Long recovery path for Manipur

• Kundram Memori, 55, lives in a relief camp in Bishnupur district, Manipur, after her home in Churachandpur was destroyed by ethnic violence between Kuki-Zo and Meitei people.
• The violence was triggered by a Manipur High Court order demanding the State government’s response on the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list.
• Memori’s family’s income has dropped by 80%, and they now live in a relief camp in Bishnupur.
• Holkim, 70, lives in a community centre in Churachandpur, where she was displaced in May 2023.
• Holkim’s relative hopes to return home one day, but the community members lack privacy and support.
• Despite the violence, 62,000 people still live in relief camps, with no opinion on President’s Rule in the State.
• Manipur was placed under President’s Rule in February 2025 following an impending political crisis.
• The valley, with 10% of Manipur’s landmass, is dominated by the non-tribal Meitei ethnic group, mostly Hindus, who account for over 64% of the State’s population.

Manipur State’s Conflict and Security Measures

• Manipur police and Army, along with 288 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) companies, are deployed in the state.
• The ‘buffer zones’ created to prevent conflicts between Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts have been a significant area of conflict.
• The CAPF and Army secure these buffer zones, but not the State police.
• Village volunteers built bunkers in buffer zones to protect their communities have been removed and some have been occupied by Central security forces.
• Around 450-500 bunkers have been destroyed in the past 22 months, with the government ensuring none exist in the buffer zones to prevent confrontation.
• The government is working on a 13-point road map to end violence and restore peace, including disarmament, arrest of armed miscreants, rehabilitation of internally displaced people, restoration of damaged religious places, and free movement on highways.
• Since May 3, 2023, cases of extortion and abductions by armed groups have seen a rise, particularly in the valley areas.
• The Manipur government established a dedicated Integrated Anti-Extortion Cell in January 2025 to deal with the law-and-order threat in the State.
• The trader community, many of whom migrated to Manipur 100 years ago, have been the softest target of armed gangs.
• Despite the extortion calls and visits, the popularity of radical armed Meitei groups has increased in the past two years.

Manipur Economic Crisis: A Call for Government Intervention

• Anil Haorokcham, secretary of the Manipur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, warns of a potential NPA for up to 99% of entrepreneurs if a financial package is not announced by the government.
• Over 50% of regular transactions have been lost, with the main city (Imphal) facing collateral damage.
• The exodus of Kuki-Zo people from Imphal has affected health care, hospitality, and other sectors.
• Private hospitals, schools, and tourism have been affected, and hotels are running at a 20-30% occupancy rate.
• Many businesspeople from the valley are moving to neighbouring Guwahati in Assam due to the pandemic and violence.
• Many Nepali families are considering moving back to Nepal due to the fear of gunshots and bombs.
• Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla appealed to members of all communities to surrender looted police weapons within seven days or face strict action.
• Since May 2023, around 6,020 police weapons and lakhs worth of ammunition were looted from police armouries, almost 90% in the valley areas dominated by the Meitei people.
• The amnesty period was extended until March 6, with 1,063 weapons, 15,027 pieces of ammunition, 684 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and 5,971 other items surrendered.
• Meitei civil society groups argue that the Kuki-Zo people are backed by armed insurgent groups in a Suspension of Operation (SoO) pact with the Centre.
• A political consultant, Mutum Yoiremba, believes the way forward is through collective amnesia, “a forgetfulness, even if not forgiveness.”
• The deteriorating economy does not discriminate on caste or religion.