Where things already stand precariously in Manipur, the situation has taken a more disturbing and sinister turn. As violence prolongs beyond the initial districts affected, frontal Naga groups have now formally announced that Indian security forces have committed “atrocities brutalities intimidations and threats” on Naga civilians, calling into question the apparent complicity of the state machinery, the conduct of the Indian military, and the role of the BJP in all this.
This is not a mere finger-pointing exercise. The Working Committee of the United Naga Council, the All Naga Students’ Association Manipur and Naga Women Union have all cited “heavy militarisation” in Naga areas.
Their affidavit narrates episodes of alleged indiscriminate firing, intimidation of villagers, and violent excesses committed by some units of the Assam Rifles etc. Another upsetting accusation that seems to be true is security agents breaking down a village gate in Talui and shooting in the village of Hoomi near the gate 4 shooting innocent people. According to Naga groups this sort of repression is not rare in the hills.
A Conflict Spiraling Out of Control
The scale of these allegations can best be understood by looking at the wider crisis. Since Ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in May 2023, Manipur has been seen to have entered a “de facto civil conflict”. 260 lives have been lost and over 60,000 have been displaced with entire communities segregated into ‘benign’ zones. There are new indications that the crisis is spreading. Firing has now moved into the Naga areas into places that were until now somewhat cut off and isolated. The situation is spiraling out of control and proves to be a huge humanitarian crisis, affecting all communities.
Protests have erupted multiple times in the recent past. One such example as a result of this situation is the April 2026 protests against the security forces during which civilians banged the heads of the security forces onto the walls, demanding justice and accountability. The situation has been led to the extent that security forces are now using force against protests themselves and thus creating an ever-widening chasm between local populations and the security forces.
Militarisation or Protection?
Is the Indian state protecting or attacking?This is the core issue that Manipur raises and according to Naga organisations, it is the latter. They are also based on a deeply disturbing history.
Human rights organizations and foreign governments have chronicled human rights violations in Manipur for decades: extrajudicial executions, torture and arbitrary detention by the Indian armed police. This kind of abuse has been permitted under the infamous Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, a contentious law which authorizes wide-ranging powers and legal immunity for any military occupying a ‘disturbed area’.
The United Nations have denounced the AFSPA numerous times, alleging it violates the new human rights regimes. However, despite these concerns, the law continues to exist throughout most of the Northeast including Manipur.
The allegations made today are not new to most in the region; this is merely the continuation of a system that has, for decades, disregarded civilian protection in favor of military dominance.
BJP’s Silence and Political Failure
At the centre of this crisis is a conspicuous political vacuum. The long-dominant BJP-led the Union government which governs India over the duration of conflict has been met with widespread criticism for it’s sluggish and inadequate response.
More disturbing is growing perception of selective governance. Although political energy seems to be channeled into elections and national issues, the flames in the north east states are still burning and im the eyes of media and the nations are hardly concerned about them.
This disconnect is evidenced in the very accusations made by Naga organisations. Communities perceiving the security forces as their attackers can amount to the most fundamental erosion of state-ness.
A Pattern of Impunity
What is being shed light on today was not new before. Events like the 1987 Operation Bluebird killing, torturing civilians and razing of village after villageare living legends for the Nagas as giant killers operating with impunity. Accountability still evades us.
Accusations of abuse seldom lead to prosecutions. This injustice is not merely legal but politicalit shows how civilian suffering has been subordinate to strategic and security considerations.
The Human Cost
Encapsulated within these figures and words are real lives. Families forced to leave their homes. Villages living in trauma.
Ecosystems fragmented by hatred and violence. The current crisis has already led to the loss of thousands of homes and jobs. As violence extends into new parts of the country, particularly in Naga areas, humanitarian suffering will inevitably increase.
Conclusion: A State at Crossroads
The situation in Manipur today has reached a crucial pivot. Naga organisations’ past allegations are not mere charges; they are warning signals to the state. Warning that this route with militarisation and political apathy cannot survive.
If India is to sustain the democractic spirit, it needs to face the hard truths that security without accountability turns to resentment, the silence in the face of suffering is complicity, and peace cannot be rooted in fear.
Until that day, the cries from the hills of Manipur of brutality, intimidations and injustices will continues to be heard and unanswered.
