UNC’s 72-Hour Total Shutdown Paralyses Hill Districts; Violent Clashes Erupt, Curfew Clamped in KPI

IMPHAL – A 72-hour total shutdown called by the United Naga Council (UNC) to mourn the killing of two Naga civilians in an alleged Kuki militant attack near TM Kasom village along NH-202 on April 18 paralysed normal life across Naga-inhabited hill districts of Manipur from midnight on April 20. Markets, schools, transport and commercial establishments remained closed across Ukhrul, Kamjong, Chandel, Senapati, Tamenglong, Noney and Tengnoupal districts throughout Tuesday, the first day of the three-day action which is set to conclude at midnight on April 23.

While the shutdown passed off peacefully in most areas, it descended into violence at T. Khullen in Senapati district, where a confrontation between UNC volunteers and residents of the neighbouring South Changoubung village in Kangpokpi district resulted in stone-pelting, injuries, gunfire including bursts from automatic weapons, and damage to property. The deteriorating situation prompted the Kangpokpi district administration to impose prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) from 6:00 PM on Tuesday.

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Just In - escalation returns at T Khullen

Kuki SoO Militant groups firing towards T Khullen Village, Kangpokpi, Manipur.

Time : ~4:00 PM
Date : 21 April 2026
Loc: T Khullen, Kangpokpi, Manipur

This is a developing story reporting from the ground. More updates… pic.twitter.com/DLYZQSVv6V

— SpeakNaga_X (@SpeakNaga_X) April 21, 2026

Naga vehicle attack and vandalized by Kuki at Hengbung Kuki. pic.twitter.com/0VQ2PcFWfa

— ???????????????? ??????? (@LIANGMAIPOST) April 21, 2026

The first day of the shutdown passed off peacefully across the seven affected districts, with no major untoward incidents reported outside Senapati. Roads wore a deserted look as all vehicular movement came to a standstill, with only emergency services exempted from the restrictions. Government offices recorded thin attendance. Banks, educational institutions, markets and commercial establishments were uniformly shuttered.

In Noney district, the lifeline NH-37 (Imphal–Jiribam Road) was severely affected, with all categories of vehicles off the road. Construction works on national projects, including railway and highway development, were disrupted across multiple locations. Shutdown supporters blocked roads and burnt tyres at some points to reinforce the action.

In Chandel district, volunteers drawn from the Chandel Naga People’s Organisation, 11 Naga Tribe Hohos, Naga Students’ Union Chandel, the Naga Chiefs’ Association Chandel, and the Japhou Bazaar Authority enforced the shutdown by blocking NH-102 at Khangsim towards Pallel Bazaar, the Aimol road area, and the Imphal–Moreh road at Thamlapokpi. Women played a prominent role, leading blockade efforts at several locations across the district.

The most serious breakdown of order occurred at T. Khullen in Senapati district, where a confrontation developed between UNC shutdown volunteers and villagers from South Changoubung in Kangpokpi district. Security forces deployed at the location struggled to contain the situation as clashes escalated through the morning.

Changoubung Kuki villagers and Kuki militants under the SoO agreement with the Government of India attacked T. Khullen (Naga village).

In the video police personnel are even attempting to protect themselves from the incessant firing by the Kuki militants.@republic@PDiphiu… pic.twitter.com/rZnhRBadbn

— Khanuithot Khon (@khanuithotkhon) April 21, 2026

According to Saloni Tony, president of the Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA), the sequence began around 6:30 AM when an escort team from Kangpokpi Police arrived at a UNC check post at T. Khullen. He alleged the police attempted to arrest a volunteer and intimidated others by loading their assault rifles. Between 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM, two individuals allegedly made repeated attempts to remove barricades set up by UNC volunteers, reportedly in the presence of Kangpokpi Police. The SDSA president alleged that despite restraint by the volunteers, the individuals persisted, ultimately provoking stone-pelting against the volunteers. Gunfire was subsequently heard from the direction of Changoubung Kuki village. The SDSA office and a vehicle were damaged in the incident, and several volunteers sustained injuries.

The South Changoubung Village Authority offered a substantially different account, alleging that individuals from T. Khullen had crossed unlawfully into its jurisdiction without consent, blocked public roads, and attempted to coerce local shopkeepers into shutting their establishments. The authority described the actions as a direct violation of the village’s autonomy and sovereignty, and condemned what it termed unprovoked and disrespectful conduct.

While Kuki leaders have consistently called for peace and restraint, UNC shutdown volunteers have reportedly opened indiscriminate fire on Changoubung Kuki Village using automatic weapons, spreading fear and insecurity among innocent villagers. This must stop. pic.twitter.com/ANmyYW12p5

— Kuki Inpi (@Kuki_Inpi) April 21, 2026

The South Changoubung Village Authority clarified that it harbours no hostility toward the people of T. Khullen and does not oppose the UNC’s shutdown as such, asserting that its objection is strictly against the alleged unauthorised intrusion into its territory and the use of coercion against residents. It called upon relevant authorities to take immediate steps to prevent any recurrence.

In direct response to the deteriorating situation, District Magistrate Mahesh Chaudhari of Kangpokpi imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, with effect from 6:00 PM on Tuesday. The orders were issued following reports from the Superintendents of Police of Kangpokpi and Senapati indicating imminent apprehensions of violence in South Changoubung, T. Khullen and nearby areas along NH-2.

The order prohibits the movement of individuals outside their residences and bans the assembly of five or more persons across the entire Kangpokpi sub-division until further notice. The carrying of sticks, stones, firearms, sharp weapons, or any potentially dangerous implements has been banned. Security forces have been placed on alert in vulnerable areas, and the administration warned of strict action against violators. Exemptions apply to courts under the High Court of Manipur, government agencies engaged in law and order duties, and essential and emergency services.

Separately, the Laho Litan (Leingangching) Village Authority issued a strongly-worded condemnation of what it described as “calculated, illegal, and biased” operations allegedly conducted by the 8th Bihar Regiment and Assam Rifles near Litan Waterfall on April 21. The authority alleged that the village authorities of Leingangching, Sharkaphung, and Litan were not informed of the military movement, and that local Litan Police received no prior notification or opportunity for coordination, which the authority said had severely undermined state security mechanisms.

The authority pointed to video evidence it said depicted central forces acting in apparent collusion with Kuki militants, and condemned the deliberate destruction of civilian bunkers built for the protection of the local population. It characterised the conduct as “step-motherly and prejudiced treatment” and warned that such actions had generated fear, anger, and deep resentment among the inhabitants. The authority called for immediate accountability and a course correction in the operational conduct of security forces in the area.

The Mongkot Chepu Village Authority separately condemned a gunfire incident at the official residence of the village chief on Monday evening. According to the authority, a single round was fired around 5:30 PM during an ongoing village authority meeting at the chief’s residence. The bullet reportedly struck the window of the durbar hall, penetrated it, and lodged in the opposite wall, posing a direct threat to those present in the meeting.

The authority alleged that the shot was believed to have originated from the vicinity of Litan police station, and noted that similar incidents had occurred previously. It urged Litan Police to conduct itself with neutrality and transparency, demanded the removal of the current police station setup, and called for the deployment of central security forces in its place. The authority issued a warning that the government would be held responsible for any consequences arising from the situation if remedial action was not taken promptly.

The current shutdown and associated violence occur against the backdrop of protracted inter-community tensions in Manipur that have claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands since May 2023. The UNC’s invocation of a suspension of social and economic ties with Kuki communities signals an escalation in the formal posture of Naga civil society organisations, which have historically sought to maintain a distinct position from the Meitei-Kuki conflict axis. The killing of two Naga civilians on April 18, and the competing claims emerging from T. Khullen, indicate that the violence is no longer contained to a single community interface.

The imposition of prohibitory orders in Kangpokpi, a district at the geographic and political intersection of Naga and Kuki-Zo communities, adds another layer of complexity to an already fraught administrative landscape. Authorities have yet to issue a comprehensive statement on the T. Khullen incident, and both sides are awaiting a formal investigation into the sequence of events that led to the civilian injury and property damage on Tuesday morning.