After months of relative calm, fresh violence has once again disturbed Manipur. Several abandoned houses belonging to members of the Meitei community were set on fire in Kanto Sabal village of Imphal West district, creating fear and raising concerns that the state’s fragile peace could be broken.
The incident quickly increased tension in the area, forcing security agencies to respond in large numbers. Officials said their timely action stopped the situation from turning into a much bigger communal clash. Two people have been arrested in connection with the arson and mob violence, while an investigation is continuing.
Chief Minister condemns the attack
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh strongly criticised the incident and assured people that the government acted immediately to bring the situation under control.
According to a statement shared by the Chief Minister’s Office on its official X account, two accused have been arrested. One of them has been identified as Kammang Lhouvum, who is the Chief of Hengjang Village and also serves as the Chairman of the Leimakhong Area Protection Committee.
The Chief Minister said the administration responded without delay by controlling the crowd and deploying both the Manipur Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the affected area.
He also directed all security agencies stationed in the region to ensure that such incidents do not happen again.
Government says peace efforts are being targeted
Chief Minister Singh expressed concern that the violence happened after a long period of peace in the state.
He described the incident as an attempt to disrupt the ongoing efforts to restore normalcy in Manipur. According to him, certain groups with vested interests are trying to create unrest and weaken the peace process.
The government said it remains fully committed to maintaining law and order and preventing further violence.
Security forces stop large crowd from reaching village
Soon after the houses were set on fire, emotions ran high across nearby areas.
A senior police officer said nearly 600 men and women gathered and attempted to move towards Kanto Sabal. Security personnel quickly stepped in and blocked the crowd before it could reach the village.
Officials believe this action prevented a possible face-to-face confrontation that could have led to fresh communal violence.
Police also said some miscreants tried to burn additional abandoned houses, but security forces managed to stop the attempt before more damage was caused.
Importantly, authorities confirmed that no lives were lost during the incident.
Case registered, investigation continues
Police have registered a case over the arson attack and the related mob violence.
Security forces continue to remain on high alert in and around Kanto Sabal. Intensive deployment has been maintained to ensure peace and prevent any fresh outbreak of violence.
Panic spreads as residents rush towards fire
The fire created panic across nearby localities.
Hundreds of people from both Meitei and Naga communities rushed towards area after seeing smoke rising from the burning houses. Many hoped to help extinguish the flames or assess the damage.
However, a massive deployment of Central security forces stopped the gathering from entering the affected village. Authorities feared that allowing large crowds into area could trigger further violence.
To control the situation, security personnel also fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
Residents raise questions over security response
Some local residents expressed anger over the way incident unfolded.
They alleged that suspected Kuki miscreants managed to set the houses on fire even though security personnel were present nearby. According to them, the forces failed to protect the abandoned properties from being attacked.
Officials have not publicly responded to these allegations, but the incident has sparked fresh debate over security arrangements in the sensitive region.
Locals claim attackers came from nearby hills
According to local residents, a large group of people entered Kanto Sabal from neighbouring areas in Kangpokpi district, which borders Imphal West.
They claimed the attackers descended from the adjoining hilly region and deliberately targeted abandoned houses belonging to Meitei families.
The houses had remained vacant ever since ethnic violence broke out across Manipur in May 2023, forcing many families to leave their homes.
Because Kanto Sabal lies on the edge of the Imphal Valley and shares a border with the Kuki-majority Kangpokpi district, the village has long been considered highly sensitive from a security point of view.
Confrontation breaks out near security barricades
As news of the fire spread, increasing numbers of people from nearby villages gathered and tried to reach Kanto Sabal.
Security forces stopped them from moving forward, leading to a tense face-off between local residents and security personnel.
Although tempers rose, authorities managed to prevent confrontation from turning violent.
Officials said situation remained tense throughout the day but stayed under control.
(With input from IANS.)