Manipur tensions flare after protests over treatment of Kuki-Zo youths injured in Kangpokpi firing

Fresh tensions erupted in Manipur after protests broke out at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal over the admission of three Kuki-Zo youths who were injured in a firing incident in Kangpokpi district. The development triggered demonstrations and heightened security measures, underscoring the fragile situation in the violence-hit state.

The three youths sustained bullet injuries during a clash between residents of Konsakhul, a Naga-majority village, and Leilon Vaiphei (also referred to as Leilon Munlui), a Kuki-Zo village in Kangpokpi district on June 15. Security forces evacuated the injured men and transported them to RIMS in Imphal for specialised medical treatment.

Their arrival at the hospital, however, sparked protests by several groups in the valley. Demonstrators gathered outside the hospital premises, objecting to the treatment of the injured youths in Imphal. Security personnel were deployed in large numbers around the medical facility, and authorities took measures to prevent the situation from escalating further.

The controversy stemmed from allegations by some protesters that the injured youths were linked to armed groups. Kuki-Zo organisations rejected the claims and maintained that the men were village residents who had been injured during the firing incident. They argued that access to medical treatment should not become a subject of ethnic or political contestation.

The state has remained deeply divided since ethnic violence erupted between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in May 2023.

The conflict has claimed hundreds of lives, displaced tens of thousands of people and effectively split parts of the state along ethnic lines. Travel between the hill districts and the Imphal Valley remains sensitive, with security forces often required to facilitate movement.

The latest unrest also comes amid rising tensions in parts of Kangpokpi district, where relations between Kuki-Zo and Naga communities have come under strain following a series of violent incidents in recent weeks.

The area where June 15 firing occurred has witnessed heightened tensions after the abduction and killing of Naga villagers, prompting demands for stronger security measures.

Against this backdrop, the transfer of the injured youths to Imphal quickly acquired wider political and ethnic significance beyond a routine medical evacuation.

Kuki-Zo civil society organisations condemned the protests and expressed concern over what they described as attempts to obstruct medical treatment for injured persons. They urged authorities to ensure the safety of patients and healthcare workers and to prevent hospitals from becoming sites of political confrontation.

Authorities have since tightened security around RIMS and appealed for calm. Officials are also investigating the circumstances that led to the firing incident in Kangpokpi district.

While the immediate situation around the hospital was brought under control, the incident has once again highlighted how quickly local disputes can trigger broader tensions in a state that remains deeply affected by more than three years of ethnic conflict and insecurity.