On May 3, 2023 ethnic violence broke out in parts of Manipur between the two major communities of the state. The tribal, mainly Christian Kuki community and the non-tribal, mainly Hindu Meitei community clashed over the proposed inclusion of the latter in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. Since then, the state has remained tense with incidents of fresh violence being reported last week.
Outlook brings you a timeline of major incidents that took place in the state in this one year.
April 20, 2023: A single judge bench of the Manipur High Court directed state government to consider the Meitei community’s demand for ST status. The order also set May 19 as the deadline to send recommendations to the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry.
April 28, 2023: The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) calls for a total shutdown against the government. CM Biren Singh was supposed to visit Churachandpur district to inaugurate an open-air gym. The gym was vandalised by protestors the previous day. Five-day internet shutdown imposed in Churachandpur district.
May 3, 2023: All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) organises a march to oppose ST status for the Meitei community. Thousands of people join this “Tribal Solidarity March”. Reportedly, the rally ended peacefully. Allegedly, some people from the Meitei community organised a “counter block” in response to the rally.
Anglo-Kuki War centenary gate set on fire by some miscreants and the news reaches the hill areas. This leads to clashes, reportedly, between some members of tribal and non-tribal communities. Incidents of vandalism, arson, burning of vehicles reported in Churachandpur district. Around 80 people were injured and taken to the hospital, 33 of them in critical condition.
May 4, 2023: CM terms violence a ‘misunderstanding between two communities’. Olympic winner and Rajya Sabha member, Mary Kom, writes on X (formerly Twitter), ‘My Manipur is burning, please help’ while urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene.
Three people die out of the 33 critically injured the previous day. Curfew imposed in eight districts and mobile internet services suspended in the whole state. A BJP MLA attacked on his way from state secretariat.
In two days, hundreds of houses, churches, temples, vehicles vandalized or set ablaze. N. Biren Singh government gives shoot at sight orders. Army and Assam Rifles deployed in the state while 9,000 people evacuated to safe places.
May 5, 2023: Violence continues. Centre invokes Article 355 and takes over security machinery in the state. The government announces that 20,000 people have been evacuated. Two separate encounters break out in Churachandpur district at night; five militants killed and two security personnel injured.
In New Delhi, some Manipuri students hold a rally, with protesters carrying placards reading “Save Manipur, Save Meitei”.
May 6, 2023: Death toll rises to 54. The number of paramilitary and central police force personnel deployed in the state stand at 10,000. Situation improves a little in Imphal, shops opened and markets open.
May 7, 2023: BJP MLA and chairman of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC), Dinganglung Gangmei, files a plea against the High Court order on ST status for Meitei community in the Supreme Court (SC).
May 8, 2023: CM N Biren Singh informs that 60 people have died so far while 231 injured and 1,700 houses including religious places have been destroyed. He also announces compensation for the deceased and victims.
Supreme Court hears various petitions regarding the situation in the state. Centre tells SC that no violence took place in the previous two days and normalcy is returning in Manipur. The court directs union and state governments to ensure basic amenities like food, water, etc. in relief camps. The court also says that the government should ensure rehabilitation of displaced people and security of places of worship.
May 12, 2023: All ten Kuki MLAs of the state assembly, including BJP MLAs, demand a separate administration for their community. They also allege that the violence on their community is ‘tactically supported’ by the BJP-run state government.
May 14: The CM along with two cabinet ministers visits New Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The death toll rises to 74; more than 40,000 people evacuated and around 23,000 living in 178 refugee camps.
Incidents of fresh violence reported on the intervening night of May 13-14 in Bishnupur and Churachandpur hill districts.
May 29, 2023: Union Home Minister goes on a three-day visit of the state as incidents of violence continue. Before the visit, the armed forces arrests over 20 people who were in possession of guns.
Hundreds of women from various communities of Manipur, including Kuki and Meitei, stage a protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi demanding intervention from the centre.
An FIR registered by Indian Rifles Commando battalion at Heingang police station reporting the loot of arms and ammunition from their headquarters in Khabesoi on the afternoon of May 28 by a mob. According to reports, around 3,000 arms were looted from the police armoury in the state between May 4 and 29.
May 31: CM appeals to people to surrender the looted arms and warns of legal action against those who are found in possession of unauthorised arms. He also asks people to not block highways in the state to ensure free movement of security forces.
June 4, 2023: Congress MLA K Ranjit’s house torched along with hundred other abandoned houses in Kakching district. This was the second incident of violence in the area; the first took place on May 28.
June 14, 2023: Official residence of the lone female minister in the Manipur government, Nemcha Kipgen, attacked and set ablaze.
July 19, 2023: A video, circulated on social media, shows two Kuki women who were paraded naked and one of them allegedly gang-raped by a mob consisting of men mainly from the Meitei community. The incident reportedly took place on May 4. The video goes viral and sparks outrage across the country.
July 20, 2023: PM Modi makes a statement about the Manipur situation for the first time since the violence broke out in May. During a short press briefing before the beginning of a Parliament session, referring to the video shared on social media, the PM says this is ‘‘shameful for any civil society’’.
The SC takes cognisance of the video and CJI DY Chandrachud says, "We will give some time to the government to act, or we will take action...This is deeply disturbing". Manipur police arrests four accused seen in the video.
July 30, 2023: A team of 21 members of Opposition leaders visits the state to assess the situation.
August 7, 2023: Kuki People’s Alliance withdraws support to the N. Biren Singh government.
August 10, 2023: The Opposition tables a no-confidence motion against the Union government in Parliament. They say the reason for the motion is to force PM Modi to speak about the situation in Manipur.
September 4, 2023: Manipur police registers case against Editors Guild of India (EGI) for ‘‘promoting enmity between communities’’. EGI had released a report on media coverage in Manipur on September 2.
September 23, 2023: The government orders restoration of internet services in the state after they were suspended in May.
September 26: Photos of dead bodies of two Metei students, who went missing in July, surface on social media. They were suspected to be abducted by Kuki armed miscreants. Internet services suspended once again.
September 28, 2023: Protestors defied curfew and try to enter the CM’s house in Imphal. The CM and his family are away from home at the time. Police use force to disperse the protestors and ten people are injured.
December 4, 2023: The government lifts the ban on internet services.
December 14, 2023: The Union and the state government hands over the bodies of 64 men who died in the violence since May to their families.
January 26, 2024: Manipur tableau features in the Republic Day parade at New Delhi. It showcases the Imphal-based ‘Ima Keithel’ (Mother’s market, women-only market).
February 15, 2023: In Churachandpur district, a group of people barge into a government complex where there are offices of the superintendent of police and the deputy commissioner, torch vehicles and vandalise properties after a head constable was suspended “unfairly” according to the protestors. Two people die and 30 injured in police firing. Internet services in the area suspended once again.
March 2024: The Biren Singh government issues an order that Easter Sunday, which fell on March 31, to be a working day for all government employees. After outrage from the Christian community in the state the order is retracted.
April 2024: Polling for the two seats of Manipur in the on-going Lok Sabha elections scheduled for phase I and II, on April 19 and 26, respectively. In the first phase incidents of violence, voter intimidation and booth capturing are reported. The Election Commission ordered re-polling in 11 polling booths on April 22. In the second phase as well incidents of disturbance are reported following which re-polling in six polling booths takes place on April 30.
On April 27, in the first targeted attack on central security forces in the state since last year, two CRPF personnel killed and two injured in Bishnupur district.
