A drunken brawl on Saturday night, 7 February, in a small commercial town in Manipur has spiralled into days of communal violence, leaving at least 50 houses in ashes, hundreds displaced, and the district cut off from the internet.
The trouble began on the evening of that day at Litan Sareikhong in Ukhrul district, when a Tangkhul Naga man identified as Sterling Shimray was allegedly assaulted by a group of Kuki-Zo men. He was later shifted to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal for treatment.
Litan sits about 35 km from Imphal and functions as a trading hub for the surrounding villages. Both communities live here side by side, with homes and market stalls closely interspersed, a geography that made the situation especially volatile.
A local pastor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Litan was the one village that was not affected during the conflict between the two communities 25 years ago. “They used to protect each other from any external problem,” he said.
By Sunday evening, Litan Bazar erupted. Between 11:30 pm and midnight, automatic gunshots and rifle fire rang out across the town, triggering panic. Residents grabbed mattresses, household goods and whatever valuables they could carry before escaping in pickup trucks, private vehicles and on foot. Police from the nearby Litan station facilitated their safe movement.
Earlier on Sunday, villagers from one side approached the chief of a village belonging to the other and demanded the culprits be handed over. When the demand went unmet, arson followed. By Monday morning, mobs had torched roughly 25 houses and four government quarters, according to a preliminary police assessment.
The violence defied a prohibition order that District Magistrate Asish Das had imposed on Sunday, citing “apprehension that could lead to breach of peace and public tranquillity at Litan village between the two community.”
Overnight between Monday and Tuesday, unidentified suspects set fire to another 18-odd houses, pushing the total to around 50 by Tuesday morning. Gunfire continued in areas surrounding Litan, and reports from the ground said armed miscreants also fired shots to frighten villagers into leaving their homes. Evacuation continued in Litan and the adjacent village of Mangkot.
The Manipur government responded on Tuesday by suspending internet and data services across Ukhrul district for five days, effective 11:30 am on 10 February. The shutdown covered mobile data, broadband, VPN and VSAT services. Home Commissioner-cum-Secretary N. Ashok Kumar signed the order, citing fears that “some anti-social elements might use social media extensively for transmission of images, posts and video messages inciting the passions of the public.”
The district magistrate’s letter to the state home commissioner had warned that “recent developments in the district have resulted in significant disturbances, which pose a threat to public safety and peace.”
Security forces from the BSF, CRPF and Assam Rifles fortified the affected areas. Authorities also imposed a ban on carrying licensed firearms. Despite heavy deployment, officials acknowledged the limits of their reach. “The situation is under control along the main roads, but the interior areas, difficult to access, remain tense,” a district official said.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh visited the injured at RIMS and appealed to all communities to maintain harmony. Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho chaired an emergency meeting at Litan police station with legislators from the two communities. “Few individuals are behind this violence. Both sides want peace. Govt will arrest the culprits soon and restore calm,” Dikho said.
Local residents speaking to the media echoed that sentiment. One resident said a scuffle between a few drunk men had been wrongly presented as a clash between two communities that had coexisted peacefully for decades. She called it “very embarrassing” that a petty incident had been allowed to spiral into what was being portrayed as a communal confrontation. She also claimed that houses were set on fire barely 30 to 40 minutes after the meeting with the Deputy Chief Minister, suggesting that elements on the ground were bent on escalation despite the political outreach.
The Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust urged restraint, warning against attempts to turn the incident into a wider confrontation. “Reports indicate that the situation began as an isolated altercation involving a few drunken individuals. However, attempts to communalise the matter threaten to inflame unnecessary divisions,” the organisation said.
The All Manipur Christian Organization (AMCO), an apex Christian body cutting across communities and denominations, also weighed in with a press release on 10 February. AMCO expressed “deep concern over the recent violence in Litan village, Ukhrul district, which has resulted in casualties, destruction of homes and properties, and renewed fear among communities.” The organisation condemned “every form of violence, retaliation, and hate speech” and appealed to community leaders, civil society organisations, religious leaders and the media to refrain from inflammatory statements or actions that could escalate tension. AMCO called for dialogue, reconciliation and mutual understanding, and urged the authorities to restore law and order, ensure the safety of all citizens, and facilitate relief and rehabilitation for affected families.
The violence also disrupted road traffic between Ukhrul and the Imphal Valley. The state government scheduled helicopter sorties between Imphal and Ukhrul on Tuesday and Wednesday to assist stranded travellers.
Police registered an FIR, and investigation is in progress.
