Manipur Marks Three Years Since Ethnic Violence Killed 217 And Destroyed 300 Church Buildings

Manipur marked three years since ethnic violence erupted on May 3, 2023, with official counts citing at least 217 people killed and more than 300 church buildings destroyed, while broader estimates exceeded 260, according to www.christiandaily. The state commemorated the 2023 violence on May 3, and two children killed in a rocket-propelled shell attack on April 7 were laid to rest on May 2 after their bodies lay unclaimed for 25 days, the article says. In the same period, the violence continued to draw in all three major clashing communities, and by nightfall churches belonging to Kuki-Zo, Naga and even Meitei Christian communities were burning across the state, the report adds. Al Jazeera described the April 7 attack in Tronglaobi town in Bishnupur district, saying the last rites of the two children were held on Saturday and that an improvised RPG hit their home, killing the children and wounding their mother while they were sleeping.

“Manipur, India – The loud wails of a 37-year-old nurse pierce the air as she crouches near two coffins to grieve the killing of her infant daughter and five-year-old son in a blast last month”

Al Jazeera

International Christian Concern said that “not one person appears to have been convicted of murder, rape, or arson committed since May 3, 2023,” quoting writer and activist John Dayal in The Quint. The same report described Manipur as effectively split into two ethnic zones of Kukis and Meiteis, separated by government security-patrolled “buffer zones” that Christians and other residents cannot safely cross. It also said official records up to March 2026 confirm 58,821 persons remain in 174 relief camps, with 7,894 permanent houses destroyed and 2,646 partially destroyed. In parallel, www.christiandaily reported that Kuki-Zo armed groups told the central government on Friday (May 1) that a return to the pre-conflict status quo is no longer acceptable, and it noted that India’s Supreme Court ordered a new forensic examination of audio recordings allegedly linking a former chief minister to the violence.

As Manipur marked the third anniversary, rallies and shutdowns marked the day, with Telangana Today reporting that Imphal/Churachandpur saw tributes to victims alongside demands linked to security, identity and separate administration. The article said the violence started on May 3, 2023, after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status, and it described a 12-hour shutdown called from 6 am by the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) in Kangpokpi district. It also reported that in Churachandpur, Kuki Zo groups observed a “Separation Day from Meiteis,” with ITLF holding a programme at Peace Ground and the Zomi Council organising an event at Martyrs Park. Al Jazeera added that the conflict has claimed more than 250 lives and displaced tens of thousands of people since May 2023, and it said the “unknown miscreants” pattern in FIRs has meant “not a single case has resulted in a conviction,” leaving families and communities still searching for answers.

“Three years after the outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur on May 3, 2023, the families of missing people have renewed their appeal for justice, accountability and urgent government action, stating that more than 30 from the valley areas who went missing during the height of the crisis are still untraceable”

NDTV