State Apathy and Failure of Authorities in the Arson of Two Kuki Villages in Kamjong District

Ethnic unrest has resurfaced in Manipur’s Kamjong district, as two Kuki villages — Gampal and Haijang — were reduced to ashes in an arson attack by unidentified armed miscreants on April 23. According to initial reports, 16 houses were torched in Gampal and 12 in Haijang, both located in the Sahamphung Sub-Division. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, as most villagers were away in the fields at the time of the attack.

The incident echoes the tragic events of March 2020, when Chassad village, another Kuki settlement in the same district, was similarly ransacked and burnt down following escalating tensions with residents of the neighbouring Sampui village, largely inhabited by Tangkhul Nagas. Historical disputes over ancestral land and forest territory continue to fuel deep-rooted animosity between the communities

In response to the April 23 attack, Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was invoked by the Kamjong District Magistrate, restricting movement and public activities in the affected areas to prevent further escalation.

Condemnation from Kuki organisations was swift and forceful. The Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) criticised the Centre’s silence, saying:

“The Prime Minister aborted his Saudi visit to respond to an attack in Jammu & Kashmir, yet remains deaf to the cries of hundreds of grieving families in Manipur.”

In a joint statement, Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO-GHQ), Kuki Chiefs’ Association (KCA-M), and several women’s rights groups decried the violence as a “systematic targeting of the Kuki-Zo people,” and condemned the government’s continued inaction amid ongoing displacement and destruction.

They demanded immediate reconstruction of Gamphal and Haijang, along with fair compensation, deployment of neutral security forces to ensure safety in the region and essential humanitarian aid for displaced families, including food, medical supplies, and shelter.

Meanwhile, the NSCN (IM) — a powerful Naga insurgent group — denied any involvement in the attacks, condemning the “wild speculation” and calling for a thorough investigation.

“The conspiracy surrounding the incident shall be exposed sooner or later,” stated the NSCN (IM) in a press release on April 24.

The attack comes just weeks after Union Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, visited Kamjong district headquarters on April 9, highlighting the area’s strategic importance and efforts to enhance border infrastructure. However, the fresh violence reveals a stark contrast between development goals and on-ground realities, where ethnic divisions remain dangerously unresolved.

The recent burning of Gampal and Haijang, two Kuki villages in Manipur’s Kamjong district, is not an isolated event but the latest in a series of attacks on the minority Kukis that reveal a disturbing pattern — a consistent failure by the state machinery to protect its citizens and uphold justice, even under President’s Rule. The inability of the authorities to identify, apprehend, or prosecute the perpetrators of repeated violence against the Kuki community paints a grim picture of law enforcement paralysis and systemic negligence.

The events of April 23, 2025, mirror the tragic Chassad arson of March 2020, where over 150 homes were destroyed and families displaced. Despite extensive destruction and open allegations by victims against suspected Tangkhul Naga perpetrators, no meaningful investigation or arrest followed then — nor now. In both cases: No culprits have been identified, no arrests have been made and no concrete action has followed public condemnation. This raises a critical question: Is the state unwilling, or simply incapable of intervening when it comes to ethnically charged violence?
President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur amid worsening law and order in the wake of ongoing ethnic clashes. This shift places direct responsibility on the central government and its appointed Governor to restore normalcy and enforce the Constitution. However, this framework has proved to be ineffective, as seen in the unchecked attack on Gampal and Haijang despite existing tensions. Lack of anticipatory security deployment in known flashpoint areas, absence of swift investigation mechanisms, even when the accused are alleged to belong to identifiable groups. In effect, central oversight has failed to protect the vulnerable, undermining the very rationale for President’s Rule.
The absence of accountability has emboldened perpetrators. From Chassad to Haijang, looting, arson, and destruction of evidence — such as the alleged torching of land records — have all occurred without resistance from police or paramilitary forces.

As reported by residents, Security forces like the Assam Rifles were present but failed to intervene.Looted goods, including trucks loaded with household items, were allowed to pass unchallenged. Such passivity indicates either tacit complicity or a deliberate abdication of duty, both equally dangerous in a democracy.

The Kuki community’s statements reflect a growing mistrust of the state apparatus. COTU and KIM’s strong-worded rebukes targeted not just attackers but also the Prime Minister and Governor. The lack of judicial or administrative redress has created a vacuum of justice, replaced by fear, trauma, and further displacement. The violence in Kamjong is not just a local law and order failure — it is a systemic failure of governance under President’s Rule, reflecting the Centre’s inability or unwillingness to address ethnic violence with the urgency it demands. Until perpetrators are identified, prosecuted, and victims are meaningfully rehabilitated, peace will remain fragile, and justice a distant dream for the Kuki-Zo people.