Manipur: Fresh tension erupts in Pukhao Leitanpokpi area in Imphal East district

Guwahati: Fresh tension started in Pukhao Leitanpokpi area in Imphal East district on Sunday after Meitei farmers attempting to cultivate their paddy fields at Sadu Lampak were reportedly obstructed by villagers from Songfel, a Kuki village under in Kangpokpi district.

Manipur police stated in X, "The tension reportedly began around 8 a.m. and continued well into the afternoon, persisting until the filing of this report.

Local sources said the Meitei farmers had obtained prior permission from Central security forces to carry out cultivation in their ancestral fields. However, upon arrival, they were confronted by a group from the nearby Kuki village, leading to a face-off that escalated quickly. Both sides were seen hurling stones and using slingshots, disregarding attempts by Central security forces to bring the situation under control."


An senior police official who do not want to be named said, "The situation remains tense.The agricultural season nears its peak farmers have adamant to go to their fields. "

Over 260 people were killed, more than 1,500 injured, and over 70,000 people displaced after the ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo people on May 3, 2023, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March', organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.