The Naga People’s Organisation and Committee for tribal unity (COTU) trade statements following vandalism at a Muivah reception event in Kangpokpi district. At the same time, a new land dispute between Chassad and Sampui villages in Kamjong district threatens to reopen old scars from the 2020 conflict.
By PC Bureau
November 1, 2025: Fresh ethnic tension is brewing in Manipur’s hills following NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah’s recent visit and a series of provocative incidents between Tangkhil nagas and Kuki-Zo communities. The unrest has deepened after Muivah’s deputy, V.S. Atem, described the Kuki community as “refugees” with no rightful claim over land or resources — remarks that have drawn outrage from Kuki groups.
At the same time, the two hill communities find themselves also locked in another flashpoint — allegations of land encroachment by Tangkhul Nagas of Sampui village on territory claimed by Kukis of Chassad village in Kamjong district.
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📍Chassad, Manipur | 30 Oct 2025
After their public show at Ukhrul town welcoming the criminal Th. Muivah, the Sampui Tangkhuls, backed by NSCN-IM, have continued encroaching upon Chassad village land with total impunity. Where is the district admin?@RajBhavManipur why silent? pic.twitter.com/r5oyRSEerC— Turning Point (@turng_point) October 30, 2025
Poster Clash Sparks New Unrest
The immediate trigger came from a press ultimatum issued by the Naga People’s Organisation (NPO) on October 31, condemning vandalism allegedly committed by “miscreants” during the Naga community’s civil reception for Muivah on October 29–30 at Senapati.
According to the NPO, some individuals at Daili shouted “We want Kuki Land” and defaced posters of Muivah — acts it termed “deeply provocative and an insult to Naga dignity.” The organisation demanded that those responsible be handed over within three days, warning that failure to act could compel Nagas to “protect Naga peace and identity” on their own.
Kuki-Zo Bodies Call for Restraint
The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), representing the Kuki-Zo community in Kangpokpi, responded with a measured statement, condemning the vandalism but urging the NPO “not to communalise an isolated act.”
CoTU clarified that firecrackers and loudspeakers are banned in Kuki-Zo villages, adding that the community “has no political mileage to gain by damaging posters or images of another community’s leaders.” The group appealed for calm, signing off with the greeting: “Kut Chibai to all kindred tribes of the Kuki-Zo.”
Muivah’s Return, Atem’s Words Add Fuel
Muivah’s homecoming — his first visit to Somdal village in Ukhrul after five decades — was marked by charged speeches demanding Naga sovereignty “outside the Constitution of India.” Adding to the tension, V.S. Atem, Deputy Ato Kilonser (Vice President) of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), described Kukis as “refugees” during a televised interview with Northeast Live from Senapati.
“Those who came as refugees cannot claim to be the sons of the soil. They have no right to demand a homeland here,” Atem said.
Land Dispute Rekindles Old Scars
Tension is also rising in Kamjong district, where Tangkhul leaders from Sampui village have been accused of encroaching upon land traditionally owned by Chassad village. The area was the site of the 2020 Chassad–Sampui conflict, when several houses were burnt and relations between the two Tangkhul and Kuki-Zo settlements deteriorated.
In social media posts, Chassad residents allege that Sampui villagers recently began clearing forest land and constructing huts in disputed territory, calling it a “pre-planned and provocative act.”
Sampui elders have denied the charges, insisting that the land “falls within traditional Tangkhul boundaries.” The Kamjong Deputy Commissioner has called both sides for talks next week, while security forces have been placed on alert.
