Authorities said the evacuation was carried out amid a fragile law and order situation
KRC TIMES Manipur Bureau
Ukhrul/Imphal : Fifty-one Kuki students were evacuated from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), Ramva, in Manipur’s Ukhrul district following renewed tensions between the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities, police said on Tuesday.
The precautionary evacuation came in the wake of fresh violence in the Litan-Sareikhong area, where around 30 houses were reportedly set ablaze, intensifying fears of further unrest in the Naga-majority district.
In a statement, police said the students were safely moved under security escort. “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,” it said.
Of the total, 31 boys and 20 girls were transported to Kangpokpi, a Kuki-majority district, to ensure their safety as tensions persisted in parts of Ukhrul.
Brief Tension During Evacuation
Authorities said the evacuation was carried out amid a fragile law and order situation. During the operation, some local residents reportedly mistook the students for miscreants, briefly escalating tensions in the area.
Police said local civil society organisations stepped in to defuse 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.
Officials have appealed to all communities to maintain calm and refrain from spreading rumours that could aggravate tensions.
The latest violence was reportedly triggered by a drunken altercation between two groups in Litan on the evening of February 7. Litan is a commercial hub inhabited by both Tangkhul Nagas and Kukis. What began as a localised dispute soon escalated into wider clashes over the following days, culminating in arson and displacement.
The incident adds to the prolonged instability that has gripped Manipur since May 2023, when large-scale ethnic violence erupted between the Meitei and Kuki communities following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ in the hill districts. The march opposed the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status, sparking widespread unrest across the state.
More than 260 people have lost their lives and thousands have been displaced since the outbreak of violence, making it one of the most severe internal conflicts in the state’s recent history.
President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13 last year amid the continuing crisis. Earlier this month, Y Khemchand Singh was sworn in as Chief Minister as part of efforts to restore administrative stability and public confidence.
The evacuation of students from Ukhrul underscores the continuing volatility in parts of the hill districts, even as authorities attempt to prevent fresh flare-ups and reassure affected communities.
