Fresh tension in Imphal West as Kuki group trespasses Meitei paddy field at Khurkhul

Fresh tension erupted in Imphal West district today after a group of individuals from the Kuki community allegedly trespassed into a paddy field belonging to Meitei farmers at Khurkhul Maning Singjapokpi, under the jurisdiction of Sekmai Police Station. The incident took place at around 10:30 a.m., according to local sources.
The group, reportedly from Champai Village near Singjapokpi, is said to have entered the farmland without the landowners’ consent. Upon discovering the intrusion, local residents informed CRPF personnel stationed nearby. Security personnel, along with villagers, reportedly intervened and drove out the trespassers. No injuries or further escalation were reported.
This incident is part of a series of recent tensions involving access to agricultural land in areas near alert zone between hill and valley regions. In an earlier case, a Meitei farmer from the same area was reportedly detained and handed over to Sekmai Police Station by the Central Forces (57 Mountain Division) for photographing Kuki individuals allegedly ploughing his field using a tractor.
On June 15, at Leitanpokpi, Meitei farmers who had secured prior permission from Central Forces for cultivation were reportedly stopped and forced to retreat by Kuki groups. In Phubala, farmers have also been denied access to their paddy fields, further complicating the already disrupted farming season.
A more violent confrontation occurred on June 19 in Bishnupur district, where a farmer sustained a bullet injury to his left hand after alleged Kuki militants opened fire while farmers were cultivating. The area is considered sensitive and remains under close watch by security agencies.
These recurring incidents reflect the growing strain in inter-community relations and heightened insecurity in fringe zones where control over land continues to be a source of conflict. Allegations have surfaced that certain groups are attempting to assert territorial claims by entering or occupying farmland traditionally used by members of the Meitei community and others.
Authorities have yet to issue an official statement regarding today’s incident. Security measures have been intensified in the affected areas to prevent further disturbances during the crucial paddy cultivation period.