Manipur: Three Years of Bloody Ethnic Conflict, Perpetrators Still 'Unknown'
Axios (Tổng hợp từ Al Jazeera English)
Ethnic conflict in India's Manipur state has entered its fourth year, with over 250 dead and tens of thousands displaced. Most attacks remain unsolved, with perpetrators listed as 'unknown,' making justice elusive. The conflict, which began in May 2023, has expanded into a multi-sided war involving Meitei, Kuki-Zo, and Naga communities.
Manipur, India, is mired in the longest ethnic conflict in its modern history, with violence escalating from May 2023 and showing no signs of abating. Official statistics record over 250 deaths and more than 58,000 people living in refugee camps.
The latest incident claimed the lives of two brothers, aged six months and five years, in Tronglaobi town, Bishnupur district, after a homemade rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) struck their home on April 7. The mother survived but was critically injured. The father, a border security soldier, was on duty hundreds of kilometers away. The children's funeral was delayed by 25 days as the family demanded authorities find the perpetrators; they eventually buried them after the government promised swift action.
The First Information Report (FIR) for this attack listed the perpetrators only as 'unknown miscreants.' According to an Al Jazeera analysis, over 12,000 FIRs related to murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, and arson in Manipur from May 2023 to the end of 2025 follow the same pattern. None have led to convictions.
The body of Vungzagin Valte, a BJP lawmaker attacked by a mob in May 2023 who died in February 2026, remains in a Churachandpur morgue as supporters continue to demand justice.
In Ukhrul district, Naga youth Horshokmi Jamang was shot dead last month while patrolling his village. His wife, Lilychin Jamang, recalled: 'That day was our daughter's first birthday. I thought he would bring cake home. Instead, his body returned.' The FIR named only 'unknown Kuki armed group.'
In late March, two Kuki-Zo laborers were kidnapped and shot dead, also in Ukhrul. The FIR alleged the NSCN-IM group and 'unknown gunmen' from the Naga community. No arrests have been made.
The conflict originated from the Manipur High Court's proposal to grant 'scheduled tribe' status to the Meitei community, which constitutes 60% of the 2.9 million population, sparking fears among the predominantly Christian Kuki-Zo community of losing privileges. Although India's Supreme Court later rejected the petition, the 'spark' had been lit.
The conflict has now evolved from a two-way confrontation into a multi-sided war involving Meitei, Kuki-Zo, and Naga communities, with various armed groups. A source in a Naga armed group admitted many gunmen act independently of leadership. A police official speaking on condition of anonymity said, 'Often we don't know if they are village militias or insurgent gunmen.'
The widespread availability of weapons is worsening the crisis. Thousands of guns looted from police and paramilitary armories in the early stages of the conflict remain in circulation. The 1,600-kilometer border with chaotic Myanmar also serves as a channel for arms to reach Manipur's underground groups.
Former Interior Secretary GK Pillai, who oversaw northeastern security, sharply criticized: 'Basically, the government hasn't decided what to do. It's a mess they created and they don't know how to fix it.' He stated that Indian security forces are capable of ending the conflict and recovering weapons, but they cannot act without clear orders from the government, likely due to political calculations ahead of state elections.
Meanwhile, children growing up in refugee camps face disrupted education, vulnerability, and risk of recruitment by armed groups. Letminlen, a relief worker in Churachandpur, said: 'Many children express a desire to join armed groups and carry guns, because that's all they see around them. If this continues, we are losing an entire generation.'
