Manipur’s Ukhrul tense after night of arson

Tension in the Litan area of Manipur’s Ukhrul district escalated with arson incidents reported late on Sunday (February 8, 2026) night.

Some villagers belonging to the Kuki-Zo and Naga communities defied prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita to set fire to each other’s houses. There were reports of armed Kuki groups being involved in some areas.

“There were some cases of arson at night, but the situation is now under control. The security forces are trying to restore law and order,” Ukhrul’s District Magistrate Asish Das told The Hindu on Monday (February 9, 2026).

“We have been communicating with the leaders of both groups to sort the issue out across the table,” he said.

Mr. Das also said that Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho was scheduled to visit the trouble-torn Litan area to help restore normalcy.

Trouble in the Litan area, a Kuki-Zo pocket in the Tangkhul Naga-dominated Ukhrul district, began after a Kuki group allegedly assaulted a Tangkhul on Saturday (February 7, 2026) night. Litan is midway between Ukhrul, the district headquarters, and Manipur’s capital, Imphal.

The situation in the Litan area turned tense on Sunday (February 8) afternoon when Naga villagers approached the chief of a Kuki village and asked him to produce the culprits before them. The district authorities stepped in after people in several Naga villages called for action against those who thrashed the Naga man.

In a statement, the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) said that the “incident originated from a minor altercation involving a few intoxicated individuals from both villages”. It also said that the matter was being addressed peacefully and customarily through the established authority of the Litan Sareikhong village “in consultation with the family of the injured person”.

The Katho Katamnao Long (KKL), a Tangkhul students’ organisation, asked the KSO to retract the statement, as “no such step had been taken to rectify the situation”.

The KKL said Sterling, a Tangkhul youth, was beaten up after he switched on his torch after hearing some voices in the dark. It said the group of people, who turned out to be Kukis, beat him up grievously “on the pretext that the light fell on their faces”.

Both organisations, however, have appealed for communal harmony.

Ukhrul and other hill districts of Manipur witnessed conflicts between the Kukis and Nagas in the past. The worst phase was in the 1990s when more than 1,000 people were killed, and over 100,000 people were displaced.