Farmlands lie fallow amid ethnic tension
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 29 2025: Large swath of the state's once-thriving agricultural lands now lie eerily silent, as the ethnic conflict that erupted on May 3, 2023 continues to displace farmers and disrupt cultivation.

Once the bedrock of its rural economy, farmlands are now zones of fear and stagnation as ethnic tensions between the Meetei and Kuki communities continue to prevent farmers from returning to their ancestral lands.

The resulting halt in agricultural activity is not only threatening livelihoods and food production but also raising serious questions about the role and reliability of central security forces stationed in vulnerable areas.

Agriculture accounts for nearly 22 per cent of Manipur's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and supports over 60 per cent of its population.

But the ongoing conflict has devastated the farming sector, leaving more than 5,127 hectares of farmland fallow and causing a loss of over 15,000 metric tonnes of rice, according to Dr Thiyam Bharat Singh, an Associate Professor at Manipur University.

"The ethnic conflict has undermined agriculture in Manipur, leading to a significant food shortage," an ANI report quoted him as saying.

People were hopeful of the situation returning to normal, at least for the farmers with no fresh incidents of armed skirmishes taking place under the President's Rule administration.

However, the tension turned violent in Leitanpokpi, Imphal East district, on June 16, when Meetei farmers attempting to plough their fields were attacked by Kuki civilians who crossed the buffer zone and pelted stones and fired slingshots.

Locals said that they immediately appealed to the district SP, Assam Rifles, and Border Security Force officers for protection and combing operations.

While the army conducted some searches in Kuki-dominated areas, villagers accused the central forces of failing to act swiftly or effectively.

Later, Lok Sabha MP Dr Angomcha Bimol Akoijam visited the area along with MLA Th Lokeshwar.

Dr Bimol said that while farmers were trying to cultivate their land peacefully, they were met with hostility and violence.

He submitted a video footage to the Governor showing armed Kuki individuals roaming the area, contradicting earlier claims by the central forces that no such disruptive elements exist.

He warned that the continued inaction by the authorities and provocations, such as hurling slurs and slingshots at farmers, could derail peace efforts.

"All farmers must be allowed to resume work on their ancestral land without obstruction," Dr Bimol told the Governor.

Dr Bimol accused the central government of enabling communal polarisation by allowing unchecked attacks to continue.

He cited his own experience earlier this month when he was prevented from visiting Phougakchao Ikhai, a village in his constituency.

"This selective restriction on movement and silence on repeated assaults only highlights the double standards being enforced," he said.

The sense of insecurity deepened further on June 20, when a 55-year-old farmer, N Biren, was shot in the forearm while working in his held at Phubala village in Bishnupur district.

According to local sources, multiple rounds were hred from the direction of a nearby Kuki village around 3:20 pm.

Farmers said that the bring continued even after Biren was hit.

Shockingly, the attack occurred just 30 to 40 metres from an SSB post, whose personnel reportedly ducked in the bunker upon hearing the gunshots rather than responding to the situation.

The incident led to widespread protests in Phubala with local condemning what they described as a "partisan policy" by the government, accusing it of selectively disarming Meetei-dominated valley areas but allowing militants in the hills to operate freely.

Meanwhile, the wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi was killed in a subsequent exchange of fire between central forces and suspected Kuki militants who had launched the attack.

Security forces stationed near Langchingmanbi attempted to intercept the assailants, but they escaped after a brief gunfight.

Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) Farmers' Wing convenor AB Elangbam expressed outrage over repeated armed assaults on farmers.

He said that the shooting at Phubala was not an isolated case and demanded an official explanation from the central forces.

"Are farmers paying the price for placing their trust in the forces that promised protection?" he asked, adding that the lack of visible security presence and coordinated response is leaving farmers vulnerable in their own belds.

He further criticised the SSB unit near the attack site for inaction and demanded that authorities clearly announce the extent and timing of security coverage for farmers.

"If security forces are present but non-responsive, then their presence only serves to pacify headlines, not to protect lives," he said.

While majority of the affected farmland belongs to the Meetei community, there are also similar situations faced by farmer from the Kuki community.

One such place where the loss is visible, as per an ANI report, is Uyungmakhong village in Churachandpur district, where farmers like Kaiminlien have not been able to cultivate their belds for nearly two years.

"My land lies in the buffer zone.

We haven't received any assistance so far.

It's frustrating," he told ANI.

His village of around 30 families owns 15 hectares of cultivable land, all of which remains untouched as security concerns and territorial tension continue to dominate daily life.

As the farming communities struggle between violence and abandonment, the continued inaction and alleged bias of central forces are fuelling mistrust and deepening social divisions.

With thousands of hectares of farmland lying fallow and local economies in tatters, the hope for peace and recovery grows more distant with each passing day.

Without urgent steps to restore security and ensure accountability, Manipur's once-thriving agricultural landscape risks becoming a permanent casualty of the ongoing conflict.

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