Clashes between Meitei Hindus and Muslims in Manipur spark fear of new communal fault line

Police have deployed Rapid Action Force and Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Thoubal district after a fatal clash between a Meitei Hindu village and a Meitei Muslim village. The violence began on October 18 at a playground separating Khangabok and Sangaiyumpham villages following a football match and a music concert by singer Ranbir Thouna. Residents from both sides pelted stones, set houses and shops on fire, and ransacked property between 10.45 pm and 10.50 pm.

The Casualties

Around midnight, 23-year-old Rakesh Laishram, a local sports representative from Khangabok, was found dead on the road next to the ground with a head injury from a gunshot. Police have filed a first information report and arrested three people in connection with the violence. The administration has also ordered all licensed gun holders in the area to surrender their weapons and lifted a local curfew only on Sunday.

Differing Accounts

The two villages formed separate joint action committees with opposing demands. Khangabok's committee alleges that Sangaiyumpham residents started the stone pelting and fired the fatal shot. Sangaiyumpham's committee denies this, claiming stones were thrown from both sides and demanding compensation for burnt property and vehicles. Chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and state home minister Govinddass Konthoujam have held separate meetings with residents from both sides to restore order.

Context

Manipur has a history of communal clashes between Meiteis and Pangals dating back to 1993, alongside ongoing Meitei-Kuki and Kuki-Naga conflicts that have caused extensive casualties and displacement over three years. The Pangal community had largely stayed insulated from recent violence until this incident, raising concerns among security agencies about the conflict spreading to a new group.