Nemcha Kipgen planned return to Imphal has run into fresh uncertainty as valley protests intensify and Kuki-Zo security concerns deepen. Her decision highlights the widening divide between the two communities.
By PC Bureau | October 25, 2026
Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen has put off her proposed move to resume official duties from Imphal amid escalating protests in the state capital following the October 19 killing of three Meitei civilians and subsequent security operations against suspected Kuki-Zo armed cadres, sources familiar with the developments said.
Kipgen had announced on October 19 that she would travel to Imphal soon and discharge her responsibilities from the state capital, describing the decision as being “purely in the interest of peace”. Her proposed return had also received support from several Kuki-Zo civil society organisations, which had urged her to attend official duties in Imphal in the interest of governance, security and development.
However, the political and security situation has since deteriorated, complicating her plans. Sources said Kipgen would not visit Imphal for now, as anger over the killing of the three Meitei civilians has intensified in the Valley and the atmosphere has become increasingly hostile towards the Kuki-Zo community.
The development exposes the difficult position facing the Kuki-Zo deputy chief minister: she is expected to discharge her constitutional responsibilities as a member of the state government while navigating the security concerns and political sentiments of a community that has remained largely separated from the Imphal Valley since the ethnic violence erupted in May 2023.
Imphal protests alter the political climate
The killing of three Meitei men who had gone to collect firewood in the Sunurok area of Imphal East district on October 19 triggered protests across the Valley. Sit-ins and rallies spread to multiple locations, with demonstrators demanding justice for the victims and questioning the government’s handling of civilian security.
Police arrested three Kuki-Zo men in connection with the killings and identified them as alleged cadres of the Kuki National Front (Nehlun) faction. The outfit denied that the arrested men were its members. The arrests and subsequent security operations against suspected armed-group personnel have added to tensions between the Valley and the Kuki-Zo-inhabited hill districts.
Protests have also targeted the state government’s leadership. Demonstrators in Imphal have demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Kipgen. Women vendors, student groups and civil society organisations have joined demonstrations, while some protesters have warned of a broader movement if their demands are not met.
For Kipgen, the timing is particularly sensitive. Her proposed return to Imphal had been presented as a step towards normalising governance and promoting peace. But the renewed agitation has created a political environment in which her presence in the capital could become a flashpoint rather than the confidence-building measure her supporters had hoped it would be.
READ: ED Arrests Six in Manipur-Mizoram Drug-Hawala Probe; Freezes 1,424 Accounts
READ: Manipur: Where Imphal’s Street Power Has the Last Word in Governance
Civil society appeals meet resistance among Kuki-Zo people
Kuki-Zo civil society organisations in Kangpokpi had appealed to Kipgen to move to Imphal and regularly discharge her official duties. In their October 16 statement, the organisations acknowledged her work on relief and rehabilitation for internally displaced people but argued that her presence in the state capital was necessary to address public concerns and participate more directly in government decisions.
The appeal, however, has not translated into a broad consensus within the Kuki-Zo community.
Sources said substantial sections of the community remained opposed to a return to Imphal under the present circumstances. For many Kuki-Zo residents, the issue extends beyond the location from which their elected representative works. It is tied to unresolved security concerns, the continuing ethnic divide and the absence of a political settlement acceptable to the community.
Since the violence of May 2023, movement between Kuki-Zo-inhabited areas and the Imphal Valley has been severely affected by fear, insecurity and the separation reinforced by security arrangements. Many Kuki-Zo residents have avoided travelling to Imphal, while the Valley has remained largely inaccessible to sections of the community without carefully managed security arrangements.
🚨 BREAKING | MANIPUR
Massive torchlight rally in Imphal last evening.
Hundreds of activists took to the streets, condemning the brutal killing of three civilians in the recent violence.
Three years later, Manipur still demands peace and security.
Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have abandoned Manipur.
How many more innocent lives must be lost?
— Krishna Yadav (@Control_Krishna) October 25, 2026
Against this background, proposed return by Kipgen carries significance beyond her official schedule. Critics within the community fear that her presence in Imphal could be interpreted as a signal that normalcy has returned even though the underlying questions of security, political representation and the future relationship between the hill districts and the Valley remain unresolved.
Those supporting Kipgen move, by contrast, have argued that a deputy chief minister cannot remain indefinitely away from the state capital and that her participation in government is necessary to represent the interests of conflict-affected people.
The disagreement highlights a divide between those who see engagement from within the government as a way to influence policy and those who believe that normalisation should follow credible progress on security and the community’s political demands.
