In divided Manipur, a Naga village with no safe way out

Konsakhul is a Naga village surrounded by a different ethnic community. It lies in Kangpokpi district, which is dominated by Kukis. The village’s only road out passes through two Kuki-dominated settlements. During Naga-Kuki clashes, that route has become unsafe for the village’s 147 residents.

The danger became clear on May 13. Twenty Naga residents travelling together were abducted in nearby Leilon Vaiphei, a Kuki-dominated village, and handed to militants. Security forces recovered six bodies more than a month later. Since then, residents have rarely travelled outside Konsakhul without security arrangements.

A CRPF platoon has been stationed in the village since May 13. It brings weekly supplies and helps arrange protected travel. A resident returning from hospital needed a bulletproof car escorted by armoured Quick Reaction Team vehicles. The village’s isolation shows how conflict has made ordinary roads into high-risk boundaries.

The Naga-Kuki conflict is a violent confrontation between Naga and Kuki communities in Manipur. The article links its latest outbreak to a February 7 drunken brawl on a village road in Ukhrul. At least 62 people have been killed, and more than 3,000 have been left homeless. The conflict has made identity and territory central to everyday travel.

Konsakhul illustrates the danger. Its only road passes through Kuki-dominated settlements. On May 13, villagers in nearby Leilon Vaiphei abducted 20 Naga residents and handed them to militants. Six were later found dead. Kuki villagers also blocked supplies from reaching Konsakhul soon after the abduction.

These incidents make crossing nearby settlements risky even for basic needs. Residents now depend on CRPF escorts, protected vehicles, and supplies carried through the area. Roads that once connected villages have become contested routes between ethnic enclaves.

The crisis extends far beyond one village. Since clashes between Kukis and Meiteis first broke out in May 2023, at least 300 people have died and another 60,000 have been displaced. A separate Naga-Kuki conflict has killed at least 62 people and made more than 3,000 homeless. These figures show how violence has affected several communities across Manipur.

Konsakhul has also lost most of its population. The farming village once had around 550 residents. Only 147 remain, living among 76 households, of which 46 are inhabited. Many former residents have moved to Imphal valley, Naga districts, or relief camps.

Those who stay face isolation rather than normal village life. Security forces deliver essential goods, and travel requires protection. The figures point to a larger division of Manipur into separated ethnic areas, with displacement reshaping where communities can safely live and work.

On May 13, 20 Naga residents from Konsakhul were abducted in nearby Leilon Vaiphei. The villagers were handed over to militants. More than a month later, on June 10, security forces recovered the bodies of six Naga residents. The article does not give the outcome for the other 14 abducted people.

The abduction transformed daily life. Residents rarely stepped outside the village because the only road passed through Kuki-dominated settlements. Nearby Kuki villagers initially blocked supplies, even threatening to burn them. The blockade ended after a CRPF officer warned that stopping the vehicle could lead to supplies being stopped for them too.

Since then, security has shaped ordinary tasks. Essential goods arrive weekly with CRPF protection. Medical travel requires planning, a bulletproof vehicle, and armed escorts. The village remains populated, but movement is no longer routine or independent.

The Central Reserve Police Force provides both protection and a lifeline for Konsakhul. A platoon has been stationed there since May 13, after residents were abducted. Its presence helps secure the village and supports the movement of food, medicine, and other essentials along a dangerous route.

Each week, villagers send a list of needs to Naga residents in Imphal or Senapati. When the CRPF team travels down, those supplies are handed over. Personnel then carry oil, soap, medicines, rice, salt, and other goods through Kuki villages to Konsakhul’s gates. The force also supports emergency travel.

For example, Chanwang Asha returned from hospital in a bulletproof car escorted by armoured Quick Reaction Team vehicles. The village chief coordinated the security. This arrangement keeps basic services functioning, but it also shows how dependent residents are on armed protection for supplies and medical care.

Remaining in Konsakhul is a choice shaped by land, history, and fear of permanent loss. Village secretary Paorambou Chanwang said the residents have lived there for generations. He also said people worry that Kukis will take over the land if the village is emptied. For those who stay, leaving could mean losing both home and property.

Most residents have already moved elsewhere. Former villagers live in Imphal valley, Naga districts such as Senapati and Ukhrul, or relief camps. Around 150 people chose to remain, although the article records the current population as 147. The village once had about 550 residents, showing the scale of the departure.

Those who stay accept severe restrictions. They rely on CRPF-protected supplies and escorted journeys for medical care. Their decision preserves a Naga presence on the land, but leaves a small farming community isolated inside a Kuki-dominated district.

A state can become divided when communities control different territories and distrust one another. In Manipur, the article describes ethnic enclaves separated by proto-borders. A village may legally remain part of the same state, yet its residents can face danger when crossing into an area dominated by another community. Geography then reinforces fear and separation.

Konsakhul provides a concrete example. All 147 residents are Nagas, but the village sits in Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district. Its only road crosses two Kuki settlements. The abduction of 20 Naga residents, the recovery of six bodies, and the initial blockade of supplies made that route extremely risky. Militants and armed security forces further shape movement.

The result is restricted access to work, markets, hospitals, and supplies. CRPF escorts keep some connections open, but they do not restore normal travel. If such conditions continue, displacement and separate ethnic zones can deepen, leaving communities physically near but socially disconnected.