Understanding the Roots of Manipur Conflict

The northeastern state of Manipur in India has witnessed unprecedented ethnic​violence for nearly 30 months now. What started as a quarrel over the division of spoils over the demand by a section of the Meitei community for the Scheduled Tribes’ list inclusion, met with ethnic opposition, subsequently assuming a religious dimension. Churches and temples were torched, the Government of India appointed a security advisor in tackling law and order, and rushed in substantial additional troops. Paradoxically, it catalyzed the rise of armed militant groups while cycles of raids and counter-raids against civilians cast a ghastly spell devoid of established humanitarian norms and rising body counts. The imposition of Central Rule on 13th February 2025 with a six-month extension in August 2025 has been unable to bring peace. This talk endeavours a return to peace in Manipur through building on the courage to confront truth while understanding the roots of the conflict. Essentially a truth-seeking exercise, the talk aims to dissect three root causes of the conflict: Political status of Manipur (Insurgency & Counter-Insurgency); Illicit narcotic trade and poppy cultivation; and Contestations around indigeneity, land rights and immigration.​

Babloo Loitongbam has been organizing the victimized communities of Manipur and other North Eastern states of India and empowering them with the tools and techniques to access human rights redress mechanisms at the local, national and international levels. In the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, he has been advocating for a victim centered human rights-based approach to build peace amongst communities. Academically he holds twin degrees of Anthropology and Law from Delhi University and a Master´s degree on Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding from Eastern Mennonite University, Virginia.​