Imphal, Feb 10: The Manipur government on Tuesday suspended internet and data services for five days in Ukhrul district after fresh incidents of firing and arson were reported at Litan Sareikhong village, police said. The suspension, ordered as a preventive measure, includes broadband, VPN and VSAT services and comes a day after two Tangkhul Naga organisations restricted the movement of Kuki people in Ukhrul and neighbouring Kamjong districts.
Police said armed men set fire to more than eight mostly abandoned houses and fired several rounds at Litan Sareikhong. Officials said that, over the past 48 hours, more than 30 houses and other properties in the village have been burned following the alleged assault of a Tangkhul Naga community member by Kuki community members.
The situation in the hill areas remains tense, the police officer said, and additional security personnel, including central paramilitary forces, have been deployed in sensitive locations. Preventive measures such as curfew have been imposed and a joint control room has been set up at Litan police station to coordinate security operations and information sharing. Senior officers are camping in the village area and closely monitoring the ground situation.
In a government notification, Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Home) N. Ashok Kumar said authorities feared anti-social elements could misuse social media to circulate inflammatory images, posts and videos that might inflame public sentiment and worsen law and order. After reviewing the situation and its link to internet use, the state decided to temporarily suspend services in Ukhrul district for five days as a precaution.
Manipur Police said miscreants burned a few houses in villages around Litan the previous night and that security forces used tear gas to disperse clashing groups when intense stone-pelting broke out between Naga and Kuki tribal groups on Sunday evening and night. The district administration imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, banning movement outside homes and activities likely to disturb public order until further notice.
Opposition Congress leaders urged immediate action to restore peace. Congress Legislature Party leader Keisham Meghachandra Singh called the renewed violence “deeply alarming” and said, “At a time when peace and mutual understanding are urgently needed, such incidents only push society further into fear and uncertainty.” He added that continued violence even after the formation of a new government was “shameful and alarming,” and urged decisive steps to protect citizens.
Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, a Naga leader, has been camping in the troubled area since Sunday and has held meetings with local residents, leaders of the Foothills Naga Coordinating Committee and the Joint Tribes Council, and senior BJP leader L. Newmai in efforts to defuse tensions. Tangkhul is the largest Naga tribe in Manipur, while Litan Sareikhong is predominantly inhabited by members of the Kuki community. (IANS)
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/02/10/manipur-govt-suspends-internet-in-ukhrul-amid-fresh-naga-kuki-violence/
Category: NATIONAL,News Alert,REGIONAL
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Publish Date: 2026-02-10 15:13:00
