More than three years after the outbreak of the Meitei–Kuki conflict on 3 May 2023, Manipur is witnessing another phase of ethnic tension involving sections of the Tangkhul - Liangmei Naga communities and the Kuki community. The recent escalation of violence along the Imphal–Tamenglong Road, popularly known as IT Road, has once again brought the region's fragile security situation into sharp focus.
On 10 October 2026, following an intense exchange of gunfire near Makui Ashang, reports circulated on social media claiming that the body of a Liangmei Naga man had been found beheaded. The incident provoked widespread reactions and raised serious questions about the nature and circumstances of the violence. For some observers, it reinforced the perception that the Kuki community had adopted headhunting as a practice.
However, understanding the incident requires a closer examination of the events leading up to it, including the breakdown of community-level agreements and the historical grievances that continue to shape relations between the communities.
IT Road and the 2026 CSOs' Resolution:
Following intermittent clashes between sections of the Liangmei–Tangkhul and Kuki communities earlier in 2026, tensions continued in several areas, particularly Leilon Vaiphei in Kangpokpi district, Chassad in Kamjong district, and Litan in Ukhrul district.
Against this backdrop, civil society organisations (CSOs) representing communities along IT Road, particularly in the Twilang area, convened a meeting at Thonglhang in March 2026 under the Joint Monitoring and Coordinating Committee (JMDC). Representatives of Kuki, Liangmei Naga and Nepali civil society organisations participated in the meeting.
One of the key understandings reached at Thonglhang was that conflicts and tensions originating in other areas should not be allowed to spill over into IT Road. This understanding emerged amid the volatile situation in Ukhrul and Kamjong districts and the Leimakhong area of Kangpokpi district, where escalating tensions threatened to undermine the relative peace prevailing along the route.
The resolution sought to foster mutual understanding among the communities inhabiting the region and create conditions conducive to peace and tranquillity. At its core was the principle that developments elsewhere should not be allowed to jeopardise the fragile coexistence among the communities living along IT Road.
The Breakdown of the CSOs' Understanding:
Tensions escalated in April 2026 following an ambush in the Litan area of Ukhrul district, in which four cadres of the NSCN-EF were reportedly killed by the NSCN-IM. Amid concerns over possible tensions within the Naga community, the United Naga Council (UNC) imposed a three-day total shutdown across Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur to facilitate mourning for the deceased cadres.
Following the UNC's directive, the Liangmei Naga Council along IT Road had little room to oppose the shutdown, resulting in restrictions on movement throughout the area. Daily commuters were affected, while vehicles travelling through villages along the route faced restrictions during the mourning period.
This development raised questions about whether the understanding reached at Thonglhang was being upheld in practice.
The Kuki and Nepali communities along IT Road were among those affected by the shutdown. According to the position articulated by Kuki civil society representatives in the area, their organisations had refrained from enforcing shutdown directives issued by higher-level Kuki organisations, including Kuki Innpi Manipur and district-level CSOs, taking into account the local situation and the need to maintain mutual respect and peaceful coexistence with the Naga and Nepali communities.
The contrasting responses raised concerns about the consistency with which the Thonglhang understanding was being implemented. For those who supported the resolution, its purpose extended beyond securing an agreement on paper. It was intended to ensure that decisions taken elsewhere did not unnecessarily disrupt the lives and livelihoods of people along IT Road.
The Conflict Reaches Its Peak:
Following the breakdown of the understanding reached at Thonglhang, no further joint meeting of the IT Road CSOs was convened. Having personally attended the meeting, I witnessed the deliberations surrounding the understanding. Meanwhile, tensions originating in Ukhrul and Kamjong districts and the Leimakhong area increasingly affected the situation along IT Road.
On 9 June 2026, Hogin Lhouvum of Lasan, along IT Road, reportedly became the first Kuki farmer to be killed in the renewed violence in the area. According to accounts from the Kuki side, he was killed by NSCN-IM militants and Liangmei village guards. His death marked a significant escalation of the conflict and heightened concerns over the safety of Kuki residents in the region.
Over the following three months, two Kuki women and five Kuki men were reportedly killed. The victims belonged to different villages, including Teikhang, Lasan and Wakotphai.
The most recent Kuki fatality identified in the account was Paojangam Chongloi, whose death was reported on 23 September 2026. His body reportedly remains at the morgue in Churachandpur (CCP).
On the other side, accounts cited in local media indicate that eight people from the Liangmei and Tangkhul communities along IT Road were reportedly killed during the same period. The latest reported fatality was Ajinpou Ringkangmai of Makui village, who was killed on 10 October 2026 during a confrontation involving Kuki village volunteers. Reports subsequently circulated that his head had been severed.
The circumstances surrounding Ringkangmai's death, particularly the reported beheading and the whereabouts of his head, became the focus of intense public attention.
Following dissatisfaction over the reported manner of his death, Naga representatives demanded that his head be recovered and returned. Concerns were also raised regarding the post-mortem examination of his body. Meanwhile, Kuki village volunteers reportedly denied taking his head and offered a different explanation of the incident, although the whereabouts of the head remained unexplained in their account.
According to the account provided by Kuki village volunteers, the incident must be viewed against the historical experiences of Kuki victims whose heads were reportedly severed during violence perpetrated by NSCN-IM militants in the 1990s. They specifically cited the killing and beheading of more than 80 Kukis in Joupi village in September 1993, an atrocity for which, they maintain, justice remains outstanding.
These claims and counterclaims underscore the depth of historical grievances between the communities. Nevertheless, the circumstances surrounding Ringkangmai's death, including responsibility for the reported beheading and the whereabouts of his head, require independent verification. Historical grievances, however serious, cannot by themselves establish responsibility for a present-day incident.
Historical Grievances and the Challenge of Peaceful Coexistence:
The reported beheading of Ajinpou Ringkangmai has opened another painful chapter in the already strained relationship between the Kuki and Naga communities along IT Road.
For the Naga community, the incident has raised serious concerns about the dignity of the deceased and the customary requirements associated with his final rites. For the Kuki community, references to the atrocities of the 1990s reflect a longstanding demand for recognition and justice for victims whose suffering, they argue, remains inadequately addressed.
The tragedy is that historical grievances continue to influence how present-day violence is interpreted. When communities view contemporary incidents primarily through the lens of past atrocities, the prospects for reconciliation become increasingly difficult.
History cannot simply be erased from collective memory. The suffering of victims and the grievances of their families deserve recognition. However, the lessons of history should serve as a warning against the repetition of violence, rather than become grounds for its continuation.
If justice is to serve as the foundation for lasting peace, it must be pursued fairly and consistently for all communities, irrespective of ethnicity, historical grievances or the circumstances surrounding the present conflict. Accountability for past atrocities and impartial investigations into present-day incidents must go hand in hand.
The Way Forward:
The developments along IT Road underscore the urgent need to restore dialogue among the Kuki, Liangmei–Tangkhul Naga and Nepali communities. The understanding reached at Thonglhang in March 2026 could provide a starting point for rebuilding trust, provided the participating organisations are willing to revisit their commitments and address the circumstances that led to its breakdown.
Community leaders and civil society organisations must recognise that shutdowns, restrictions on movement and the spillover of conflicts from neighbouring areas can deepen mistrust and place ordinary residents at risk. Renewed dialogue, clear communication and mutually agreed mechanisms to prevent local disputes from escalating are essential to restoring confidence among the communities.
Equally important is an impartial investigation into the recent killings, including the death of Ajinpou Ringkangmai and the reported beheading. The facts must be established through credible evidence rather than competing narratives circulating on social media. Anyone found responsible for a criminal act must be held accountable in accordance with the law.
The central question facing the communities along IT Road is whether they will allow the wounds of the past to dictate their future or work together to build a more peaceful relationship.
History may belong to the past, but its consequences remain deeply embedded in collective memory. The challenge is to learn from that history without reproducing its violence. Justice must not be selective, and the value of human life must never depend on community identity.
Only through equal justice, mutual respect, accountability and sustained dialogue can the Kuki and Naga communities find common ground and move towards peaceful coexistence along IT Road.
(Views expressed are personal)
The Hills Journal
K. Salbung, Churachandpur
Manipur-795128
