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Kuki protests test fragile peace in Manipur as new govt takes over, but why Centre isn’t unduly worried

February 06, 2026 5 min read Internal Security Polity & Governance GS3 (Internal Security Insurgency) GS2 (Federalism Centre-State Relations)
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What Happened

  • Fresh protests erupted within the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur following the swearing-in of a new state government, with community members angered by the appointment of Nemcha Kipgen as Deputy Chief Minister.
  • The Kuki Women's Human Rights Organisation (KWOHR) held demonstrations in Churachandpur, with protesters accusing Kuki-Zo MLAs who joined the government of betraying community interests without securing a written commitment on the Union Territory demand.
  • The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) held talks with Kuki-Zo group representatives in New Delhi, reaffirming ground rules of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact while hearing renewed demands for a separate administrative arrangement for hill districts.
  • The protests highlight that while security deployments and peace efforts have reduced active violence, the underlying political grievances between valley-based Meiteis and hill-based Kuki-Zo communities remain unresolved.
  • The MHA communicated that peace must precede any political solution, including the Kuki-Zo demand for a separate Union Territory with legislature.

Static Topic Bridges

Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement

The Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement is a ceasefire framework between the Central Government, the Manipur state government, and armed underground groups of the Kuki-Zo community. The current SoO was signed in 2008 with two umbrella bodies — the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People's Front (UPF) — comprising approximately 25 groups. Under the pact, security forces suspend offensive operations against signatory groups, while militant cadres are required to stay confined in designated camps. The agreement is renewed annually based on progress in peace talks, and has been extended nearly every year since 2008. Its primary purpose is to create space for political dialogue rather than permanently resolve the conflict.

  • The SoO is a tripartite agreement: Centre, Manipur state government, and Kuki-Zo armed groups.
  • Cadres must remain in designated camps and refrain from carrying weapons outside; security forces suspend cordon-and-search operations.
  • The Manipur state government attempted to withdraw from the SoO in March 2023 for two groups (Kuki National Army and Zomi Revolutionary Army) alleging violations.
  • A revised SoO pact was signed by the Centre and Manipur government with Kuki-Zo groups approximately two years after the May 2023 violence began.

Connection to this news: MHA's February 2026 meetings with Kuki groups centred on reaffirming SoO ground rules amid allegations of violations, as new protests signal that the ceasefire framework alone is insufficient without political resolution.

Ethnic Conflict in Manipur — Background and Dimensions

Violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, triggered by protests by Kuki-Zo tribes against a High Court recommendation to extend Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the majority Meitei community. The clashes pitted the valley-based Meitei community (predominantly Hindu, inhabiting the Imphal valley) against the hill-based Kuki-Zo tribes (predominantly Christian, inhabiting the hill districts). The conflict resulted in over 260 deaths, displacement of tens of thousands of people, destruction of homes and places of worship, and a near-total breakdown of inter-community relations. The conflict has a complex historical dimension rooted in competing land rights, ST reservation politics, and demands for autonomous administrative arrangements.

  • Meiteis constitute approximately 53% of Manipur's population but are confined to roughly 10% of the state's land area (the valley).
  • Kuki-Zo groups have demanded a separate Union Territory with legislature for the hill districts — a demand the Centre has not accepted.
  • Over 260 people were killed and more than 50,000 displaced in the 2023 violence according to official estimates.
  • The Internet was suspended in Manipur for extended periods during the conflict.

Connection to this news: The current protests reflect the continuation of the political impasse — Kuki-Zo groups want a written assurance on their Union Territory demand before engaging with the state government, while the Centre insists on peace as a precondition for political talks.

Centre-State Relations in Internal Security — Constitutional Framework

Under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, "Public order" and "Police" are State subjects (List II), making the state government primarily responsible for internal security. However, the Centre holds overriding powers under Entry 2A of List I (deployment of armed forces in aid of civil power) and through Article 355, which obliges the Centre to protect every state against internal disturbance. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), operative in Manipur's hill districts, provides legal cover for armed force operations in "disturbed areas" and is a frequently debated aspect of the security response. The MHA coordinates central interventions through deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and through bodies like the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for terror-related prosecutions.

  • Article 355 of the Constitution requires the Centre to protect states against internal disturbance — the constitutional basis for Central intervention in Manipur.
  • AFSPA gives security forces powers of arrest, search, and use of force without warrant in notified disturbed areas.
  • CAPFs including CRPF, BSF, and Assam Rifles have been deployed in large numbers in Manipur since May 2023.
  • The MHA has the power to coordinate peace talks and designate groups as insurgent organisations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Connection to this news: The MHA-level talks with Kuki groups demonstrate the Centre's constitutional role in managing internal security situations that transcend state capacity, while the SoO framework itself is a Central government instrument that limits state government autonomy in managing armed group engagement.

Key Facts & Data

  • Manipur ethnic violence began on May 3, 2023; over 260 deaths and 50,000+ displaced.
  • SoO agreement first signed in 2008; covers approximately 25 Kuki-Zo armed groups under KNO and UPF.
  • Nemcha Kipgen was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Manipur in February 2026.
  • Kuki-Zo community's core demand: Union Territory with legislature for hill districts.
  • MHA's stated position: peace must precede political solution.
  • Churachandpur is the largest town in the Kuki-Zo dominated hill districts of Manipur.
  • Manipur has 16 hill districts and the Imphal valley; hill districts account for approximately 90% of land area.