Manipur: 51 Kuki students evacuated from Ukhrul school after fresh ethnic clashes

Police have evacuated 51 Kuki students from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) Ramva in Manipur’s Ukhrul district following days of tension between the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities.

The move came after clashes in the Litan Sareikhong area left around 30 houses burnt and heightened fears of further unrest in the Naga-majority district. Authorities described the evacuation as a precautionary step amid a fragile law and order situation.

“The Ukhrul District Police have evacuated 51 students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Ramva School in Ukhrul and handed them over to the Saikul police station team for onward movement to the JNV in Kangpokpi district,” a police statement said.

Thirty-one boys and 20 girls were transported to Kangpokpi, a Kuki-majority district, under security escort. Police said the decision was taken to ensure the safety of the students as tensions continued in parts of Ukhrul.

During the evacuation, some residents reportedly mistook the students for miscreants, briefly raising tensions. Police said local civil society organisations intervened to calm the situation. “Their efforts in persuading villagers across the Shangshak, Ramva, Shokvao, TM Kasom and S Laho areas ensured the safe evacuation of the students,” the statement added.

Authorities have appealed to all communities to exercise restraint and avoid spreading rumours that could worsen the situation.

The latest violence was triggered by a drunken altercation between two groups on the evening of February 7 in Litan, a commercial town inhabited by both Tangkhul Nagas and Kukis. The incident escalated into broader clashes over the following days.

Manipur has remained volatile since May 2023, when ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki communities after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ in the hill districts opposing the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. More than 260 people have died and thousands have been displaced in the prolonged unrest.

President’s Rule was imposed in the state on February 13 last year. Earlier this month, Y Khemchand Singh was sworn in as chief minister amid efforts to restore stability.