablaze and thousands were displaced. The statement alleged that the same forces involved in that violence were now reappearing “under the veil of security operations,” calling it a betrayal of peacekeeping principles and an attempt to intimidate the Kuki population.
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“This brazen action has spread fear and panic among villagers,” the group stated. “The buffer zone was created to prevent precisely this—State-led aggression masquerading as operations. Instead, it has become a tool for continued Meitei expansionism.”
A Fragile Peace Under Strain
The incident comes at a time when the state remains deeply divided along ethnic lines. Since May 2023, when violence broke out between the Meitei community in the valley and the Kuki-Zo tribes in the hills, over 250 people have been killed and more than 60,000 displaced. Though relative calm had returned to many parts of the state, the peace remains precarious, and incidents like this threaten to unravel whatever stability has been achieved.
Manipur: The same gang from @manipur_police & @official_dgar posted at Sugnu who enabled burning down the Kuki settlements to ashes during the first week of June 2023 today appeared at the last village of Kukis at Thingkangphai. Is the next wave of arson around? @RajBhavManipur pic.twitter.com/zpcEqVc21X
— WhatsThePoint (@Point_Wht) June 25, 2025
The Manipur government had earlier created buffer zones in sensitive border areas between the valley and the hills to separate the warring communities. These zones were to be monitored and secured by central forces such as the Assam Rifles and CRPF, with local police instructed to avoid unilateral action that could escalate tensions.
Demands and Warnings from Kuki Inpi
The Kuki Inpi Chandel demanded answers from the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of Chandel district, questioning why the incursion was permitted. It also placed direct blame on the SP of Kakching district, accusing him of provoking unrest in a protected region.
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“We warn: such acts must not be repeated,” the organization declared. “Any further provocation will be treated as a wilful attack on the Kuki-Zo people. We reserve the right to defend our land, lives, and dignity.”
The group called upon central armed forces deployed in the region to enforce strict compliance with buffer zone protocols and prevent future unauthorized entries. “This is not an isolated act,” the statement added. “It is part of a systematic campaign to provoke, delegitimize, and suppress the Kuki-Zo identity.”
