Manipur Hills on Edge After Two Kuki Men Found Dead Near Thawai Village

Manipur witnessed fresh tensions this week after the bodies of two Kuki men who had gone missing earlier were found on a hilltop near Thawai Kuki village in Kamjong district, triggering a brief hostage crisis involving Tangkhul Naga civilians.

The deceased have been identified as 42-year-old Thengin Baite, a resident of Thawai village in Kamjong district, and 35-year-old Thangboimang Khongsai, an internally displaced person (IDP) who was staying in Shangkai village in neighbouring Ukhrul district.

According to relatives and Kuki civil society groups, the two had gone up a nearby hill after the water supply to Shangkai village was disrupted. They were reportedly attempting to repair a pipeline when they were allegedly attacked.

“They were not village volunteers. They were civilians,” said Lulun Kipgen, a member of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), which represents Kuki tribes in Manipur.

Sequence of Events 

Local residents say armed volunteers from the Tangkhul Naga community, who they claim belonged to the NSCN-IM, a Naga insurgent group,  launched a surprise assault on Thawai Kuki village on the morning of March 11. 

During the alleged attack, one villager was shot in the leg and rushed to hospital, while several cultivation huts, considered vital for the village’s livelihood, were set ablaze. 

Anger over the disappearance of the two men triggered protests in Shangkai village, where Kuki villagers blocked the Ukhrul–Imphal road in retaliation.

During the blockade, three vehicles, including a passenger Winger and two other cars, one carrying a "wedding party", were stopped and about 20 Naga passengers were held hostage.

“These people were just held as leverage to force the return of the two missing Kuki farmers,” a local resident who did not wish to be named, told Outlook. 

The incident drew sharp condemnation from the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL), the apex body of the Tangkhul Naga tribe, which described the abduction of Naga passengers as a “pre-planned act of violence targeting the Nagas.”

The organisation issued an ultimatum to the state and central governments, demanding the immediate rescue of the hostages within two hours.

Manipur Chief Minister Khemchand Yumnam  also called for the immediate release of the abducted civilians during the crisis. 

According to a press release issued by the Manipur government, BJP MLA Konthoujam Govindas Singh said central forces led by the Border Security Force (BSF) were initially sent to rescue the hostages but were stopped on the road by local women.

Later in the evening, the Indian Army stepped in and cordoned off the area after 21 Tangkhul Naga villagers were reported to have been held hostage.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) subsequently intervened to facilitate negotiations. 

Kipgen said that the negotiations were later held between community representatives, and the Naga passengers were released on the night of March 11. 

Following that day, on the morning of 12th March, the bodies of the two missing Kuki men were found with the help of BSF personnel. 

“The two deceased Kuki civilians… were apprehended by suspected cadres of the NSCN-IM… in gross violation of the agreements on non-aggression between the Kuki and Tangkhul communities,” the Kuki INPI, an apex body of the Kuki tribe, said in a statement. 

The case has been transferred to the NIA for a “thorough and impartial investigation,”as announced by the state chief minister.

“Ex-gratia will also be provided to the bereaved families as per government norms,” he said in a post on X, adding that the government remained committed to maintaining law and order in the state. 

'Shutdown in Ukhrul'

The Kuki CSO Working Committee in Ukhrul has announced a total shutdown along the Imphal–Ukhrul Road, demanding justice for the two Kuki men found dead. The committee said the bodies will not be claimed until the perpetrators are identified and arrested, and called for the case to be investigated by Saikul/Kangpokpi Police and handed over to the NIA, citing lack of trust in Ukhrul Police.

It also urged the central government to expedite justice and demanded the relocation of Kuki villages in Ukhrul to Kangpokpi, saying the community now feels unsafe.

“The working committee warns that if the Kuki community is once again left without protection or justice, the people will be compelled to defend their lives and communities with all their might. The agitation will continue until justice is delivered, “ read their statement. 

According to the senior police official that Outlook spoke to, the situation in the area is “currently under control.” 

The developments come weeks after violence in the Litan area, about 35 km from Imphal, where clashes between Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities in February led to arson and the burning of  around 25 houses and four government quarters.

Litan is a small commercial town inhabited by both Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities and serves as a trading hub for several surrounding villages. Its mixed population and closely linked market and residential areas have often made the area particularly sensitive during periods of tension.

The latest killings have once again raised concerns about the fragile security situation in the hill districts, where inter-community tensions remain high amid the broader ethnic conflict that has gripped Manipur since 2023.