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Manipur’s Churachandpur Unrest Continues

In Manipur’s Churachandpur district, there was fresh violence again on Thursday night, February 15. Two people died, and around twelve were injured; according to reports, among the two people who died, one was a minor, and the Kuki group called for a shutdown in protest against the two deaths when security forces had a clash with the crowd that broke into a government compound.

This compound holds the offices of the police superintendent and district collector. The conflict occurred as hundreds protested the suspension of a head constable belonging to the tribal Kuki community, sparked by a viral selfie showing him with armed miscreants.

Protesters burned a bus and buildings near the district police chief’s office. Mobile internet is suspended in the district due to the unrest.
In Manipur, fights are happening between armed groups who call themselves “village defence volunteers.” This is due to tensions between the Kuki-Zo tribes in the hills and the Meiteis in the valleys.

The Manipur Police said in the post on X, “A mob numbering approximately 300-400 attempted to storm the office of (Superintendent of Police) (Churachandpur) today, pelting stones, etc. The SF (security forces), including RAF, are responding appropriately by firing tear gas shells to control the situation. Things are under watch,”.

The Kuki-Zo tribes frequently accuse the state police of attacking their villages. In response, the police consistently deny these allegations and instead point to Kuki-Zo insurgents supporting “village defence volunteers.”

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum asserted in a late Thursday statement that the Churachandpur police chief, Shivanand Surve, is “entirely responsible for tonight’s incident in the district.”

Authorities reported that when news of the head constable’s suspension spread, a mob gathered and started throwing stones. The crowd turned violent when prevented from breaking a gate and entering the compound. Manipur Police estimated the mob size to be around 300-400 people.

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum, representing Churachandpur’s tribal bodies, criticized the swift suspension of the head constable. They claimed no action was taken against Meitei police officers appearing in similar videos with militants.

The ITLF called for a shutdown in Churachandpur and demanded police superintendent Shivanand Surve’s leave from the hill district within 24 hours.ITLF is one of the civil society groups the Union government is engaging with to restore order in Manipur.

Since ethnic violence erupted between the majority Meitei community and the tribal Kukis on May 3 last year, at least 210 people have died, and over 50,000 have been displaced in Manipur.

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