Naga–Kuki Rift Flares Up in Manipur Hills

• ZUF claims its cadres were fired upon during poppy destruction drive in Kangpokpi.
• Naga villagers block roads citing death threats and vandalism by Kuki insurgents.
• Kuki group CoTU blames “valley forces” for fuelling tribal tensions.
• Row revives debate on free movement and SoO-linked militant influence in Manipur.

GG News Bureau
Imphal, 13th Jan: A fresh confrontation has erupted between Naga and Kuki groups in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, with both sides accusing each other of spreading disinformation, provoking tensions and attempting to block access to villages.

The flashpoint began on January 8 when armed members of the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF – S Kamson faction) launched an anti-poppy cultivation drive in a hill village around 45 km from Imphal, destroying illegal opium plantations. The ZUF alleged that its cadres were fired upon by Kuki insurgents during the operation, triggering a brief gunfight and tension in nearby villages.

The situation escalated after the chairman of Ireng Naga village claimed he received a threatening phone call from a Kuki militant active in the area. Villagers subsequently organised protests and blocked a key road, displaying banners accusing cadres of the Kuki National Front (KNF) under the United People’s Front (UPF) of armed vandalism and issuing explicit death threats. Protesters also alleged that stones marking distances along village roads were found bearing the inscription “Kukiland.”

The ZUF (S Kamson), which signed a ceasefire agreement with the Centre in 2019 and represents the Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei Naga tribes, said villagers had legitimate reasons to be wary of Kuki militants. It alleged that insurgents had destroyed public infrastructure, including a bus waiting shed, and had threatened to burn down the village. The group further claimed that Kuki underground outfits were constructing fortified bunkers at village entry points and residential courtyards.

Rejecting claims made by the Kangpokpi-based Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) — a Kuki civil society body working closely with Kuki insurgent groups under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement — the ZUF accused CoTU of misrepresenting the anti-poppy operation as intimidation of “innocent villagers.”

CoTU, in turn, blamed “valley-based organisations” for attempting to inflame tribal animosity in Kangpokpi. The term “valley” refers to Meitei-dominated areas. Kuki tribes and Meiteis have been locked in a bitter conflict since May 2023 over land, resources, reservation policies and political representation.

The group appealed to Naga bodies to end the road blockade and remain neutral, even as Meitei organisations accused insurgent-linked bodies of dictating free movement on national highways instead of the state.

The renewed standoff highlights the fragile inter-tribal dynamics in Manipur, where ceasefire arrangements, militant influence and civil society interventions continue to intersect with unresolved ethnic and political fault lines.