The re-entry of Meitei police into Thingkangphai, a village destroyed during past ethnic violence, has provoked outrage from returning Kuki residents. Community leaders and the Indian Army are in urgent talks to defuse tensions.
BY PC Bureau
June 25, 2025–Tensions flared in Thingkangphai village, located in the Chakpikarong subdivision of Chandel district, Manipur, after Meitei police personnel reportedly entered the Kuki-dominated area earlier today. The incursion has reignited local anger, as this same village was set ablaze by Meitei police in June 2023, during a period of heightened ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.
According to local sources, a small number of Kuki families had recently returned to Thingkangphai to resettle in the area, attempting to rebuild their lives after their homes were destroyed in the June 2023 attack. The earlier incident, which locals alleged involved police and a mob using state-provided resources like Casper vehicles, left deep scars in the community, with many families displaced. The unexpected entry of the police today sparked outrage among residents, particularly among women, who are demanding answers about how such a breach was allowed in a Kuki-majority area.
Local Kuki leadership is currently engaged in discussions with the Indian Army personnel stationed in the region, seeking clarity on the circumstances surrounding the police incursion. Community members, especially women, have voiced their frustration, questioning who the commanding officer was that permitted Meitei police to enter the village. “We want to know who allowed this. How can Meitei police freely come into our area after what happened in 2023?” a Kuki woman activist, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
Manipur Police & Assam Rifles posted in Sugnu had attacked&burnt Kuki villages in Thingkangphai area on 1st week of June 2023 using Casper&State resources. Today the same forces had the audacity to intrude into the same village they had burnt. Where is the protection ? @adgpi pic.twitter.com/6SAMFfIsD3
— Ting Khongthang (@TingKhongthang) June 25, 2025
The incident comes against the backdrop of ongoing ethnic tensions in Manipur, which have persisted since May 2023, claiming over 250 lives and displacing thousands. The conflict between the Meitei community, primarily residing in the Imphal Valley, and the Kuki-Zo community, dominant in the surrounding hills, has frequently erupted into violence, often over land disputes and ethnic boundaries.
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Today’s events have further strained the fragile peace in the region. The Manipur Police and Assam Rifles, who are deployed in the area to maintain order, have not yet issued an official statement regarding the incursion. However, sources indicate that security forces are attempting to mediate between the local leadership and the police to prevent escalation. The Kuki community’s distrust of state authorities remains high, with many residents questioning the impartiality of security forces in the region.
READ:
Manipur: How can @official_dgar justify AR operating under Meitei COs in a buffer zone created to protect Kuki lives? Remove CO Sharma from the area immediately. @RajBhavManipur #BufferZoneBreached pic.twitter.com/18MnChZR3X
— PK Hangmi पीके हांग्मी (@Eager4Justice) June 25, 2025
The Manipur government, which recently announced plans to provide security to farmers in vulnerable areas following a separate attack on a Meitei farmer in Bishnupur district, now faces renewed pressure to address the concerns of the Kuki community in Thingkangphai. As the situation unfolds, all eyes are on the state and central authorities to prevent further escalation in this volatile region.
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