Manipur: Tear gas fired during Imphal protest against killings

A large protest took place in Imphal and four other Meitei-dominated valley districts. Demonstrators opposed ethnic violence and the government’s alleged failure to restore normalcy. The protest followed the killing of three Meitei people in Kangpokpi district four days earlier.

In Imphal, protesters marched toward Kangla fort, the governor’s residence, and the chief minister’s secretariat. Security personnel stopped many at several junctions, but hundreds reached the Kangla gate. They were not allowed inside the fort. Police then fired several rounds of tear gas near the governor’s residence to disperse the gathering.

The article reports no injuries during the protest. State Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said searches were underway, and three people had been held over the killings. The incident shows how unresolved violence continues to produce public anger, security confrontations, and demands for stronger action.

A sound protest uses noise as its central form of public expression. It can involve household objects, street infrastructure, and vehicles. In this case, the Federation of Haomee called the action to protest killings, ethnic violence, and the government’s alleged failure to restore normalcy.

Protesters in several parts of Imphal banged utensils and struck electric poles with hammers. Motorists joined by honking their vehicle horns. These actions created a shared signal across different locations, while demonstrators also marched toward Kangla fort. The article does not report injuries during the sound protest.

The method allowed people to participate without relying only on speeches or a single meeting site. It also made the demonstration difficult to ignore in everyday public spaces. The police response came later, when protesters gathered near the governor’s residence and were dispersed with tear gas after hundreds reached the Kangla gate.

The conflict has been both deadly and widespread. The Manipur Assembly was informed in September that at least 306 people had been killed and 49 were missing since ethnic violence began in May 2023. These figures show that the crisis extends far beyond isolated clashes.

The violence also displaced about 60,000 people. Of these, 36,000 had been resettled, while 24,000 remained in relief camps across Manipur. The current article does not provide a complete breakdown by community or district, but it records continuing insecurity and recent killings.

The scale explains why protests continue and why restoring normalcy remains a major political challenge. Four days before the Imphal demonstration, three Meitei people were killed in Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district. Authorities said searches were underway, and three people had been held, but tensions remained high.

The Meitei are the majority community in Manipur’s valley areas, while Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities are concentrated mainly in hill areas. The article identifies the protesting districts as Meitei-dominated and Kangpokpi as Kuki-dominated. It does not provide a detailed history of either community or explain every cause of the conflict.

The article states that ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities began in May 2023. The violence produced killings, disappearances, and mass displacement. Four days before the protest, three Meitei people were killed in Kangpokpi district, prompting fresh anger in the valley.

Broader, well-established explanations of the conflict include disputes over land, political representation, and community protections, but those details are not developed in the source. The article’s current picture is one of prolonged insecurity, with at least 306 deaths, 49 missing people, and tensions also rising between Kuki and Naga communities.

The Suspension of Operations agreement is a ceasefire arrangement involving the Centre, the Manipur government, and two conglomerates of Kuki militant outfits. Those groups are the Kuki National Organisation and the United Peoples Front. The agreement was signed in 2008 and renewed in September 2025.

Its main mechanism is restraint. Security forces and the militant groups are prohibited from launching operations. The militant groups must obey the laws of the land and remain in designated camps identified by the Union government. These rules are intended to limit armed activity and create a framework for managing the conflict.

Protesters demanded that the agreement be abrogated, or ended. Their demand reflects opposition to the existing arrangement during continued ethnic violence. The article does not say whether the agreement was formally ended after the protest. It reports that killings, displacement, and tensions between communities continue.

The violence has forced about 60,000 people from their homes. The Assembly was told that 36,000 had been resettled, but 24,000 remained in relief camps across Manipur. Displacement therefore remains a current problem, not only an early consequence of the clashes.

Relief camps provide temporary shelter while people remain unable to return. The article does not describe camp conditions, but the number still living there shows that resettlement is incomplete. Recent killings add to fear and make safe returns harder. Three Meitei people were killed four days before the protest, and three people were held in connection with the killings.

The government’s difficulty is both security-related and administrative. It must investigate killings, protect communities, support displaced families, and rebuild confidence. The protests accuse the government of failing to restore normalcy. Continued demonstrations and rising Kuki-Naga tensions suggest that stability remains fragile.

Ethnic identity makes political and territorial disputes feel collective. If one community believes another could gain land, influence, or official protection, ordinary policy disagreements may be seen as threats to group survival. Leaders and protesters can then mobilise people around shared identity rather than narrow local issues.

Territory matters because control of valleys, hills, roads, and settlements affects security and access to government services. Migration rules can become explosive when residents fear undocumented newcomers will change demographics or compete for land and representation. In this article, protesters demanded implementation of the National Register of Citizens and deportation of alleged undocumented migrants. They also demanded changes to the Suspension of Operations agreement.

Once attacks occur, communities may organise for protection, trust collapses, and retaliation becomes more likely. Political representation then becomes harder to negotiate because each side fears permanent disadvantage. The article’s deaths, displacement, relief camps, and renewed tensions show how such disputes can become prolonged ethnic violence.