New violence engulfed Manipur on June 8 and 9, 2025, following the arrest of Arambai Tenggol, a militant Meitei organization’s chief leader. The arrest, viewed as a direct provocation by the Meitei people, proved to be a widespread prompting of protests and riots all over Imphal Valley. Protesters burned public property, obstructed roads, and confronted security agencies, leading to the state government declaring curfews and suspending internet and mobile networks in five districts—Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur.
Security officials were deployed in sensitive areas, and there were reports of tear gas and firing being resorted to disperse agitated mobs. Protesters were reported to have hurled petrol bombs and intimidated law officers. In spite of these steps, the agitation went on, and people worried about another bout of ethnic violence taking hold in the state. The violence is not just a reaction to one arrest but lies anchored in deep-rooted tensions between Manipur’s Meitei majority and the hill tribes, particularly the Kukis and Nagas.
At the center of the ongoing unrest is the controversial claim for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status by the Meitei community, who constitute more than 50% of the population in the state but occupy only roughly 10% of its territory in the Imphal Valley. Their demand for ST status hinges on the argument that they were tribal historically prior to their exclusion from the constitutional category in 1949. Yet, this demand has attracted vehement resistance from hill tribes, most notably the Kukis and Nagas, who perceive it as an encroachment on their land rights, political protection, and access to affirmative action privileges.
The crisis deepened when, in March 2025, the Manipur High Court asked the state to examine the Meiteis’ request for ST status within four weeks. The move sparked huge resentment among tribal groups, and tensions reached a boiling point with the All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) leading protests on May 3. The demonstrations started as peaceful processions, but soon escalated into ethnic violence, with reports of arson, targeted attacks, and displacement.
The fuel to the fire was added by the state government’s contentious drive against tribal “encroachments” in protected forest areas. Initiated in the guise of anti-o. opium missions and environmental control, the drive involved the entire eviction of villages—such as K. Songjang—without rehabilitation. The moves, tribal leaders protested, and without consulting the Hill Areas Committee, as required by law. This alienated further the hill populations, who perceived the state’s actions to be aimed at a targeted onslaught against their very existence.
A less mentioned but important aspect of the unrest revolves around demographic pressures created by the entry of Kuki-Chin refugees from Myanmar. Most among the Meitei population complain that the migrants, some of whom could be carrying arms, have disturbed the ethnic equation and contributed to hill land and resource rivalry. This alone has increased suspicion and xenophobic attitudes among ethnic Meiteis.
In the meanwhile, the administration has been criticized for resorting to internet shutdowns time and again as a crisis management strategy. Although the government cites that doing so is required to curb the spread of misinformation and hate speech, critics point out that frequent shutdowns obstruct vital communication, interfere with education and commerce, and negate transparency, among other things. Various human rights groups have accused the state of overreach and repression.
To the controversy, there are also claims that radical Meitei militant groups such as Arambai Tenggol have functioned with implicit approval or at least complacency on the part of the authorities. Tribal groups say that while their activists are arrested at once, radical Meitei organizations have relative impunity. The recent CBI arrest of a member of Arambai Tenggol is being seen as one of pretenses of neutrality, but it has been ineffective in restoring tribal faith in the state machinery.
In a wider sense, several Kuki organizations are now calling for a distinct administrative setup or Union Territory status to protect their identity and rights. The reasons for these calls arise from the perception that peaceful coexistence is not feasible under the present political arrangement, which they regard as Meitei-dominated.
The June 2025 violence is therefore the most recent symptom of a underlying, unaddressed crisis. Land rights, ethnic identity, state bias, and historical grievances have all led to an explosive mix. In the absence of an open political conversation that brings all parties—Meitei, Kuki, Naga, and others—together, Manipur could continue to be stuck in a vicious cycle of violence and distrust.
As the state lurches from another episode of violence, demands for peace are growing louder. But true peace, analysts say, will take more than curfews and internet shutdowns. It will take constitutional clarity, cultural respect, and a genuine confrontation with the state’s broken social contract. Anything less, and Manipur cannot hope to escape its prevailing identity crisis and head towards stability that lasts.
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