A fresh wave of unrest in Manipur has driven more than 200 Naga households from their ancestral residences following widespread arson across three districts. Dozens of dwellings situated in at least eight villages throughout Noney, Tamenglong, and Kangpokpi districts were set ablaze, prompting an urgent representation to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Thursday by the Former & Senior Leaders’ Forum of Zeliangrong Civil Organisations.
Fear Triggers Exodus Across Vulnerable Hamlets
The submitted memorandum highlights that inhabitants from several fragile settlements, specifically Sempat Naga, Gaidunluang, and Chamripeu, abandoned their properties amid acute dread of imminent assaults. Representatives pointed to escalating friction between Naga and Kuki communities as the primary catalyst. Recent fatal violence involving civilian casualties in Kamjong district has further intensified anxiety, leaving frontier villages gripped by profound insecurity.
Demands for Official Status and Camp Protections
Community spokespersons urged the administration to formally designate the uprooted households as Internally Displaced Persons, ensuring that standard humanitarian relief benefits reach them without administrative delays. Additionally, the forum flagged border settlements such as Konsaram and Chawangkining as high-risk zones, seeking immediate stationing of security contingents to guard local residents against potential incursions.
Stricter Surveillance on the Imphal-Jiribam Lifeline
Securing National Highway 37, the critical Imphal-Jiribam corridor that serves as an essential thoroughfare for regular traffic, formed a central pillar of the memorandum. Leaders submitted a logistical plan seeking armed escorts for non-military transit operating Monday through Saturday, identifying Keithelmanbi and Tupul Bazar as designated assembly points. In place of continuous convoys, an alternate recommendation sought a dedicated 11-hour daily security patrol along the route.
Historical Precedent and Administrative Boundary Reforms
To underscore the gravity of road protection, the forum recalled a tragic ambush from the 1994 Kuki-Naga hostilities, during which an insurgent strike targeting a passenger bus claimed the lives of 40 civilians. Beyond emergency security measures, the forum argued for an administrative redrawing of inter-district territorial boundaries. Addressing enduring friction over land entitlements and administrative jurisdiction between the Naga and Kuki groups remains imperative to establishing lasting regional harmony.
