Fresh violence in Manipur's Senapati on August 24 left houses burnt and a CRPF personnel injured, while Naga and Kuki groups traded allegations and demanded action.
Imphal, August 24: Fresh violence along the Senapati-Kangpokpi border on Monday left several houses burnt or damaged, a CRPF personnel injured in firing and National Highway-2 briefly disrupted, as Naga and Kuki groups traded allegations over who was responsible for the escalation.
The violence began in the early hours around Taphou and adjoining areas, with a residential house in Taphou Kuki, on the Kangpokpi side of the district boundary, reportedly set ablaze around 2.40 am. Further incidents were reported after 4 am in nearby Naga-inhabited areas of Senapati, including Liangmai Taphou, with at least one house reportedly destroyed and another burnt.
The sequence of events triggered protests near Senapati district headquarters, where volunteers reportedly blocked National Highway-2 by placing burning tyres, logs and debris on the road. The highway connects Imphal with Dimapur and Guwahati and has only recently seen the resumption of interstate public transport after a prolonged suspension.
According to police and local accounts cited by multiple reports, the first fire was reported at a residential house in Taphou Kuki at around 2.40 am. The identity of those who set the house on fire has not been established.
The fire brigade reportedly reached the area at around 3.30 am. Subsequent incidents were reported around 4 am in Naga settlements. A residential building belonging to a Poumai Naga was reportedly burnt, while another structure in the Taphou Kuki area was also set on fire. One report described the burning of the Naga houses as suspected retaliation for the earlier arson at Taphou Kuki.
The circumstances surrounding the fires remained disputed. Neither community has been established by authorities as responsible for the arson, nor could reports of attacks by armed individuals not be independently verified.
The situation worsened around 9.20 am when firing was reported between unidentified armed individuals in the Liangmai Taphou area.
A 54-year-old CRPF Sub-Inspector (General Duty), Pradeep Singh of the 36th Battalion, sustained a firearm injury to his left foot while deployed in the area. He was taken to Senapati District Hospital and was reported to be out of danger. Police sources indicated that the officer could not determine from which direction the shot had come because firing was taking place from two sides.
Taphou Kuki village authority condemns arson
The Taphou Kuki Village Authority strongly condemned the burning and destruction of the house belonging to a Kuki resident.
The authority described the incident as unacceptable and called for an immediate investigation by the district administration and police. It appealed to all individuals and groups to refrain from violence, arson and destruction of property, and maintained that disputes should be addressed through dialogue and lawful means.
The village authority also issued a 24-hour deadline to those responsible for the burning of the house to come forward, accept responsibility and resolve the matter according to Kuki customary law.
It further urged the authorities to identify the perpetrators and ensure that civilians and their property were protected.
The authority's statement came as tensions rose across the Taphou belt and competing accounts emerged about the sequence of the fires.
Naga People's Organisation questions Kuki village's account
The Naga People's Organisation (NPO), Senapati, offered a contrasting account of the incidents.
The NPO stated that a residential building belonging to a Poumai Naga was set on fire while an abandoned building in Taphou Kuki was also reportedly burnt by unidentified persons around the same period. It called for an objective investigation into both incidents rather than assigning blame before the facts were established.
The NPO further alleged that fire brigade personnel attempting to reach the affected site were obstructed by Taphou Kuki villagers. The organisation questioned why firefighters would have been prevented from carrying out their duty if the villagers had no involvement in the incident. The allegation has not been independently verified.
The NPO also questioned the basis for blaming Naga people for the burning of the Kuki house, noting that structures belonging to people from both communities were reportedly set on fire.
It urged law-enforcement agencies to monitor the situation closely, establish the facts surrounding each incident and prosecute those found responsible.
The organisation also called for restraint among the Naga population but warned that continued incidents could further test the patience of residents in Senapati.
Kuki organisations allege coordinated attacks
The violence also drew a broader response from Kuki civil society organisations.
The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), Sadar Hills, and the Ihang-Bungpi Working Committee condemned the Taphou arson and a separate armed incident at Leplen village in Kangpokpi district.
CoTU alleged that the Taphou incident was carried out by members of the Liangmei community and linked it to what it described as retaliatory action following the recent dismantling of an alleged illegal checkpoint at Namdilong. The organisation also accused armed cadres associated with NSCN-IM of involvement in the separate Leplen incident. These allegations have not been independently established.
The Ihang-Bungpi Working Committee alleged that an armed attack took place at Leplen around 12.20 am and that a civilian was injured. It further alleged that security forces had been withdrawn from Leplen several days earlier while a sizeable deployment remained at nearby Seneikethil.
The committee described the alleged security arrangement as inadequate and called for stronger Central security deployment in Leplen and Songmun.
CoTU also criticised what it described as selective security operations and alleged that women and elderly residents were assaulted during an operation at J Songtun. Those allegations likewise require independent verification.
The organisation called for action against what it described as NSCN-IM operations in the hill districts and demanded that authorities act against leaders of the United Naga Council and Senapati District Students' Association whom it accused of contributing to tensions through public statements and mobilisation.
Naga side rejects collective blame
The Naga People's Organisation's response reflects the competing narrative emerging from the violence.
Rather than accepting the claim that Naga residents were responsible for the initial burning of the Kuki house, the NPO questioned why a Poumai Naga residence was also targeted and why both a Naga-owned building and a Kuki-associated structure were reportedly set ablaze.
The organisation maintained that the incidents should be investigated separately and objectively and that responsibility should be fixed only after evidence is established.
This is significant because the violence unfolded across the administrative boundary of Senapati and Kangpokpi, where the Naga-Kuki fault line has become increasingly sensitive in recent months.
Highway blocked as tensions spread
The violence briefly affected movement along NH-2, with protesters gathering near Senapati Gate and blocking the highway using burning tyres, logs and debris.
The disruption came just days after the Manipur government resumed interstate passenger services along the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati route following a suspension of more than three years.
More than 250 passengers, including women and children, were scheduled to travel from Imphal to Dimapur and Guwahati on Monday in five buses and seven Winger vehicles. Their departure was delayed because of the Taphou incident, but the vehicles eventually left around 1 pm under security cover.
Around 100 passengers travelling from Guwahati also reached Imphal safely, according to reports.
The government said timely intervention by the administration and security forces prevented the situation from escalating further and that both sides had agreed to maintain peace. Road-opening parties and security personnel were deployed along vulnerable stretches of NH-2.
Security forces deployed in sensitive areas
Additional security forces were deployed in Taphou and adjoining areas following the incidents. Authorities were tasked with preventing further clashes and maintaining the movement of civilians and vehicles along the highway.
The identity of the people responsible for the arson and subsequent firing had not been officially established in the reports available on Monday.
There was also no confirmed casualty among civilians directly linked to the house fires, while the CRPF personnel remained the confirmed injury from the subsequent firing.
Peace efforts face another test
The latest violence comes at a sensitive point for Manipur, with the state government attempting to restore normal movement along major highways and revive public transport between Imphal and neighbouring states.
The Taphou incidents therefore carry significance beyond the immediate property damage. A fresh cycle of retaliatory attacks between Naga and Kuki settlements could disrupt civilian movement and further strain efforts to reopen roads that remained largely inaccessible during the prolonged ethnic conflict.
For now, the two sides have presented sharply different accounts of the violence. The Kuki village authority has demanded accountability for the burning of the Kuki house, while the NPO has questioned allegations against Naga residents and called for an impartial investigation into all the fires.
With competing charges and counter-charges still unresolved, the immediate priority for the administration remains preventing further retaliation, protecting civilian settlements and establishing responsibility through investigation rather than allowing unverified allegations to trigger another round of violence.
