Manipur
Songfel Village, Kangpokpi district
,
Pukhao Leitanpokpi
,
Imphal East
Published :
|
Updated :
Tension erupts in Manipur’s Imphal East over disputed farmland
Reported by
Sarup Sinha
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Sourabh Rai, Amrita Chekkutty
Edited by
Anupa Kujur
Households affected
People affected
2025
Year started
ha.
Land area affected
Households affected
People Affected
2025
Year started
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Land Use
Reason/Cause of conflict
Other Kind of Land Use
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
Sector
Land Use
Reason/Cause of conflict
Other Kind of Land Use
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
1
Summary

On 14 June 2025, tensions flared in the Pukhao Leitanpokpi area of Imphal East due to a farmland dispute between the Meitei and Kuki communities. The conflict started when Meitei farmers tried to cultivate their paddy fields at Sadu Lampak but were stopped by Kuki villagers from Songfel village, Kangpokpi.

The Leitanpokpi-Sadu Lampak-Songfel zone has been sensitive since the ethnic conflict in Manipur began in May 2023. It borders Imphal East, which is mainly Meitei-dominant, and Kangpokpi district, which has many Kuki-Zo people.

In a post on its official X account, the police reported that the trouble started when a Meitei farmer arrived with a tractor to plough the land. Kuki villagers soon descended from the hills to contest the Meiteis' claims. The situation escalated as more individuals from both communities arrived at the scene, resulting in verbal confrontations and stone-pelting.

While no major casualties were reported, at least three individuals are believed to have sustained minor injuries. Viral videos circulated online, showing both communities engaging in stone-pelting, even in the presence of armed personnel deployed to restore order.

Authorities have since appealed to the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified social media content.

Meitei farmers claim the disputed land has been theirs for generations. “It is being wrongly portrayed as a land dispute. The paddy fields belong to us, inherited from our forefathers. We were simply trying to cultivate our land after obtaining due permission from the central forces,” stated a Meitei farmer.

2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Common

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Agricultural land

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

4
Additional Information

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Imphal East District Administration; Kangpokpi District Administration

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

5
Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Legal Supporting Documents

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Author
Reported by
Sarup Sinha

Sarup is a researcher and doctoral student in Political Science at the North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. His research interests lie in the area of ethnic and land conflicts, political ecology and development and urban spaces of Northeast India. He has a Masters’ degree in Development Studies from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. He has previously done research/internships with NABARD, Oxford Microfinance Initiative (renamed Oxford Development Consultancy) and CSDS (Lokniti Programme).

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Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Agricultural land

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

JOIN
THE LCW COMMUNITY
Exclusive monthly policy briefs, stories from the ground, Quarterly Analytics report, Curated Expert talks, merchandise and much more.


Support our work.
Sign Up Today
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