Seventy-two hours of violence, civilians shot, villages attacked, homes set on fire, and security personnel injured have undermined the BJP’s claims of peace in Manipur. Nearly three years of unrest and large-scale displacement highlight the Modi government’s inability to restore security. While the BJP asserts that normalcy has returned, civilians continue to mourn their losses and communities bear the consequences of ongoing government shortcomings.
Between October 17 and 19, new violence resulted in civilian deaths across several districts. Three Meitei villagers were killed and three others injured in Imphal East. An IED explosion wounded three CRPF personnel, and another person died during clashes in Thoubal. In Kamjong, a Kuki civilian was killed, and dozens of homes burned by NSCN-IM. This is the harsh truth concealed behind the BJP’s refrain that all is well again: civilians are still dying, and the people can no longer live in peace.
They reveal the depth of the crisis: nearly 100 deaths among 300 incidents of violence reported between January and October 2026, after a conflict that has left more than 260 people dead and 60,000 displaced since May 2023. Claims of the Assam Rifles’ complicity emerged once again. They have created distrust between locals and soldiers, some of whom have not only doubted the story soldiers tell after an attack but, on occasion, accused them of participating. These should be investigated, not dismissed.
Where is the responsibility when civilians are besieged? Where is the security when villages face the next attack?
The NDA led by PM Modi and the BJP in the government of Manipur are responsible for the ongoing loss of innocent lives. More troops cannot replace the need for good protection, clear investigations, and justice for victims. For the families of victims in Manipur, every new death painfully underscores the stark contrast between official commitments and realities. The BJP cannot keep up the fiction of peace when the people of Manipur keep on burying their dead.
