Imphal, May 1, 2026: Fresh tensions in Manipur, particularly in Ukhrul district, may have been triggered by what initially began as a drunken brawl that later took on an ethnic dimension, according to former Assam Rifles Director General Pradeep Chandran Nair.
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| Security personnel patrol an area in Manipur’s Ukhrul district as houses burn during the initial stage of the conflict in Litan. |
In an interview with The Hindu, Nair said the confrontation between Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities did not originally start as an organised ethnic conflict.
“What began as a drunken brawl, from what I gathered, was typically not a fight between two communities. It was just a drunken brawl which thereafter got an ethnic flavour,” he said.
He explained that the altercation later escalated into broader clashes, with members of one community attacking the other, eventually leading to a series of violent incidents including killings and road blockades.
Nair noted that road blockades are not new in Manipur and have frequently occurred over the years during periods of tension.
The fresh violence has emerged after a period of relative calm in the state, particularly during the time President’s Rule was in place, before the restoration of an elected government earlier this year.
According to reports, at least 11 people have been killed since April 7 in incidents reported from Bishnupur district, a Meitei-majority area, and Ukhrul district, where tensions between Tangkhul Nagas and Kukis have surfaced.
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The development has added a new dimension to the ongoing ethnic crisis in Manipur, which initially erupted in May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.
Security experts say the emergence of another front of conflict in the hill districts could further complicate efforts to restore stability in the state.
