Manipur cops defuse Meitei-Kuki land dispute in Imphal East

Security forces swiftly intervened to defuse tensions after a land ownership dispute erupted between farmers from different communities in Manipur's Imphal East on Sunday morning.

The incident began around 10 am when a Meitei farmer from Leitanpokpi arrived with his tractor to cultivate a paddy field in Sadu Lampak village, located near a Kuki settlement. Local Kuki residents challenged the farmer's right to work the land, claiming he had no ownership of the field.

"Some Kuki villagers nearby came and objected saying the paddy field does not belongs to him. Meanwhile some Meitei nearby also came to the site," Manipur Police tweeted.

The disagreement quickly drew additional people from both communities to the site, raising concerns about potential escalation in the ethnically sensitive region.

Manipur Police further reported that Additional Superintendent of Police (Intelligence), along with central security forces, were already positioned at the location and successfully contained the situation. Additional reinforcements led by the Superintendent of Police were deployed as a precautionary measure.

Police have urged residents to ignore unverified social media content about the incident. "Videos are circulating claiming that Kukis came down to stop Meitei farmers. The public is requested not to believe in rumours," the Manipur Police stated in their official communication.