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Clashes continue in Manipur; houses burned, internet suspended for 5 days
Leaders of civil society organisations met with chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Wednesday. Violence started with a minor issue, but there are also long-standing land disputes here
- PUBLISHED: Wed 11 Feb 2026, 5:59 PM
Efforts are on among various civil society organisations in Manipur to resolve the differences between Tangkhul Naga and Kuki-Zo residents of Ukhrul district, which has been witnessing violence for the past few days.
“Things are still tense in the district, and though the civil society organisations on both sides are being engaged, there is still no agreement to resolve the issue,” a government spokesperson told local media. “The trigger of this flare-up is a minor issue, but there are long-standing land disputes here, which are also aggravating it.”
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Leaders of civil society organisations from both groups had been invited for a meeting with chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Wednesday, February 11.
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Scores of homes and offices were set on fire in Litan village in Ukhrul late on Sunday, February 8, after clashes between Tangkhul Naga and Kuki-Zo communities, according to the government spokesperson. “This violence stems from a few individuals, deputy chief minister Losii Dikho told the media. “Both sides want peace and harmony. The government will arrest the culprits and restore calm.”
The district administration has banned the carrying and display of firearms and warned that licences would be suspended in case of violation. The Litan Sareikhong Village Authority called for communal harmony between the two communities.
According to a spokesperson of the authority, what began as a minor altercation between “intoxicated individuals” should not be communalised.
The police said violence followed a drunken brawl on Saturday (February 7) evening. Over the next few hours, more than 40 houses were torched by miscreants. The state government imposed an internet ban in Ukhrul as “a preventive and cautionary measure.”
“The matter has gone completely out of hand with so many different people getting involved, and people are apprehensive about why the violence is continuing, even with the presence of security forces and are questioning whether Tangkhul Nagas are safe in their own homeland,” Tangkhul Naga Long vice president RS Jollyson told the media. “We are trying to monitor and restrain the violence, and have asked all Naga people to be very vigilant.”
Ukhrul Kuki Students’ Organisation vice-president Mercy Khongsai said it began as a fight between some individuals, and now both communities are suffering. “Maybe somewhere down the line, there was some communication gap,” he said. “We are trying to understand why this has become so hard to resolve.”
