Opinion Ethnic faultlines in Manipur still run deep. Yumnam Khemchand Singh has his task cut out

Khemchand is supported by three experienced senior leaders. The first is Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, a senior Thadou leader who has also served as a minister in the past. Second, Losii Dikho is a politician who was elected to the Manipur Legislative Assembly from the Mao Assembly Constituency in 2012, 2017, and 2022 Assembly elections. He belongs to the Naga People’s Front (NPF). Third, Govindas Konthoujam won a seventh consecutive term as a member of the Manipur Legislative Assembly from the Bishnupur constituency, representing the BJP. Many observers see the choice of three individuals as a sign of the Centre’s seriousness about expanding community representation in the incoming administration.

Outside his legislative work, Khemchand has tried to be seen as someone who builds consensus between communities, which is uncommon in Manipur’s tense political setting. The crisis in Manipur has continued for years and has harmed everyday life, public trust, and basic safety. Violence between communities, displacement, and damage to homes and places of worship have left many families without stable shelter, schooling, or health care. The situation is made worse by fear, rumours, and the spread of narratives and counter-narratives online, which have triggered violent incidents even when local conditions begin to calm down. In this setting, people of the supposedly “warring communities” often avoid travel, face shutdowns, and public services struggle to function.

Several challenges keep the conflict going. First, identity politics and misinterpretation of political representation have created deep suspicion. Second, the presence of armed political groups and the flow of weapons raises the risk of sudden attacks. Third, gaps in maintaining law and order, delays in legal action and delivering justice can lead to a sense that the marginalised are out of the state’s developmental radar. Fourth, relief work is difficult when roads are blocked, camps are overcrowded, and access depends on local security conditions. Many internally displaced persons also face pressure while trying to return to their homes.
A way forward needs both immediate steps and longer-term work. In the short term, the state must focus on protecting civilians, keeping transport routes open for medical care and supplies, and ensuring that relief reaches all groups without bias. Clear public communication is also necessary to check rumours and prevent panic. There should be quick and fair investigations into major incidents, with visible legal follow-through to rebuild confidence in the rule of law.

Over the longer term, peace efforts should include structured talks that involve community leaders, women’s groups, youth representatives, and civil society, not only political elites who have caused significant damage over the past two years. These talks need to address concrete issues such as land use, local administration, and security arrangements, with written commitments and a timeline for review. Rehabilitation must go beyond temporary aid and include housing repair, support for livelihoods, school recovery plans, and mental health services. It is also important to strengthen local institutions so that future disputes can be handled through dialogue and lawful procedures rather than intimidation.

A stable Manipur will depend on steady public safety, fair justice, and a serious effort to repair relationships across communities. Progress may be slow, yet consistent protection of rights and equal treatment under the law can create the basic conditions needed for peace to hold. Since May 3, 2023, Manipur has faced a long and deadly period of ethnic violence, mainly involving clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups. The violence led to large-scale displacement, deaths, and extensive damage to property.

Khemchand’s elevation reflects an attempt by the BJP’s central leadership to reduce tensions and re-establish normalcy by choosing a leader seen as acceptable to more than one community. Some critics argue that when peacebuilding is driven mainly by directives from New Delhi, it can push aside grassroots perspectives and limit local political agency, a concern that feels particularly relevant given the state’s ongoing humanitarian and security crises.

In the past, including under Congress governments, decisions about state leaders in the Northeast were often shaped and sometimes settled by the party’s national leadership and senior figures, rather than coming only from local agreement or state-level politics. Because the region combines many ethnic identities, unstable coalitions, and uncertain election results, national parties have often sought more direct control over decisions about who should lead.

After taking the oath, Yumnam Khemchand faces two urgent tasks: addressing the long-running ethnic conflict and restoring public confidence in democratic institutions after an extended period of President’s Rule. People will pay close attention to his policy decisions, how he works with civil society, and whether he can put inclusive governance into practice, both within the local community and among national observers. Central party influence can offer political support and a broad strategic line, but Manipur’s path forward will depend more on holding state leaders accountable, rebuilding trust at the local level, sustaining practical steps toward peace, and keeping open, honest dialogue among the state’s many communities. This will be difficult in a state where social and political divisions run deep.

The writer is the Editor-in-Chief of Frontier Manipur