New fault lines: On Manipur’s Kuki-Zo–Naga conflict

Published 2026-09-21 · Updated 2026-09-21 · 3 min · 581 words

UPSC CSE Context

Why in News

Renewed Naga-Kuki-Zo ethnic violence in Manipur's hill districts since February 2025 has displaced communities and disrupted essential supplies.

Syllabus Connection

Governance, internal security, federalism, and social justice issues in India's northeastern states.

Exam Relevance

Relevant for UPSC CSE Mains GS Paper 2 (Governance, Federalism) and GS Paper 3 (Internal Security), and Prelims current affairs on ethnic conflicts and constitutional provisions for tribal areas.

Core Issue

Naga-Kuki-Zo ethnic conflict escalates in Manipur hills.

Key Development

Violence between Naga and Kuki-Zo communities has spread across hill districts since February 2025, causing deaths, displacement, and blockades.

Stakeholders

• Kuki-Zo community
• Naga community
• State government of Manipur
• Security forces
• Kuki Inpi Manipur
• Armed groups

Static Knowledge

High-Value Background

• Manipur has a history of ethnic tensions among Meitei, Naga, and Kuki-Zo communities, with past conflicts in the 1990s over land and autonomy.
• The Sixth Schedule and Article 371C provide special provisions for hill areas in Manipur, but demands for separate administration persist.

Exam Linkage

• Useful for questions on ethnic conflict management, special constitutional provisions for northeastern states, and internal security challenges.

Concepts in Context

• Ethnic federalism: demands for territorial autonomy based on ethnic identity, as seen in Kuki-Zo demand for separate administration.
• Customary laws: traditional legal systems of tribal communities, often conflicting with formal state law in hill areas.

Institutions and Mechanisms

• President's Rule: imposed in Manipur from 2025 to 2026, highlighting constitutional breakdown due to ethnic violence.

Dynamic Analysis

Internal Security

• Blockades of essential supplies by partisan groups are weaponizing civilian suffering, violating humanitarian norms.

Governance

• State government's limited control over hill districts undermines its authority and delays conflict resolution.
• Uneven application of criminal law across communities erodes trust in state institutions and perpetuates impunity.
• Dysfunctional health centres in conflict zones highlight governance failure in providing basic services during crises.

Federalism

• Demand for separate administration by Kuki-Zo challenges existing federal arrangements and may inspire similar demands elsewhere.
• President's Rule and subsequent political transition reflect central-state tensions in managing ethnic conflicts.
• Lack of consensus on territorial autonomy hinders durable peace and constitutional accommodation of diverse identities.

Society

• Displacement and camp conditions reveal deep humanitarian crisis, with over 700 deaths in relief camps due to inadequate healthcare.
• Weariness with violence among communities offers an opportunity for civil society-led peacebuilding, but political leadership is lacking.
• Ethnic polarization is deepening, making inter-community reconciliation more difficult and perpetuating cycles of violence.

Prelims Takeaways

• Article 371C provides special provisions for Manipur's hill areas.

Mains Value Addition

Arguments

• Ethnic conflicts in Manipur are rooted in historical land disputes and competing claims over customary laws, requiring nuanced governance responses.
• State action must balance security measures with political dialogue to address underlying autonomy demands and prevent recurrence.
• Humanitarian crisis in relief camps underscores the need for inclusive development and equitable access to basic services in conflict-affected areas.

Examples

• Two Kuki-Zo MLAs attending the Assembly session despite boycott directive indicates potential for political engagement over confrontation.

Data Points

• At least 15 Kuki-Zo, 11 Nagas, 3 security personnel, and 1 truck driver killed between February and July 2025.

Counterpoints

• Deep-seated mistrust between communities may undermine even well-intentioned state interventions.
• Political expediency ahead of elections could lead to short-term measures rather than sustainable conflict resolution.

Way Forward

• Initiate structured dialogue involving all ethnic communities, civil society, and political representatives to address autonomy demands within constitutional framework.
• Improve relief camp conditions and restore healthcare services in hill districts to address humanitarian crisis.
• Promote inter-community confidence-building measures through joint economic and social development projects.

Primary/reference source: Editorial Analysis