Village Torched on Republic Day as Armed Militants Burn K. Songlung Kuki Village in Kangpokpi

As the nation celebrated India’s 77th Republic Day, upholding the ideals of unity, sovereignty, and constitutional rule, Manipur witnessed a shameful and horrifying act of violence that mocked the very spirit of the day.

At around 12 noon on January 26, armed militants suspected to be Zeliangrong United Front (Kamson) group, a Naga armed outfit, set fire to the entire K. Songlung Kuki village in the Kangchup area of Kangpokpi district, reducing homes to ashes and forcing villagers into despair and displacement.

The attack, carried out in broad daylight, has been widely condemned as a direct challenge to the authority of the Indian State and a blatant insult to the Constitution on Republic Day itself.

Disturbing videos of the incident have gone viral on social media, exposing the brutality of the act. One particularly haunting clip shows an elderly man sitting helplessly on the ground, as armed militants systematically torch houses behind him. The image has since emerged as a painful symbol of civilian suffering, abandonment, and the human cost of prolonged conflict in Manipur.

This incident comes amid nearly three years of continuous unrest in Manipur, where repeated attacks, displacement, and insecurity have become a grim routine. The burning of an entire village on Republic Day signals an alarming escalation and points toward the looming threat of fresh unrest in the already volatile hill districts.

Civil society groups and community leaders have strongly condemned the act, terming it inhuman, cowardly, and provocative. They warned that allowing armed groups to operate with impunity will further erode public trust and push the region toward another cycle of violence.

Setting an entire village on fire is not merely an attack on a community—it is an attack on peace, democracy, and constitutional values. The timing of the incident has intensified calls for immediate accountability, decisive security action, and protection of vulnerable villages.

As the Tricolour fluttered across India, K. Songlung burned in silence—a stark reminder that for many citizens in Manipur, the promises of the Republic remain unfulfilled.

This is a developing story, more details are awaited.