According to officials, hundreds of protesters gathered in the Tuibong Main Market area and attempted to push security personnel back into their barracks. When forces resisted, the crowd began pelting stones and setting tyres ablaze, prompting security agencies to deploy tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. Authorities said the situation remained tense late into the night, with additional forces, including Assam Rifles, deployed to restore order.
The unrest was triggered by opposition within sections of the Kuki-Zo-Mi community to Nemcha Kipgen’s elevation as Deputy Chief Minister. While Kipgen is the first woman from the Kuki community to hold the post, several tribal organisations accused her and two other Kuki MLAs—L M Khaute and Ngursanglur Sanate—of betraying community interests by joining the new government. Some groups escalated tensions by announcing cash rewards for attacks on the three leaders, a development security agencies described as “extremely serious” and under investigation.
In response to the violence, the Joint Forum of Seven, a tribal body, called for a shutdown in Kuki-dominated areas of Churachandpur from Friday morning. Protesters continued sloganeering on the streets, while security personnel worked to clear roads and prevent further escalation.
The political backdrop includes the formation of a new BJP-led government in Manipur earlier this week. Yumkham Khemohand Singh was sworn in as the state’s 13th Chief Minister, while Losii Dikho of the Naga People’s Front took oath as Deputy Chief Minister alongside Kipgen, who assumed office via video conference from Delhi. The appointments were intended to represent Manipur’s diverse communities but instead reignited existing fault lines.
Ethnic tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities have persisted since 2023, driven by disputes over demands for Scheduled Tribe status, calls for a separate Kuki administrative arrangement, and allegations related to illegal drug cultivation. These issues have led to prolonged unrest, loss of life, and widespread displacement across the state.
State officials said law-and-order measures have been intensified and appealed for calm, urging community leaders to engage in dialogue. The government has maintained that inclusive governance and continued security operations are necessary to stabilise the situation, even as protests highlight the fragile peace in parts of Manipur.
