Fresh Tension in Manipur After Attempted March Near Buffer Zone

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Imphal
• Nov 22, 2025
• 595

Tension flared again in Manipur on November 21 after a group of Meitei displaced residents attempted to move beyond the restricted Torbung–Kangvai buffer zone toward Churachandpur, prompting security forces to fire tear gas and smoke shells to stop the march. The incident occurred amid ongoing protests linked to the Sangai Festival and quickly triggered concern across both communities, as the highway stretch has remained a volatile boundary since the ethnic conflict began over two years ago.

In a statement issued on November 22, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) condemned the attempted march, calling it a “provocative” act and accusing certain Meitei groups of repeatedly trying to breach the buffer line. The Council said these actions had forced the Kuki-Zo population to remain in a constant state of defensive alert.

The KZC reiterated that the recurring instability proved that coexistence under a single administrative system was no longer viable. It again raised the demand for a separate Union Territory for the community, arguing that constitutional separation had become an “essential security requirement” for the survival of the Kuki-Zo people.

Calling for urgent intervention from the Centre, the Council warned that Manipur was in danger of “slipping back into conflict” unless immediate steps were taken to stabilise the situation. The statement was signed by Ginza Vualzong, Secretary of Information and Publicity, Kuki-Zo Council.