From riots and arson to ST atrocities, Manipur dominates India’s crime surge as conflict displaces 60,000 and claims 258 lives.
BY PC Bureau
September 30, 2025 –
September 30, 2025 – Manipur’s dominance in Scheduled Tribe (ST) atrocities is especially alarming. From zero cases in 2021 and just one in 2022, the state logged 3,399 in 2023—comprising 26% of India’s total. These included 2,757 simple hurt cases (21.3%), 1,707 riots (13.2%), and 1,189 rapes (9.2%), alongside 260 dacoities, 193 land disputes, and 203 instances of intimidation. Rights groups say the figures reflect targeted ethnic cleansing.
The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, was invoked extensively, with Manipur’s 3,399 cases surpassing Madhya Pradesh’s 2,858 to lead the nation, according to the National Crime Records Bureau’s (Crime in India 2023) report released September 29, 2025.
Beyond Statistics: Human Toll
A Cataclysmic Spike: Violent Crimes Soar Amid Ethnic Animosity Manipur’s violent crime cases ballooned to 14,427 in 2023—from just 631 in 2022 and 545 in 2021—accounting for 77% of all insurgency-related incidents in the Northeast, according to Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) data. Assam followed with 11,552 cases, but Manipur stood out as the clear outlier. The surge correlated directly with ethnic clashes after May 2023: riots exploded to 5,421 incidents (from negligible numbers earlier), while arson cases hit 6,203—including 1,051 attacks targeting ST properties, NCRB breakdowns show.
READ: Opinion: Will BJP Walk the Talk as PK Puts it Morality on Trial
Other grim figures include 151 murders (defying a 24% national dip), 818 attempted murders, 330 robberies, and 1,213 dacoities—many linked to the looting of over 4,786 churches, 386 temples, and thousands of homes in the early weeks of violence. Kidnappings numbered 89, while 27 rapes were recorded, including the May 2023 viral video of two Kuki women assaulted by Meitei perpetrators, prompting CBI intervention.
Crimes against women dipped slightly to 201 cases from 248 in 2022 and 302 in 2021. NCRB attributes this to enhanced patrols, though activists argue underreporting amid chaos may explain the decline. Manipur’s dominance in ST atrocities is especially alarming. From zero cases in 2021 and just one in 2022, the state logged 3,399 in 2023—comprising 26% of India’s total. These included 2,757 simple hurt cases (21.3%), 1,707 riots (13.2%), and 1,189 rapes (9.2%), alongside 260 dacoities, 193 land disputes, and 203 instances of intimidation.
The figures reflect what many rights groups call targeted ethnic cleansing. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, was invoked extensively, with Manipur’s 3,399 cases surpassing Madhya Pradesh’s 2,858 to lead the nation.
READ: Opinion: This Is One Arrest That Will Haunt the Regime Forever
Central Intervention and Its Limits
The Centre responded with deployments of 10,000 paramilitary personnel, helicopters, drones, and a unified command. President’s Rule was imposed in February 2025 after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s resignation under Supreme Court scrutiny.
Despite these measures, flare-ups continued into 2024–25. September 2024 clashes claimed five lives, underscoring fragile peace. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s September 2025 visit announced a ₹5,000 crore rehabilitation package, but delays in implementing relief have fueled criticism.
A Stark Warning:
From Data to Deliverance The NCRB’s 2023 ledger—recording one cognizable crime every five seconds nationwide, but an unprecedented deluge in Manipur—demands urgent recalibration under the BNS/BNSS frameworks. Without inclusive rehabilitation prioritizing the 58,000+ in camps and accountability for 4,802 ST victims nationwide, Manipur’s wounds may fester indefinitely. The NCRB report is more than statistics—it is a siren for a Northeast on the brink.
